The wait is over. Bears head coach Matt Nagy confirmed that rookie QB Justin Fields will make his first start Sunday against the Browns. Andy Dalton is expected to be unavailable owing to a knee injury suffered last week.
“It’s a great opportunity for Justin and for all of us as a staff to be able to take this thing and see where he goes with this,” Nagy told reporters today. With Dalton sidelined, former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles will serve as Fields’ backup this weekend.
Through limited action the past two weeks, the former Ohio St. signal caller is 8/15 for 70yds and 1 INT. The versatile QB has also added 34yds on the ground and 1 rushing TD to date. Many fans were clamouring for Fields to be the day 1 starter, however the Bears front office elected to go with a veteran presence and ease the rookie into action. With Dalton now injured, it appears as though plans have changed in the windy city.
Dalton has struggled in the early going putting up 262yds with 1TD & 1INT in the team’s first two games. Chicago fans have been starved for a franchise quarterback since the McMahon days of the early 80’s and are hoping that Fields’ dual threat skillset will provide a wrinkle on offense the team has been lacking for some time now.
As a sophomore at Ohio State, Fields threw for 3273 yds and had a ridiculous 41 to 3 TD/INT ratio. As a Jr. he threw for 2100 yds with 22TDs against 6INTs in a COVID shortened season. Standing 6’3” and weighing in at 228lbs, Fields fits the mould of the new dual threat quarterback who can burn you with both his arm or his legs.
At the Ohio St. pro day, Fields ran an unofficial 4.44 / 40yd dash. To put that in perspective, though Lamar Jackson never officially posted a 40yd time ahead of the draft, at a 2017 “speed day” at Louisville, he reportedly ran a 4.34 forty.
That being said, Matt Nagy was quick to point out that the team hasn’t officially moved on from Dalton yet. “When Andy is healthy, he’s our starter,” Nagy told reporters. It was a similar statement the Chargers made last year when Tyrod Taylor was injured and Justin Herbert took over. While the proclamation was almost expected, barring Fields looking wildly out of place behind centre the next few weeks, it can likely be chalked up to coach speak with Fields assuming full control of the Chicago offense moving forward.
Fields gets a tough test against a Cleveland defense with multiple high end pass rushers and a leaky offensive line in front of him out of the gate. Fantasy owners would be wise to keep him on the bench for this weekend to see how he does. If he looks comfortable out there you can fire him up with confidence ahead of a week 4 tilt with a shaky Detroit Lions defense.