Justin Fields’ time with the Chicago Bears ended after three seasons, but it began with a rocky start as he reportedly had a toxic relationship with veterans Andy Dalton and Nick Foles during his rookie season in 2021. Bears director of player personnel Josh Lucas confirmed that things didn’t work out between Fields and the veteran quarterbacks behind the scenes, citing a lack of cohesion and missed opportunities for Fields to learn from Dalton and Foles. Despite not starting right away, Fields eventually took over as the team’s starter in Week 2 of his rookie season, passing for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 12 games.
Fields remained the Bears’ starting quarterback through the 2023 season, during which he threw for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, while rushing for 657 yards and four touchdowns. However, the Bears ultimately moved on from Fields after landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Caleb Williams. Questions arose about Fields’ ability to work with veteran quarterbacks as he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March after the team signed Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin expressed confidence in Fields being able to learn from Wilson and compete for the starting job.
Tomlin believes that Fields is excited about the opportunity to work alongside Wilson and learn from his experience in the league. He praised Wilson’s work ethic and veteran leadership, noting that Fields could benefit from picking up some tricks of the trade from the seasoned quarterback. Fields will have the chance to prove himself and potentially earn the starting job, despite the speculation surrounding his ability to work with veteran quarterbacks. The Bears’ handling of the situation with Fields is being questioned, but the quarterback now has a new opportunity in Pittsburgh to learn from one of the best in the league.
