The Chicago Bears have been a laughingstock for most of the last decade, but they’re hoping to surprise some people this season.
They traded away the No. 1 pick in April’s draft in order to bring in some depth and offensive firepower around quarterback Justin Fields, who is going into his third pro season.
Thus far in the NFL, Fields hasn’t emerged the way many thought he would, but analyst Jordan Schultz firmly believes he can make the type of big leap this year that the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts made in 2022, via “Speak” on FS1.
.@Schultz_Report: Justin Fields can be this year’s Jalen Hurts. pic.twitter.com/a2eOga4gbM
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) August 10, 2023
In college and his first two pro seasons, Hurts was doubted and counted out by many, but he put together an MVP-caliber season in 2022 while leading the Eagles to the brink of a Super Bowl championship.
Schultz cited Fields’ work ethic and desire as the biggest reasons why he thinks the signal-caller will blossom this fall.
At Ohio State, Fields put up some prolific numbers while keeping his interceptions low, but so far in the pros, he has completed just 59.7 percent of his pass attempts.
During that time, he has thrown 21 interceptions and has managed to connect on just 24 touchdown passes.
This year, he will have DJ Moore, a standout wide receiver, to throw the ball to, while D’Onta Foreman will take some pressure off him in the backfield.
Chicago is coming off a season in which it finished with a 3-14 record, which was its worst record in decades, but with the lack of depth in the NFC, perhaps they can challenge for the conference’s final Wild Card playoff spot.
NEXT: Bears HC Shares Honest Impression Of DJ Moore At Training Camp
