While there were certainly highs, the Justin Fields experiment ultimately failed for the Chicago Bears. After a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fields is now poised to be the New York Jets starting quarterback in 2025.
When the Bears landed the No. 1 pick in 2024, they had a decision to make. Either give Fields another chance under center or start a new with Caleb Williams. The franchise chose the latter, in a decision that will define Chicago forever. Still, even in a rocky debut, Williams set the Bears new rookie passing yard (3,541) and touchdown (20) records.
But current Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson argues Fields got a bad rap when he was in Chicago. As he watched film of the quarterback, he saw numerous incomplete passes where Wilson says, ‘I would’ve caught that,’ via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Overall, Wilson believes Fields has much more to offer and will prove all the doubters wrong in his Jets debut.
“I know exactly what he can do,” Wilson said of Fields. “Now the world’s gotta see it.”
Garrett Wilson said he'd watch Justin Fields film when he was with the Bears thinking "I would've caught that."
Said he thinks Fields is much better than people realize — and has felt that way since he was drafted, when he thought Fields should've went higher than he did.
"I…
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) May 21, 2025
Justin Fields’ run with Chicago Bears
Fields was prolific as a runner during his time for the Bears, setting a high bar for all that come after him. Overall, the quarterback gained 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He had 1,143 yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2022 alone. However, Fields’ work in the pass game was an entirely different story.
Overall, the quarterback threw for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. His career-high in passing is 2,562 yards. And while he threw for a career-best 17 touchdowns in 2022, it came with 11 picks. To make matters even worse, Fields completed just 60.3 percent of his passes and went 10-28 as the starter.
One could argue though that Fields didn’t have the litany of weapons that Williams did as a rookie. Darnell Mooney was the team’s leading receiver throughout his campaign. However, the quarterback did have DJ Moore at his disposal in 2023. And while the receiver went over 1,000 yards, Fields still threw for just 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Bears ultimately decided it was time to move on and went all in on Williams.
Fields seemed to be doing well with a change of scenery, as he led the Steelers to a 4-2 record, throwing for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and an interception. However, head coach Mike Tomlin still decided to make a change and turned to veteran Russell Wilson for the majority of the season.
Still, the Jets saw a bright future in Fields and signed him to a two-year, $40 million contract. He has been given another opportunity to be a starting quarterback and lead a franchise. Wilson is positive that this time around, it’ll be a success.
Until Fields truly finds his footing at the NFL level, he will be judged for his time with the Bears. But if Wilson has anything to do about it, the quarterback’s Chicago struggles will truly be a thing of the past after 2025.
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