18 July 2023 , 19:17
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Justin Fields is confident he is one of the top five running quarterbacks in the NFL.
The Chicago Bears player appeared on the CBS All Things Covered podcast and when asked whom would select, he did not hesitate to include himself. “I’m definitely in the top five,” Fields said. His other four choices were Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton, Michael Vick and Steve Young.
Fans took to the comments section of the video posted on the CBS Twitter page and mentioned names Fields left off his list, such as Randall Cunningham, Fran Tarkenton and Steve McNair. Supporters also mentioned another quarterback, Bobby Douglass, who played for the Bears. He represented the franchise for six years from 1969-1975 and in 1972, he set a record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in one season. He managed 968 yards, along with eight touchdowns on 141 carries. It was a feat that stood for 34 years.
Last season Fields enjoyed the best campaign of his career, running 1,143 yards, the second most by a quarterback in NFL history behind Jackson’s 1,206 rushing yards recorded in 2019. He also lead the league with 7.1 yards per carry and went on to set the single-game record for quarterbacks by recording 178 rushing yards against the Miami Dolphins last November.
His impressive speed and agility make him one of the most captivating players to watch and he has the skillset to end his career as one of the best quarterbacks to ever grace the league. Fields has much to look forward to next season and in the offseason he has been working on building a connection with the Bears’ new wide receiver DJ Moore.
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The 26-year-old was traded to Chicago by the Carolina Panthers in March 2023 and the duo are on track to establish the chemistry needed to operate at the highest level. "It did come on quickly. I didn't really expect anything because it's different for each guy, but I feel like with DJ, his body language is pretty easy to read,” he said in June.
Fields ran 1,143 yards in the NFL last season (Getty)“Early on we communicated on how we want each route ran and stuff like that. Of course, he has a lot of experience. He's been in the league for a good period of time now. He's played a lot of football, so he knows different coverages really well. That's one thing that I was kind of impressed about with the offence coming in and just understanding, seeing coverages really well on short routes and stuff like that. He's been great. And you know, the chemistry has really picked up."
The main focus for Chicago’s offense throughout the offseason has been the deep passing game, and coach Matt Eberflus stressed the need for accuracy on Fields' tight-window throws. "When teams line up in single-high or they line up in single coverages, we're going to take our shots," he said. "That's really been the theme all offseason. Certainly, take what they give you, but we're certainly going to take shots with the matchups we like."