Jason Peters explains what makes Justin Fields so special in the huddle
Barring some miraculous recovery by Andy Dalton, rookie quarterback Justin Fields will make his first NFL start on Sunday when the Bears travel to Cleveland to face the Browns.
Dalton suffered a bone bruise on his knee, and he’s considered week-to-week with the injury, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. So while Matt Nagy has tried to play the gamesmanship card as long as he could, the secret’s out.
Fields saw his first significant game action last Sunday against the Bengals, when he relieved Dalton near the end of the first half. Fields’ performance was shaky — featuring your typical rookie mistakes and some miscommunication with starters — but there should be improvement with Fields preparing as the starting QB.
Left tackle Jason Peters, who will be tasked with protecting the rookie’s blind side, explained what makes Fields so special in the huddle.
“He’s very confident,” Peters said, “so when he calls a play you just want to make sure you do your job because you definitely believe in the kid that he’s going to make a play for you. And most of the time he does.”
Bears left tackle Jason Peters on Justin Fields: "He's very confident, so when he calls a play you just want to make sure you do your job because you definitely believe in the kid that he's going to make a play for you. And most of the time he does."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 21, 2021
There certainly appeared to be a spark of energy when Fields entered the game on offense, which carried over to the defense, who nabbed four takeaways on consecutive drives in the second half.
While there are certainly going to be growing pains with Fields, as we’ve already seen with other rookies, it’s all part of the developmental process. It’ll be interesting to see what Nagy’s offense looks like when catered to Fields’ strengths, assuming it is.
Fields appears to have already garnered trust and respect from his teammates, which will go a long way for the rookie.
“He’s a tremendous player,” said defensive end Bilal Nichols. “He has a lot of upside. He’s definitely going to be a dude in this league. I’m excited for him. I feel like with him, we’ll be in good hands.”
Added receiver Darnell Mooney: “Everybody trusts him.”
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