Mike Singletary praises Bears' Justin Fields, hopes he will 'blossom'

Mike Singletary hopes Justin Fields will 'blossom' originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Justin Fields turned heads his sophomore season, mostly with his legs.

He broke multiple franchise and NFL records on his way to rushing for over 1,000 yards – the third quarterback in NFL history to accomplish that feat.

Yet, the Bears and Fields' numbers through the air weren't great. The Bears slotted last in the NFL in passing yards and fielded one of the worst attacks through the air in the league.

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But Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus decided to stick with Fields as their signal caller for the future. And one Hall of Fame Chicago Bear thought that was the right move for the team.

"I think it was a great move," Mike Singletary said on the Under Center podcast. "I think he's a good football player and could be a great football player, given the opportunity to have some time and build that offense around him.

"I think if he has some tools he's going to blossom, he's going to do some great things. And if he has a little more time, I get nervous with him running so much, I'm hoping that he can stand back there and read and throw the ball to the correct receiver and just blossom."

RELATED: Mike Singletary: 'Trading Roquan was tough for me'

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Singletary's thinking resonates with most Bears fans who wish the organization would build around Fields to help him and the team improve.

The Bears started that process during the offseason. They traded for DJ Moore as part of their cash out for the No. 1 pick. They quickly signed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards in free agency to bolster their second line of defense.

On the offensive side, they solidified their running back room with Travis Homer and D'Onta Foreman to pair with Khalil Herbert. They also brought in a bona fide starting right guard in Nate Davis.

There's still plenty of work to be done. The Bears have to navigate the rest of free agency, even though Poles admitted the crop of players has "died down." They also have the No. 9 pick, along with a war chest stocked with draft capital in the upcoming NFL draft.

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With the season ahead, the hopeful output from the Bears' player investments is the potential "blossom" Fields has from the roster enhancements.

Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.