Why this offseason is key for Justin Fields, Bears passing game
The Bears had the worst passing game in the NFL during the 2022 regular season. Literally from the very beginning.
When all was said and done, Chicago averaged 130.5 passing yards per game, which was by and far from the lowest in the league. Quarterback Justin Fields threw for more than 200 yards just twice in 15 games. He also failed to eclipse the 300-yard mark.
There were a number of factors that contributed to the Bears’ passing struggles, including an underwhelming group of receivers, pass protection woes and even Fields himself.
When asked how the passing game struggles can be fixed, Bears general manager Ryan Poles stressed the importance of building chemistry during the offseason as part of the solution.
Last year, Fields worked closely with receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet during the offseason, and it was evident as early as training camp. There’s a reason Mooney and Kmet were Fields’ favorite targets this season, and it speaks to the chemistry they developed.
“I think a little bit, too, is like chemistry, just working with the group around them,” Poles said in his end-of-year press conference. “I noticed like through the season, the guys that he had the most time with in the off-season, that transferred into the season. I think that’s why Cole had a hell of a year.
“That chemistry, building that chemistry is big, and then just letting the game slow down to them. Everything is new. This offense was new — you’ve seen everything for the first time. Time on task I think is going to help.”
While Fields will likely train this offseason with Mooney and Kmet, there’s expected to be a new face among them: wideout Chase Claypool.
Claypool didn’t have the start he was hoping for after being traded to Chicago. But this offseason presents an opportunity for him to work on his chemistry with Fields, and the hope is we see the result on the field come 2023.
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