Bears OC: Fields 'light years ahead of where he was' last season
It's safe to say Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is impressed with what he's seen from quarterback Justin Fields so far this year.
"As we evaluated Justin from last year, I think the growth from where everybody viewed the guy and the way the team viewed the guy to where he was at this time last year, to where he is now, I think he's just light years ahead of where he was, and I feel like he has a ton more to grow going forward," Getsy recently said, according to Josh Schrock of NBC Sports.
"We're excited to try to get the best out of him moving forward and keep working toward where we think he can go."
After an unimpressive 2021 rookie campaign, Fields turned heads last year, rushing for 1,143 yards (7.1 per carry) and eight touchdowns. However, he didn't do enough to prove himself as a passer, finishing 2022 with a 60.4% completion rate to go along with 2,242 yards and 17 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions in 15 games. He posted an 85.2 passer rating and was sacked a league-high 55 times.
Chicago strongly addressed its group of receivers and offensive line this offseason, acquiring star wideout D.J. Moore via trade with the Carolina Panthers and drafting offensive tackle Darnell Wright 10th overall. The Bears also signed right guard Nate Davis in free agency and selected speedy wide receiver Tyler Scott in the fourth round.
Getsy, who joined Chicago last year, said Fields got better in 2022 as the season progressed, and he hopes the third-year passer will keep improving as a passer now with a bolstered supporting cast around him.
"You're just talking purely completions and purely yards, right?" Getsy said when asked why he believes Fields will improve as a passer. "The yards that he ran for, a third of those came off of pass plays where he scrambled that he decided to run. That's an element that we're fortunate to have with him in that position. Then it goes to everything, right? Getting the team around him better, and us all being together for another year and the continuity that we have and the communication that he and I have."
Getsy continued: "We're hoping to build off of all that stuff. I think any time you can be together with somebody and keep that consistency there's going to be growth."
The Bears - who went 3-14 last year and haven't made the playoffs since 2020 - drafted Fields 11th overall in 2021.
Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.