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Justin Fields 2022 NFL Player Outlook: Make-or-Break Year After Strong End To The 2021 Season
2 years agoThe Chicago Bears entered last year with rookie quarterback Justin Fields sitting on the bench and starting veteran Andy Dalton instead. Of course, that never made sense and was going to change at some throughout the season--and obviously, having drafted Fields with the 11th-overall pick in the first round, that was probably the right move to make as soon as the year hit Week 2. The growing pains were massive for Fields as he didn't even top eight fantasy points n any of his first four starts for the Bears. From that point on, though, and barring a couple of stinkers against Tampa Bay and Baltimore, Fields completed a much better and promising second half of the season before getting off the field for the remainder of the year by Week 16, thus missing three games. Starting in Week 6 and up until he got done for the season, Fields averaged a 14.6 FPPG (that includes mediocre outings of 3.2 and 3.5 FP against TB/BAL) while showcasing above-average rushing chops on top of his passing. However, the latter part of his skill set should improve next season if Fields wants to keep starting games and build a strong NFL career. Fields threw 10 interceptions to just seven touchdowns, the second-worst ratio among QBs with at least 200 pass attempts last year. Another concerning point was the lack of pass plays by the Bears with Fields on the gridiron: the rookie attempted just 270 total passes and fewer than 25 per game, the lowest figure among the same group of players. The Bears receivers all had down years--yes, including now-gone Allen Robinson II--but Fields should do a little bit more anyway. It's reasonable to project Fields for a top-24 finish in 2022 if he completes the season without missing any start and a potential high-end QB2 finish if his rushing prowess and tricks click, helping his overall numbers.
