Justin Fields describes relationship with Kevin Warren after Bears hiring

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and incoming team president and CEO Kevin Warren have a bit of a shared history. When Fields was still the quarterback at Ohio State, and Warren was early in his tenure as Big Ten commissioner, the two were on the opposite sides of the discussion about cancelling the football season due to the Covid pandemic.

Fields was the figurehead of a group of Big Ten players pushing to get the season back on after the league had delayed and mulled cancelling entirely the fall athletics schedule. But now, there’s no ill will or frostiness to the relationship, Fields said.

“To be honest with you, I’ve seen him multiple times. I saw him after the Vikings game, the first time we played them. And then I saw him the first day he was in the building after he got hired as the CEO. So that hasn’t even been brought up. He just came, said what’s up to me. He’s a genuine guy, just the way he talks to everybody in the building. The way he talks to me, the way he talks to our equipment managers. He’s just such a genuine person, he’s a smart guy, and I’m excited to have him with us,” Fields said on “Pardon My Take.”

Fields recalls NFL teams he thought would draft him

Draft night is special in part because of the uncertainty. While a player might have an idea of which NFL teams would pick him — or who isn’t interested — until they get on the phone with a general manager and head coach who picked them, it’s all a bit up in the air. Current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is no different.

Ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields knew that he was going to be on the board after the top three picks. After that, there were a few teams who needed a quarterback that had him on the edge of his seat for a phone call.

“San Fran had told my agent that they were going to take Trey [Lance], so I knew wasn’t going in the Top 3. Atlanta, they were kind of shaky on the quarterback situation, so I thought maybe there was a chance I go there. Atlanta, they take my boy Kyle Pitts. At five, Cincinnati had five, they went with Ja’Marr [Chase]. The next team I thought I was going to go to was the Panthers. So Panthers had eight, and they didn’t choose me, they chose my guy Jaycee [Horn]. Then nine, the Broncos had the ninth pick, and they chose Pat Surtain II. So after nine, I’m in the house like, ‘I don’t know where I’m about to go. I don’t know where I’m going to end up.’ Because the next few teams didn’t really need quarterbacks,” Fields said on “Pardon My Take.

While Fields started to wonder where he would end up, the Chicago Bears ended up maneuvering to trade up for the No. 11 pick in the draft, where they selected Fields.

“So my agent called me, said the Bears traded down and that’s when I, of course, got drafted. But, it was an awesome moment with my family. Glad I got to experience that with them. But yeah, after — really after four and eight, after Atlanta passed on me and Carolina passed on me, I had no idea where I was going to go. So it was kind of nerve wracking, a little bit, but I ended up in Chicago. And I love the city of Chicago and everything it brings,” Fields said.