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Justin Fields scores first career NFL touchdown, then another

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•08/14/21•

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Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Justin Fields is on the board. The former Ohio State Buckeye scored his first touchdown as a professional quarterback in his preseason debut for the Chicago Bears. 

Facing second and goal from the 8-yard-line, Fields pulled it down and rushed for his first NFL touchdown. The score came on the opening drive of the second half, cutting the Miami Dolphins’ lead to 13-10 with 9:45 remaining in the third quarter.

Of course, one touchdown wasn’t nearly enough. On the very next series, Fields found tight end Jessie James wide open for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 3:52 left in the third quarter to propel the Bears to a 17-13 lead.

As Fields develops as a quarterback in the NFL, Bears head coach Matt Nagy believes it’s to his benefit to play through different situations with different guys. While Andy Dalton was the starter Saturday, Fields relieved him early. Earlier this week, Nagy revealed his plan for Fields in his debut.

“For him, it’s going to be coming out to start the game and being on the sideline and then going in, then getting to halftime and coming back out and playing with different guys,” Nagy said, per ProFootballTalk. “That’s the other thing in preseason, you’re not always playing with the same guys. So we need to get as many reps as we can with him.”

Evidently, Nagy would like to see his rookie quarterback find his rhythm. While the Bears aren’t throwing Fields to the wolves, playing time in the preseason is invaluable to his development. Now that his first touchdown is taken care of, the Bears can’t wait to see what else he has to offer.

Justin Fields isn’t ready yet, but he’s eager

While the former Ohio State quarterback believes he’s the future of the Chicago Bears, he knows he has a lot to learn. Earlier this summer, Fields talked about the importance of being patient with himself.

“I’m constantly growing every day,” Fields said last week, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun Times. “A lot of people are anxious to see me play, but greatness doesn’t happen overnight.”

Prior to throwing his first career touchdown pass, Nagy spoke about what he wanted to see from Fields in his preseason debut.

“That’s when things get real,” Nagy said. “You start putting the pads on and the tempo picks up, [and] now we want to see him execute plays and play fast. That’s probably the biggest thing.”

While Nagy tries to avoid another Mitchell Trubisky situation, Fields is just focused on getting his mind right. He’s confident in his athletic ability, he knows he can make all the throws, so he’s strengthening the mental aspect of his game.

“I don’t really get upset if I miss a throw because I know I can make that throw,” Fields said. “So right now I’m more focused on the mental part of the game. With the ups and downs, you can’t really dwell on those. With [mistakes], you just have to learn from them and move on.”

The Bears quarterback is right, greatness doesn’t happen overnight. Still, the Chicago Bears are already seeing flashes of Fields’ potential in his preseason debut.

Image courtesy of Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images