Justin Fields could get extended debut on Saturday for Chicago Bears

Justin Fields could be in for an extended debut in his first preseason game this Saturday. As the Chicago Bears take on the Miami Dolphins, the tenth overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft is in line for a ton of reps.

Expect rookie QB Justin Fields to get a ton of reps in the #bears first preseason game per Matt Nagy. He’ll take over early for Dalton and could play into the 4th quarter.

Tune in to @nflnetwork 1:00 ET on Saturday for Bears and Dolphins.

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 12, 2021

In a press conference on Thursday, Bears head coach Matt Nagy elaborated on Fields’ playing time. For Bears fans hoping to get a glimpse of their quarterback of the future, Nagy’s words are music to the ears.

“I would say that for Justin, [he’ll play] for sure past halftime,” Nagy said, per ProFootballTalk. “I hate to say that anything is 100 percent, but the mindset going into it is he’s going to get a lot of reps. Does that take him into the fourth quarter? Maybe. Who knows? We’ll see. But the more reps we can get him right now, the better. It’s only going to help him.”

As Fields develops as a quarterback in the NFL, Nagy believes it’ll be to his benefit to play through different situations with different guys. While Andy Dalton will get the start, Fields will relieve him and play for a considerable amount of the game.

“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. “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. 

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 Monday, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun Times. “A lot of people are anxious to see me play, but greatness doesn’t happen overnight.”

Last week, Nagy spoke about what he wants to see from Fields when he makes 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 will be hoping to see flashes of his potential as Justin Fields makes his preseason debut this Saturday.

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