Justin Fields may not be ready yet, but he's eager

Justin Fields is the Chicago Bears quarterback of the future. Alas, it just may not be the immediate future.

“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.”

While Fields is staying patient, Bears fans are anxiously awaiting the former Ohio State quarterback’s debut. The franchise has had their fair share of troubles at the position in their history, but Fields is trying to not just be another spoke on the wheel.

Still, the Windy City is all in on Fields. As they collectively celebrate his arrival, his jersey is the highest-selling among rookies, per the NFL Players Association. Fields was the fourth quarterback taken in the draft, but he’s leading over Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance.

Top-5 highest-selling rookie jerseys, per @NFLPA

💰 1. Justin Fields, Bears QB
💰 2. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars QB
💰 3. Micah Parsons, Cowboys LB
💰 4. Najee Harris, Steelers RB
💰 5. Trey Lance, 49ers QB pic.twitter.com/eyUJYIaAfy

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 29, 2021

While Andy Dalton remains penciled in as the Bears starting quarterback, Fields continues to work with Bears head coach Matt Nagy. As the team’s first-round selection, all eyes will be on Fields in his likely preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins next week. 

Prior to the highly-anticipated game, Nagy wants to see his young, electrifying quarterback play fast. 

“That’s when things get real,” Nagy said, per Lieser. “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.”

In addition to the draft of Fields, Nagy went through a tumultuous off-season himself. Many believed he would be fired by the Bears, after his failure to mold Mitchell Trubisky into a quality quarterback.

Whether or not bringing Nagy back was the right move hinges on many things, but mainly the performance of Fields. While the quarterback will get every chance to succeed in Chicago, Nagy may be on his last.

Fields: “I’m more focused on the mental part of the game.”

Nagy isn’t throwing the young quarterback to the wolves. While Fields’ athletic gifts are on par with any of his counterparts, he’s working on the mental aspect of his development. 

“I don’t really get upset if I miss a throw because I know I can make that throw,” Fields said, per Lieser. “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.”

At Ohio State, Fields experienced the highest of highs, winning conference titles and advancing in the College Football Playoff. However, he also experienced the lows of coming so close to your ultimate goal and falling just short.

His poise and drive for greatness brought him this far, and it’ll be important as ever as he experiences the rigors of the NFL for the first time. Whether he starts or not, the progress he makes in 2021 will be invaluable.

The Bears may have swung for the fences and missed on former quarterback Mitch Trubisky, but Justin Fields has a shot to be a home run.