2021 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings: How far ahead is Patrick Mahomes?
By Randy Gurzi
25. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears made a big move in the 2021 NFL Draft as they jumped up from No. 20 to No. 11 in order to land Justin Fields from Ohio State. They still ended up with Teven Jenkins as well in Round 2, landing a potentially elite offensive tackle to go with Fields — who is undoubtedly a franchise quarterback.
For some reason, Fields seemed to have his name tarnished as the draft approached and he ended up being picked after Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance. Of the three, only Lawrence really consistently proved to be better than Fields as both Wilson and Lance have a small body of work.
Fields, on the other hand, was phenomenal for the past two seasons at Ohio State with 5,701 yards and 63 touchdowns against just nine picks. He also had 328 yards with four touchdowns and no picks at Georgia in 2018 before heading to the Buckeyes.
On top of that, he added 19 career-rushing touchdowns with 1,133 yards on the ground. His insane 40-yard dash performance suggests he’s hardly scratched the surface of what he can do as a runner, but this is because he’s already solid with his ability to read the defense and looks to pass first.
Chicago will try and say Andy Dalton is the starting quarterback but he shouldn’t be. Fields will take over before long and it should be as early as Week 1.