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Justin Fields All About the "W"

Bears rookie still breaking into the passing game but needs to find a way to help Bears keep pace with Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay Packers.

Aaron Rodgers was asked Wednesday in Green Bay to recall the names of Bears quarterbacks since he had been drafted. He came up with four names from 2005-2021. 

That didn't quite cut it, as the Final Jeopardy answer is: What are 17 quarterbacks?

The Bears drafted Justin Fields hoping he'll be the one in this line of succession to finally usher Rodgers out by losing some games in this series.

Fields is not out to put up better stats than Rodgers.

"No, my job is to win," Fields said Wednesday. "My job isn't to be better than any quarterback. As long as we win, I'm doing my job the right way."

Outthrowing Rodgers isn't likely, anyway, when the teams meet Sunday at Soldier Field with first place in the NFC North at stake. Fields has completed 51.4% (37 of 72) for 458 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and owns a 64.5 passer rating, as he wades through his initial starts in the NFL.

"I mean it's like any other quarterback progression-wise with what we go through," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "It's just a matter of how fast does he see it and then how fast does he react?"

Nagy said it's here where there is obvious growth in Fields already. He cited a third-down toss on an out route to Allen Robinson heading out of bounds Sunday as an example

"Again, that's an example of he knew he was hot and he got rid of the ball just in time to get a first down," Nagy said. "That's growth, where that might not have happened three or four or five or six weeks ago. That's just one simple example but those are what we want to keep seeing."

Fields didn't make those throws even three weeks ago against Cleveland.

"I think we have a good feel of who he is and how he's growing each week," Nagy said. "I think we feel good about that and how we can continue to help grow him."

Nagy called the process of development one between the offense, coaching and Fields, in addition to just Fields figuring out NFL defenses.

"And there's going to be things that we see, that we continue to see, week to week that he does well and that we've got to figure out ways to get to that and hide it so other teams can't tell when it's coming," Nagy said. "And then there might be some things that he tells us that, 'hey I'm not feeling' or this is a concept I'm not really liking, let's do more or less of this.

"As we grow I think that's where you start to see more of the good and less of the bad. But it takes a little bit of time."

Fields took another major step in his development in Sunday's win by learning the dangers of hanging onto the ball too long or at all. He took a shot in the ribs and hyperextended his knee.

"I mean, I'm feeling discomfort all around," he said Wednesday. "I took a few shots this past Sunday, but like I said, yeah, I'll be good by Sunday."

It didn't keep him from practicing, anyway.

While Fields isn't worried about outperforming Rodgers stat-wise, he does like the idea of competing against Rodgers.

"I'm excited. Of course he's a hall-of-fame quarterback," Fields said. "He's a great quarterback. He's been playing since as long as I can remember. I know it's gonna be a good matchup between him and our defense. Our defense has been playing well. I'm excited to see him play."

Fields has studied Rodgers' game a bit.

"I just like how he's always in rhythm when he plays the game," Fields said. "That's a piece of his game that I try to emulate in mine."

In college he developed a rivalry in college with Clemson's and Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, but calls this different than QB vs. QB.

"Of course me and Trevor faced off a couple times in college," Fields said. "To be honest, I don't look at it as a matchup between me and Aaron like I didn't look at it as a matchup back then between me and Trevor.

"I'm simply doing whatever I need to do to help my team win. If that's hand the ball of 80 times during a game or throw for however so many yards, that's what I'm going to do. I'm not worried about comparisons between touchdowns, stats. I'm worried about winning. That's it."

The Starting Bears QBs 

(Since 2005 when Aaron Rodgers was drafted)

Kyle Orton

Rex Grossman

Brian Griese

Jay Cutler

Todd Collins

Caleb Hanie

Josh McCown

Jason Campbell

Jimmy Clausen

Matt Barkley

Brian Hoyer

Mitchell Trubisky

Mike Glennon

Chase Daniel

Nick Foles

Andy Dalton

Justin Fields

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