Justin Fields Rumors: Bears 'Head over Heels in Love' with Rookie QB Ahead of Week 2

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields is reportedly expected to receive more playing time in Sunday's Week 2 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported veteran Andy Dalton remains the Bears' starter, but he noted Fields has "developed faster" than the front office expected when it selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft, and the team is now "head over heels in love" with the Ohio State product:

Fields made the most of his five offensive snaps in Chicago's 34-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1.

The 22-year-old Georgia native completed both of his passes for 10 yards and scored one of the team's two touchdowns on a three-yard run in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Dalton failed to improve his grip on the starting job with a lackluster performance. He connected on 27 of his 38 throws for 206 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy was happy with how Fields performed and said they'd actively evaluate the situation while working the rookie in for select situations.

"For him, the times that he got in there, he did well, being his first game," Nagy told reporters. "Andy did a good job too. ... We'll continue to keep growing with that stuff and see what we want to do."

Fields added he didn't have a problem with the sporadic role in his NFL debut.

"It wasn't weird with me running in and out," he said. "I was used to it."

At this point, it's fair to wonder whether Fields would already be in charge of the offense if the organization didn't promise Dalton the starting job when it signed him as a free agent in March. The rookie looked like the better signal-caller for much of training camp and the preseason.

It already feels like only a matter of time before there's a changing of the guard, though.

The Bears have a difficult matchup in Week 3 as they travel for a road game against the Cleveland Browns, who feature the dangerous edge-rushing tandem of Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. That wouldn't make for an ideal first start for Fields.

That's followed by two more favorable situations as they take on the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders. That could give the rookie two full games of snaps to help acclimate himself in the NFL before the schedule gets more difficult again.

If Chicago wants to wait a little longer, the bye is in Week 10. That's a common time for teams to make a switch since it gives the first-year quarterback two weeks to prepare for his first start.

Either way, it would be a major surprise if the Fields era doesn't get underway at some point in 2021, and it's probably going to happen sooner than later.