Account
Justin Fields Was 'Pissed' at Bears Game Plan in 1st Career Start, Private Coach Says
April 2, 2022
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields reportedly was not a fan of the game plan for his first NFL start, a 26-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 26.
Ron Veal, who has worked as Fields' private quarterback coach since he was in the sixth grade, went on 670 The Score's Parkins & Spiegel Show (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) on the topic.
"It was bad," Veal said.
"He took a beating that day. It was kind of crazy and weird at the same time. ... I know he was a little pissed about it but I didn't get an explanation. And I really didn't ask because I know he was in a situation where he was really pissed off about it."
Fields, who was sacked nine times, completed six of 20 passes for 68 yards. He rushed three times for 12 yards. The Browns outgained the Bears 418-47 and possessed the football for nearly 40 minutes. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had 4.5 sacks on his own.
It was a rough first start for Fields in a down year for the Bears offense, although the talented former Ohio State star was able to showcase his talents at times. He notably rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers and ended his year completing 26 of 39 passes for 285 yards and a score versus the Minnesota Vikings.
As for the 2022 season, the person who oversaw the game plan, former Bears head coach Matt Nagy, is no longer in town.
Former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus now calls the shots, with former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy serving as offensive coordinator. Fields will also start the year as QB1 after initially taking a backseat to veteran Andy Dalton to begin 2021.