'Electric' Justin Fields Praised for Heroic Effort in Bears' Loss vs. Dolphins

The Chicago Bears saw their playoff hopes for the 2022 season take a major blow on Sunday. But the future has never been brighter.

That may sound paradoxical, but the story from the team's 35-32 loss against the Miami Dolphins (6-3) was the play of young quarterback Justin Fields, who suddenly looks like a downright superstar.

FIelds finished Sunday's loss 17-of-28 for 123 yards, three scores and zero turnovers, adding 178 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The 3-6 Bears will be disappointed with the loss, but it's hard not to be excited about the continued development of Fields.

NFL Twitter was almost giddy with what they saw from him:

Fields' potential and talent has never been in question. What has been a point of angst for Bears fans, however, is how his coaching staffs have handled the young quarterback, often putting in a system that hasn't utilized his unique skill set.

That, combined with a questionable supporting cast, contributed to a disappointing rookie season and a similarly tough start to his sophomore campaign.

But hope abounds in Chicago. The system is transitioning to one that better fits Fields. While the Bears made a pair of trades that signaled a rebuild, moving on from linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive end Robert Quinn, they also pulled the trigger on adding young wideout Chase Claypool to give Fields another threat on the outside.

Claypool didn't set the world on fire in his debut, registering two catches for 13 yards and one rush for four yards. An adjustment period is to be expected. But the commitment to building around Fields was the bigger part of the story anyway, because Fields showed everyone what he can do Sunday.

And it was thrilling, even if it didn't result in a victory. That's OK—the future is going to be full of wins if this version of Fields continues to show up.