Justin Fields Has 'Made Some Big Strides' as Passer During Offseason, Bears HC Says

Coming off a breakout season in which he ran rampant against opponents, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is looking to take the next step toward becoming an NFL star.

The rising third-year quarterback has room for improvement as a passer, and head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Friday that Fields is getting better in that area this offseason:

"Obviously, the priority is the passing game. We ran the ball very well. But we all know that we've got to improve in the passing game. Part of that is the rhythm and timing. That's the footwork with Justin.

"He's been really working on that, really good — in terms of the quick pass, drop-back pass, movement passes. And he's really made some big strides in that area, coming so far on his own, and now coming into the Phase II, that first week."

Fields, 24, had a historic season on the ground in 2022, rushing for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. It was the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season in NFL history.

However, his passing game left something to be desired as he threw for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Bears went 3-14 and ended up with the top overall pick.

The organization showed trust in the 2021 first-rounder when they traded the No. 1 pick instead of taking one of the top quarterback prospects in this year's draft.

They got Fields more help as part of the deal, acquiring receiver DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers. They then drafted offensive tackle Darnell Wright at No. 10 overall.

That'll boost the young signal-caller after he was sacked a league-high 55 times and had 16 fumbles.

Chicago also signed former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan in free agency.

Fields will have a much-improved receiving corps compared to last season when the Bears finished last in passing yards per game at 130.5.

Eberflus said of the new-look passing attack:

"Looking forward to getting them together. Right now, we're doing routes on air and stuff in Phase II, so it's pretty cool to see those guys throw and catch together. But we'll see when we start playing against defenses and all that. But, you just add athletes, guys that can catch the ball well, that can create mismatch problems with [Chase] Claypool and Bobby [Tonyan] and D.J. and all those guys that we have.

"It's only going to be better."