NFL: Meet Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields - the 'superstar' set to be future MVP?

Fields rushed for a grounds 178 yards against Miami past November, including a 61-yard touchdown run, and made 3 TD passes, yet Chicago inactive mislaid 35-32

It seems unusual erstwhile your squad had the league's worst grounds past year, yet the upcoming NFL play is the astir anticipated successful decades for the Chicago Bears.

"We person a superstar backmost and we've had a large off-season for grooming and picking up the close players."

That superstar is Justin Fields, the astir dynamic backmost Chicago person had successful fractional a century.

Those who person watched his archetypal 2 years successful the NFL accidental he's "a playmaker you tin ne'er instrumentality your eyes off".

Shaun Gayle, a subordinate of the Bears' lone Super Bowl-winning team, says Fields is destined to "leave a lasting content connected Chicago".

Here's wherefore fans are truthful anxious to spot if Fields and the Bears tin unrecorded up to the hype successful 2023.

'With Justin, you're ne'er down and out'

Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts epitomise the caller epoch of dual-threat quarterbacks, susceptible of moving and passing the ball, which made for an epic match-up arsenic they went head-to-head successful last season's Super Bowl.

Fields, 24, is chopped from the aforesaid cloth, an elusive runner comfy with charging retired of the pouch erstwhile nether pressure.

Claypool, 25, admired him from afar earlier becoming his team-mate past November, erstwhile the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to commercialized him to the Bears.

"I was acquainted with his crippled earlier but to spot it unrecorded connected the field, being connected his team, was ace cool," helium said.

"He tin marque immoderate astonishing plays to bring you close backmost into it. With Justin, I'd accidental there's ne'er a concern wherever you're down and out."

Fields not lone led each quarterbacks for rushing yards past play (1,143), helium was seventh overall. He besides had 8 rushing touchdowns - 3 from his ain half.

However, Chicago's grounds was 3-12 and they passed for the fewest yards successful the league - truthful immoderate felt Fields is simply a run-first backmost who relies excessively overmuch connected his legs.

Others argued helium had small choice. No backmost was sacked much often than Fields (55 times).

• Mahomes & Hurts marque Super Bowl history

Bears physique astir their prima man

After conscionable 3 starts truthful acold with the Bears, Claypool hopes to reproduce the signifier helium showed during an awesome rookie play with the Steelers successful 2020

Despite speculation Chicago mightiness usage the archetypal prime successful this year's draft to instrumentality a caller quarterback, they traded it for aggregate picks and experienced receiver DJ Moore.

That followed the mid-season summation of Claypool, and the Bears besides bolstered their defence successful the draught and recovered greater extortion for Fields, who they selected 11th wide successful 2021.

"We've filled the gaps we needed to fill, and DJ's going to beryllium a immense asset," said Claypool.

"He's going to unfastened things up connected the offence, allowing large plays for himself and others."

After achieving 2,242 passing yards past season, Fields wants to go the first Chicago backmost to scope 4,000. He has besides taken connected a greater enactment role.

He's hung retired with Claypool, Moore and Darnell Mooney to physique a greater rapport with his apical 3 receivers. He publically praised Claypool for the betterment he's made this summer.

"I truly did admit him saying that," said Claypool. "I'm gladsome helium noticed it.

"Being capable to get successful a afloat off-season with him, I already cognize it's going to wage dividends. I deliberation we've acceptable ourselves up for a truly breathtaking year."

It's started well, with Fields throwing 2 touchdowns from the 3 passes helium made arsenic Chicago won their archetypal pre-season game. He is acceptable to diagnostic successful their 2nd aboriginal (00:00 BST).

Can Bears emulate Bengals & Jaguars?

Fields surpassed Bobby Douglass' grounds for astir rushing yards by a Bears backmost successful a azygous play (968 successful 1972) and Lamar Jackson is the lone NFL QB to person had much (1,206 successful 2019)

Historically, Chicago teams person been renowned for their defence alternatively than their quarterback, specified astatine their NFL champions of 1985.

Gayle was portion of that defence and says the Bears haven't had a backmost similar Fields since Bobby Douglass successful the 1970s.

"I'm not saying it would instrumentality a Super Bowl for Fields to beryllium remembered due to the fact that helium is tremendously talented," said the erstwhile safety.

"It's conscionable a substance of him getting the close opportunity, having the close receivers and protecting him truthful that helium doesn't person to tally for his beingness each the clip and get bushed up."

Over the past 3 years, the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars person utilized the draught to crook astir their fortunes, with young quarterbacks starring them into the play-offs.

With their caput manager and wide manager successful their 2nd twelvemonth with Chicago and Fields their starting quarterback, the Bears anticipation to emulate them. Do that and Fields would beryllium successful Most Valuable Player contention.

"I deliberation they'll marque the play-offs," Gayle added. "I'm gladsome they stayed the people [with Fields], saw his imaginable and built connected what they have.

"I deliberation this coaching unit volition fto their champion players shine, and I truly judge successful Fields astatine quarterback."

Watching Fields 'appointment viewing'

These children took portion successful the Bears' coaching league successful Liverpool and the circuit besides visited London, Manchester, Cambridge, Exeter and Edinburgh

With Fields established arsenic the look of the franchise, the Bears person a prima to assistance physique their brand, astatine location and abroad.

He and Claypool were adjacent depicted arsenic ace heroes connected the broadside of a lorry which travelled to six UK cities successful June arsenic portion of a Bears coaching programme.

They delivered sessions to astir 2,000 children from much than 50 schools, with Claypool attending a league successful London.

"The likes of Justin and Chase are a large portion of what we're doing," said Scott Hagel, the Bears' elder vice-president of selling and communications.

"Exciting, young players seizure the attraction of younger viewers, they privation to emulate them and it builds the excitement.

"And Justin's 1 of those guys wherever you tin ne'er look distant due to the fact that you mightiness miss something.

"He does things that lone a fistful of players tin do. Every drawback is similar 'what's helium going to bash next?' It's assignment viewing.

"People are anxious to spot what happens this twelvemonth and it starts with a bang, astatine location against our rivals from the northbound (Green Bay Packers connected 10 September). It's going to beryllium a amusive year."