On the night Justin Fields was drafted, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace met with reporters over a Zoom call and expressed the widespread enthusiasm he felt percolating through Halas Hall the instant the pick was made.
The Bears had identified a young quarterback with incredible athleticism, impressive leadership ability, natural drive and big-play hunger. They were so sold on Fields’ potential — and, to be frank, so urgently in need of a reboot at quarterback — that Pace traded up nine spots in the 2021 draft to select the Ohio State star at No. 11.
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“There’s obviously a lot of excitement throughout our building tonight,” Pace said then. “We feel really fortunate to be able to get Justin in the area of the draft where we were able to select him. The excitement throughout our whole building, you could feel it (as to) what he’s going to do for the future of our organization.”
Fields, too, couldn’t wait to get started.
“This is God’s plan for me to be a Bear,” he said that night. “So I’m more than excited and I’m more than ready to get up there.”
In the moment, Fields’ arrival in Chicago felt like a godsend for a franchise that has spent decades searching for a difference maker at the sport’s most important position. And in flashes over the three seasons that followed, Fields showed off his playmaking brilliance with his strong arm and magical scrambling ability.
Yet here we are, less than three years after Fields was drafted, and his time in Chicago has already expired. On Saturday, GM Ryan Poles traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick. If he’s on the field for 51% of snaps next season it becomes a fourth-round pick.
Fields’ body of work across three seasons produced a deep reel of intoxicating highlights but hardly enough consistency or team success. His struggles, coupled with the unique circumstance Poles and the Bears are in, triggered a change and Saturday’s trade.
As the curtain closes on the Fields era, here is the Tribune’s ranking of all of the quarterback’s starts with the Bears — 1 to 38.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story ran in December 2023 after Fields’ first 35 starts with the Bears. It has been updated to include his final three games of the 2023 season.
1. Oct. 5, 2023: Bears 40, Commanders 20
15-for-29, 282 yards, four TDs, 57 rushing yards, 125.3 passer rating
On the prime-time stage, Fields was dialed in from the first possession, converting his first third down of the night with a beautiful 58-yard completion to DJ Moore and finishing that drive with a 20-yard scoring dart to Moore on third-and-14. The Bears’ first victory in 347 days also provided the first huge payoff of the Fields-Moore connection with the duo hooking up eight times for 230 yards and three scores. The Bears never trailed, led 27-3 at halftime and flew home from Washington feeling optimistic about what looked like a promising breakthrough for their young quarterback.
2. Dec. 31, 2023: Bears 37, Falcons 17
20-for-32, 268 yards, one TD, 45 rushing yards, one TD, 99.5 rating
Fields saved some of his best for last at Soldier Field, propelling a party-worthy New Year’s Eve blowout in this past season’s home finale. His dominant performance stirred a contingent of Bears fans to vocally chant their vote in the franchise’s QB debate: “We want Fields! We want Fields!” With big-play opportunities everywhere, Fields was locked in from start to finish. His signature moment was an unfathomable 13-yard scramble in the third quarter in which he wriggled out of the grasp of two Falcons and eluded two others on the way to a first down on third-and-8. Fields completed three passes for at least 25 yards to Moore and entered the locker room after the game to a cloud of smoke from the team’s victory cigars. Fields called the entire afternoon special. “It was almost like a movie, to be honest with you,” he said. It was Fields’ fifth-highest output in terms of passing yards and his eighth-best passer rating. It was also the second-most points the Bears scored in Fields’ 38 starts.
3. Nov. 6, 2022: Dolphins 35, Bears 32
17-for-28, 123 yards, three TDs, 178 rushing yards, one TD, 106.7 rating
In a word: electric. Fields was magnificent with his feet, chewing up more rushing yards in a game than any quarterback had over the NFL’s first 103 seasons. His 61-yard touchdown scramble was extraordinary, an example of how his breathtaking speed can torture a defense. He also threw a pair of touchdown passes to Cole Kmet and another to Darnell Mooney and had Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel playfully asking him to “stop it” with all those big-play runs. Fields ran for at least 10 yards on eight plays and intoxicated Bears fans with his explosiveness. Alas, the afternoon ended in defeat when a potential winning drive for the Bears stalled out short of midfield. But Fields had put the league on notice of how dangerous he could be.
4. Oct. 24, 2022: Bears 33, Patriots 14
13-for-21, 171 yards, one TD, one interception, 82 rushing yards, one TD, 85.2 rating
The first signature win of Fields’ career came on “Monday Night Football” over Bill Belichick and the Patriots, a convincing performance in which the Bears scored the final 23 points. Fields’ 25-yard screen-pass TD to Khalil Herbert required him to alertly alter his arm angle while bracing for a massive hit from oncoming pressure. That ignited a stretch in which Fields and the Bears scored on five consecutive possessions in a runaway win. The Bears converted 11 of 18 third downs, including five Fields completions and five more Fields runs. He also was turned loose for 10 designed runs, including a 3-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
5. Nov. 13, 2022: Lions 31, Bears 30
12-for-20, 167 yards, two TDs, one interception, 147 rushing yards, two TDs, 99.4 rating
A week after torching the Dolphins with his legs, Fields gave the visiting Lions a similar treatment. His biggest play was a 67-yard touchdown run down the middle of Soldier Field, a home run that electrified the home fans just three snaps after he threw a dispiriting pick-six. That was also the longest run ever by a Bears quarterback. A two-game rushing total of 325 yards set an NFL record for quarterbacks. Fields also threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Kmet as part of a 408-yard day for the offense. Another fireworks show, though, was accompanied by mixed emotions after the Bears blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in a one-point loss; after Fields threw that costly interception; and after the Bears offense failed to get past its 35-yard line on a potential winning drive in the final three minutes against one of the league’s worst defenses.
6. Nov. 8, 2021: Steelers 29, Bears 27
17-for-29, 291 yards, one TD, one interception, 45 rushing yards, 89.9 rating
One could argue to this day that the most impressive throw of Fields’ career was the 28-yard completion he fired to Jimmy Graham at the start of the fourth quarter in this game, a tight-window dime thrown with heavy pressure closing in. One could also argue the most impressive drive Fields has led as a Bear came two possessions later, a seven-play, 75-yard march that finished with his brilliant 16-yard, off-script TD pass to Mooney with 1:46 remaining. That gave the Bears a 27-26 lead against a quality opponent on “Monday Night Football.” Fields was composed. He was clutch. He had Bears fans dreaming of such game-on-the-line heroics becoming the norm. Alas, the defense surrendered a game-losing field-goal drive on the next series. And it would be a long while before Fields again led a critical fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
7. Oct. 1, 2023: Broncos 31, Bears 28
28-for-35, 335 yards, four TDs, one interception, 25 rushing yards, one lost fumble, 132.7 rating
This was Fields’ first 300-yard passing outing — and remains his only one to date — on a day when he completed his first 16 passes (a franchise record) and looked to be in total command early. He had 231 passing yards and three TD tosses by halftime. And when he threw a 2-yard scoring pass to Herbert late in the third quarter, the Bears led 28-7. By afternoon’s end, Fields had set single-game career highs in completions and passer rating. Unfortunately, the Bears suffered an epic fourth-quarter unraveling to which Fields contributed two turnovers — a fumble that was returned 35 yards for a Broncos touchdown and an interception in the final minute that ended the Bears’ last possession.
8. Dec. 10, 2023: Bears 28, Lions 13
19-for-33, 233 yards, one TD, 58 rushing yards, 88.3 rating
Big plays, big plays everywhere. In a big win too. Fields had four runs for at least 10 yards and five completions for at least 15, none bigger than his free-play, 38-yard touchdown toss to Moore that put the Bears ahead to stay. On the whole, Fields’ day was a roller coaster with some exhilarating highlights mixed with a few frustrating sacks and easy throws that were missed. But Fields didn’t put the ball in harm’s way and generated a spark when the Bears needed it. A runaway win over the first-place Lions was a momentum builder.
9. Nov. 19, 2023: Lions 31, Bears 26
16-for-23, 169 yards, one TD, 104 rushing yards, 105.2 rating
For a long while, Fields and the Bears offense were in a groove. They took the opening drive 75 yards for a touchdown without facing a third down. They controlled the ball for more than 40 minutes. Fields produced the fifth 100-yard rushing game of his career, including a game-high 29-yard scramble to convert on third-and-14 on their final scoring drive. That run was punctuated with an animated Fields dance along the sideline. Thanks also to a 39-yard deep-shot TD from Fields to Moore, the Bears held a commanding 12-point lead with a little more than four minutes remaining. It’s still hard to fathom all the banana peels and trapdoor levers the team had to step on to leave Ford Field with a crushing loss. But for Fields, there were again signs of noticeable growth.
10. Oct. 3, 2021: Bears 24, Lions 14
11-for-17, 209 yards, zero TDs, one interception, 9 rushing yards, 82.7 rating
Fields’ first victory as an NFL starter was far from spectacular statistically. But given how he regrouped from a total disaster the previous week in Cleveland — nine sacks and 1 net passing yard in a 20-point loss in his first start — the rookie’s quick bounce-back was a testament to his mental fortitude. “I’ve been in rough spots before,” Fields said after the win. “And my mindset was just to bounce back.” A 64-yard bomb to Mooney was Fields’ biggest play on a day when he gladly leaned on a productive running game.
11. Dec. 18, 2022: Eagles 25, Bears 20
14-for-21, 152 yards, two TDs, 61 rushing yards, 119.5 rating
Fields’ biggest thrill ride of the afternoon was an adrenalizing 39-yard scramble during which he magically evaded a Haason Reddick sack in the pocket, then rocketed into the open field and made the entire Eagles defense look silly. It would have been a 48-yard touchdown had Fields not grazed the sideline as he tried to cut and spin his way into the end zone. He also threw TD passes to running back David Montgomery and Byron Pringle, the latter coming on an extended play in which Fields baited the defense with the threat of a run and then threw to a wide-open target down the right sideline. Fields’ rating was nearly 43 points higher than the average rating of quarterbacks who had faced the eventual NFC champion Eagles up to that point. That offered an encouraging sign that Fields was growing in his ability to handle pressure and stay composed against an elite defense.
12. Oct. 31, 2021: 49ers 33, Bears 22
19-for-27, 175 yards, one TD, one interception, 103 rushing yards, one TD, 84.6 rating
Fields provided his first 100-yard rushing outing and his first viral NFL mega-highlight with a 22-yard touchdown scramble. On what looked like it might be a busted fourth-and-inches play, Fields turned the sequence into his personal canvas with a twist, a change of direction, a sprint, a cut and a jubilant skip across the goal line that put the Bears in position to tie the game in the fourth quarter with an extra-point kick. (They didn’t succeed on that.) Still, the entire afternoon, which also included a marvelous 8-yard TD dart to tight end Jesse James, left Bears coaches impressed with Fields’ footwork, rhythm and decision-making.
13. Nov. 20, 2022: Falcons 27, Bears 24
14-for-21, 153 yards, one TD, one interception, 85 rushing yards, one TD, 84.0 rating
For the fifth consecutive game, Fields had at least one passing TD and one rushing score. His 16-yard scoring strike to Mooney in the first quarter was a thing of beauty, topped only by an off-script extended-play 32-yard dime to Montgomery on the Bears’ final TD drive. Again, encouraging flashes of brilliance were there. But the finishing touch wasn’t. The Bears had only one scoring drive and 99 total yards in the second half. And their final possession — with a chance to tie or go ahead — was a three-play disaster that started with a quarterback run on which Fields separated his left shoulder and ended with an off-target interception on a pass over the middle to Montgomery. The Bears were held below 150 net passing yards for the seventh time in their first 11 games.
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14. Oct. 10, 2021: Bears 20, Raiders 9
12-for-20, 111 yards, one TD, 4 rushing yards, 91.9 rating
This was a game-management victory in every sense. But for a rookie quarterback making just his second road start, Fields was steady and in control. He didn’t turn the ball over and was sacked only twice. He also showed his competitive grit, returning to play after hyperextending his knee in the first half and later having the wind knocked out of him. “The No. 1 thing I’m taking out of this is his toughness,” then-coach Matt Nagy said. That mattered almost as much as Fields’ first career TD pass, a 2-yard dart to tight end Jesper Horsted in the back of the end zone, or his third-and-12 conversion to Mooney on a critical fourth-quarter field-goal drive.
15. Dec. 12, 2021: Packers 45, Bears 30
18-for-33, 224 yards, two TDs, two interceptions, 74 rushing yards, one lost fumble, 70.8 rating
On a prime-time stage against reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and returning to action after battling an injury to his ribs for three weeks, Fields helped the Bears carry a 27-21 lead into halftime. He contributed first-half touchdown passes of 46 and 54 yards to Jakeem Grant and Damiere Byrd, respectively. But, as was so often the case at Lambeau Field during the Rodgers era, the Bears found themselves on the wrong end of an avalanche. They were outscored 31-3 during one stretch and Fields’ three turnovers didn’t help. The first was an interception that Rasul Douglas returned 55 yards for a touchdown. The second was a lost fumble on a strip-sack that the Packers immediately turned into another touchdown. The last was another interception in the final minute to seal the deal.
16. Oct. 30, 2022: Cowboys 49, Bears 29
17-for-23, 151 yards, two TDs, 60 rushing yards, one TD, 120.0 rating
Fields completed 74% of his passes and, for the first time in his career, contributed three touchdowns to the same game — two passing and one rushing. He also helped the Bears climb out of an early 21-0 hole to pull within five points before halftime and kept them in an offensive groove six days after a breakthrough win at New England. But in what would turn out to be Roquan Smith’s final game as a Bear less than a week after the team traded Robert Quinn, the Bears defense was beginning a demoralizing collapse. Fields also had an unfortunate mental mistake after a Montgomery fumble, jumping over Cowboys star Micah Parsons rather than touching him down after his recovery. Parsons got up and raced 36 yards for a touchdown.
17. Dec. 24, 2023: Bears 27, Cardinals 16
15-for-27, 170 yards, one TD, one interception, 97 rushing yards, one TD, 71.5 rating
A win is a win, right? And Fields contributed to the holiday spirit at Soldier Field with a first-half touchdown scramble and a short TD pass to Marcedes Lewis as the Bears built a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter and cruised past the reeling Cardinals. Fields also connected on a 53-yard shot play to Kmet on the Bears’ second possession for his third-longest completion of the season. Still, in a game in which the Bears were never really threatened, the second-half offensive output left a little something to be desired, and Fields committed his ninth fourth-quarter turnover of the season — and the 19th of his career — on an ugly interception in the end zone.
18. Oct. 9, 2022: Vikings 29, Bears 22
15-for-21, 208 yards, one TD, 47 rushing yards, 118.7 rating
The Bears rallied from 18 points down late in the first half and took a 22-21 lead in the fourth quarter on a 51-yard Cairo Santos field goal. But after a late Vikings touchdown, the Bears’ final-drive hopes dissipated when Ihmir Smith-Marsette fumbled after a 15-yard Fields completion at the Minnesota 39 with 1:01 remaining. Fields’ TD pass was a touch pass that Velus Jones Jr. took 9 yards for a score. Overall, Fields was efficient and played under control.
19. Oct. 13, 2022: Commanders 12, Bears 7
14-for-27, 190 yards, one TD, one interception, 88 rushing yards, 71.5 rating
In Chicago, this game is most remembered for the potential fourth-down, game-winning Fields TD pass that Mooney couldn’t catch cleanly and didn’t fully secure until he was pushed 8 inches outside the goal line with 30 seconds remaining. (That game-winning opportunity was set up, in part, by a 39-yard Fields scramble on the Bears’ final drive.) A more intense microscope on that game, however, raises questions as to how the Bears scored only once on a night in which the offense rolled up 391 yards; how they came away with zero points on three trips inside the Commanders 10, including a Fields interception off a defensive lineman’s helmet; and how Fields was sacked five times and again finished with a passer rating below 75.
20. Sept. 11, 2022: Bears 19, 49ers 10
8-for-17, 121 yards, two TDs, one interception, 28 rushing yards, 85.7 rating
One of the most memorable images from Fields’ time as a Bear has been his Slip N’ Slide dive through Soldier Field’s north end zone at the end of this wet and wild upset of the 49ers in monsoon-like conditions. Two of Fields’ eight completions went for touchdowns, including a 51-yard strike to Dante Pettis on a broken play that the quarterback turned into a magic act. Fields’ fourth-quarter, 18-yard scoring pass to Equanimeous St. Brown put the Bears ahead to stay.
21. Dec. 4, 2022: Packers 28, Bears 19
20-for-25, 254 yards, zero TDs, two interceptions, 71 rushing yards, one TD, 75.7 rating
A productive afternoon that included yet another stadium-shaking touchdown run by Fields — a 55-yard sprint in the second half — ended in disappointment with another loss to the Packers as Fields turned the ball over on his final two possessions. His first interception — on a trust throw to St. Brown on a curl route — came with the Bears inside Packers territory and down by one point in the final minutes. It was a costly miscue in a game-on-the-line situation and stole the thunder of Fields’ third TD run of 50 yards or longer in a four-week span.
22. Oct. 17, 2021: Packers 24, Bears 14
16-for-27, 174 yards, one TD, one interception, 43 rushing yards, 75.2 rating
In his first game against the rival Packers, Fields came out on the short end of the Aaron Rodgers “I own you!” game. His 5-yard TD pass to Mooney in the fourth quarter was encouraging, most notably because it came on his fourth read. Fields had several other promising moments. But overall, the rookie quarterback and the Bears offense were too uneven to upset a top-tier opponent.
23. Nov. 27, 2023: Bears 12, Vikings 10
27-for-37, 217 yards, 59 rushing yards, two lost fumbles, 87.3 rating
When it mattered most, Fields delivered. His 36-yard completion to Moore with 55 seconds remaining was the most meaningful play on the game-winning drive. Santos provided the final points with a 30-yard field goal with 10 seconds left. Fields’ ability to stay resilient at the end of a blitz-heavy night and after losing two fumbles in the fourth quarter was notable. The Bears’ screen-heavy passing attack against the constantly pressuring defense of Vikings coordinator Brian Flores became a major storyline. But the bigger deal was the victory.
24. Dec. 20, 2021: Vikings 17, Bears 9
26-for-39, 285 yards, one TD, 35 rushing yards, one lost fumble, 96.6 rating
This entire game was bizarre and sloppy, with the Bears missing 14 players plus two coordinators (Bill Lazor and Chris Tabor) on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Despite outgaining the Vikings by 177 yards, the Bears trailed for the final 50 minutes of the Monday night affair and didn’t score a touchdown until a meaningless 19-yard Fields pass to Horsted as time expired. In what turned out to be the final start of his rookie season, Fields’ final numbers were satisfactory. But his lost fumble in the first quarter was costly. And on a discombobulated fourth-and-1 play from the Vikings 21-yard line late in the third, he took a sack for a turnover on downs as the Bears tried to cut into the Vikings lead. Fields also hurt his ankle, an injury that would keep him out of the next two games.
25. Dec. 24, 2022: Bills 35, Bears 13
15-for-23, 119 yards, one TD, 11 rushing yards, 92.5 rating
On a cold and blustery day at Soldier Field, Fields added another “Wow!” clip to his highlight montage, ripping a 44-yard deep shot to Jones through the wind. But in a lopsided loss at the end of a discouraging season, the Bears were outscored 29-3 after halftime. Fields finished an opening-possession touchdown drive with a 6-yard scoring toss to Pettis. But the Bears didn’t visit the end zone on any of their final 12 possessions.
26. Jan. 7, 2024: Packers 17, Bears 9
11-for-16, 148 yards, 27 rushing yards, 97.9 rating
The Bears’ bid to put positive punctuation on their late-season surge fizzled at Lambeau Field in a game that was as predictable as it was disappointing. Fields played OK but didn’t do nearly enough to spark an upset and was thoroughly outplayed by Packers counterpart Jordan Love, who responded to his season-on-the-line moment with a winning effort that pushed Green Bay into the playoffs. The Bears squeezed only 192 total yards and nine points out of Fields’ final game. He fell to 0-6 in his career against the rival Packers with an average margin of 13 points and a 75.5 passer rating.
27. Oct. 2, 2022: Giants 20, Bears 12
11-for-22, 174 yards, 52 rushing yards, one lost fumble, 76.7 rating
The league’s least productive passing attack, with Fields at the steering wheel, continued to ride the struggle bus in New Jersey. Twelve possessions, four field goals. A 56-yard completion to Mooney was made for the highlight reel. But Fields was sacked six times, didn’t pull the trigger on an open deep shot to Mooney and went without a TD pass for the third consecutive game. Through Fields’ first 35 starts, this was one of 14 Bears losses in which the offense didn’t score more than 17 points.
28. Dec. 17, 2023: Browns 20, Bears 17
19-for-40, 166 yards, one TD, two interceptions, 30 rushing yards, 46.5 rating
With the Bears hoping to breathe life into their playoff chances, the offense’s only touchdown drive covered 1 yard and required six snaps to finish. The TD was a work of art with Fields escaping from Myles Garrett and throwing a pinpoint pass to Kmet in the back of the end zone. But the offensive highlights were few and far between. The Bears defense was culpable in a late-game collapse, but the offense failed to score on its final six possessions. Fields was 0-for-2 on drives in the final eight minutes when the Bears had a chance to take the lead or tie the game and saw his upset bid end when Mooney couldn’t secure a ricochet on a final-play Hail Mary.
29. Sept. 18, 2022: Packers 27, Bears 10
7-for-11, 70 yards, one interception, 20 rushing yards, 43.8 rating
In another embarrassing prime-time loss to the Packers, the Bears netted 48 passing yards and had twice as many punts (four) as completions for 10 yards or more. A Fields run on fourth-and-goal from the 1 sparked a mini-controversy when officials ruled he didn’t break the plane with the Bears trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter. But on the whole, Fields and the Bears didn’t play well enough to win.
30. Sept. 17, 2023: Buccaneers 27, Bears 17
16-for-29, 211 yards, one TD, two interceptions, 3 rushing yards, 61.1 rating
After a dispiriting season-opening loss to the Packers, the Bears badly needed a Week 2 bounce-back and persevered through a shaky offensive day to pull within 20-17 on a Fields TD pass to Chase Claypool with 6:17 remaining. But Fields threw interceptions on his final two possessions, including a crushing pick-six to Shaq Barrett on an ill-fated screen pass from the Bears 6-yard line with 2:03 left. Against a blitz-heavy Bucs defense, Fields lost 42 yards on six sacks as well.
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31. Nov. 21, 2021: Ravens 16, Bears 13
4-for-11, 79 yards, 23 rushing yards, one lost fumble, 62.3 rating
Fields had just three completions and 57 passing yards in a scoreless first half for the Bears, then suffered an injury to his ribs on the first possession after halftime. That sent him to the bench for the rest of the afternoon — and cost him the two games that followed. In relief, Andy Dalton threw two touchdown passes, including a go-ahead, 49-yard strike to Marquise Goodwin in the final two minutes. But the defense surrendered a game-losing touchdown with 22 seconds remaining.
32. Sept. 25, 2022: Bears 23, Texans 20
8-for-17, 106 yards, two interceptions, 47 rushing yards, 27.7 rating
Officially, Fields received credit for a game-winning drive as the Bears got a walk-off 30-yard kick by Santos for the victory. But that final possession netted zero yards after the Bears took over at the Texans 12-yard line following a Smith interception with 1:05 remaining. Beyond that, the day was a mess for the Bears offense against a bottom-tier opponent. Fields described his performance as “trash” after he was sacked five times, coughed up two turnovers and had multiple completions on only one of 12 drives.
33. Sept. 10, 2023: Packers 38, Bears 20
24-for-37, 216 yards, one TD, one interception, 58 rushing yards, one lost fumble, 78.2 rating
Context is everything with this one. As the Bears opened the season at home in the first game of the post-Rodgers era for the Packers, a statement opportunity seemed to be waiting. But the only statement was made by the visitors, who rallied behind Jordan Love (15-for-27, 245 yards, three TDs) and dropped a Week 1 blowout on Chicago. The Bears offense was sloppy and inefficient all day. The dagger was a 37-yard interception-return touchdown by Packers linebacker Quay Walker on an ill-advised pass over the middle to Mooney.
34. Oct. 15, 2023: Vikings 19, Bears 13
6-for-10, 58 yards, one interception, 46 rushing yards, 36.7 rating
After encouraging performances against the Broncos and Commanders, Fields came crashing back down to earth — figuratively and literally. His final play of an abbreviated afternoon came when he dislocated his right thumb while unsuccessfully trying to avoid a sack. The injury wound up costing him a month. The day started with Fields recognizing a blitz before his first snap but failing to get rid of the ball and losing 7 yards, the first of four sacks he took. It never got much better.
35. Oct. 24, 2021: Buccaneers 38, Bears 3
22-for-32, 184 yards, three interceptions, 38 rushing yards, two lost fumbles, 44.3 rating
On a day when Tom Brady could lament his team’s lack of polish in a yawn-filled 35-point victory, Fields was left to stomach a five-turnover day against Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy defense. The Bears’ third-down struggles continued. Fields’ ball security was a problem too. The Bears trailed by at least 32 points for the entire second half and still managed only 168 passing yards. “I’ve never been in this position. Where I’m losing,” Fields said. “So I don’t know how to feel.”
36. Sept. 24, 2023: Chiefs 41, Bears 10
11-for-22, 99 yards, one TD, one interception, 47 rushing yards, 58.7 rating
Fields caused a stir leading up to this game when he suggested his early-season struggles were a result of being coached in ways that were causing him to think too much. “My goal this week,” he said, “is to say, ‘F it,’ and go out there and play football how I know to play football.” His quest/request to “play free” didn’t result in immediate production with the Bears getting blown out of Arrowhead Stadium by Patrick Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl champs. When Mahomes left the game for good in the middle of the third quarter, the Bears trailed by 41 points and had 87 total yards and four first downs.
37. Jan. 1, 2023: Lions 41, Bears 10
7-for-21, 75 yards, one TD, one interception, 132 rushing yards, one lost fumble, 40.8 rating
In a word: miserable. In what turned out to be the final start of Fields’ second season, the Bears fell apart across every phase. Fields added 132 yards to his extraordinary 2022 rushing total. And he gave the Bears an early lead with his 13-yard TD pass to Kmet. But the Bears, with a depleted and below-average supporting cast, finished the day with 30 net passing yards. Fields finished the afternoon with as many sacks (seven) as completions. He committed two turnovers and made a handful of poor decisions that contributed to an ugly loss.
38. Sept. 26, 2021: Browns 26, Bears 6
6-for-20, 68 yards, 12 rushing yards, 41.2 rating
The curtain lifted on the Fields-as-a-starter era, and the rookie quarterback was immediately sacked. And then sacked again. And again and again and again. To quote Principal Edward Rooney: “Niiiiiiiiine times.” Whoa. Browns star Myles Garrett had 4 1/2 sacks, offering a rude welcome to the Bears quarterback and exposing a game plan that left Fields all too vulnerable. The Bears managed just six completions and 1 net passing yard. Yes. One. For the entire game. It was frustrating. It was ugly. It’s a game that will be talked about in Chicago for decades.