Leadership is a quality a player either has, or he doesn't. It's a critical trait for quarterbacks charged with commanding a huddle and leading a locker room through the rigors of an NFL Schedule. And it's a trait Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is exuding as he embarks on his second season in the league.
"You just feel him in the huddle," tight end Cole Kmet said Monday. "He's not just repeating the play, he's telling you the play, and there's a difference in that. That gives me confidence as a player out in the field."
Kmet's confidence stems from Fields'. It's what the best leaders do; their enthusiasm and eagerness to win spread through a locker room and create a winning culture. It's early, but Fields is doing his part to put the Bears back on a path to success.
"Man, he's confident. He's confident coming in … confident in the huddle, in his calls," Kmet said. "Taking initiative with everybody. It's been fun."
Chicago Bears' offense will take advantage of Justin Fields' skill set in 2022
When players are having fun, wins tend to follow. And the way offensive coordinator Luke Getsy plans to use Fields' skill set will make the offense delightful.
"I don't want to get too much into detail with it — but Justin's on the move a lot, and I think he does well with that," Kmet said. "That's been exciting to see, and you see the types of throws he can make, with his legs and on the run and off-schedule. No pads right now, but you can see that type of stuff, and it gets exciting. It's been a lot of fun seeing him move and doing things like that."
Fields is doing more than just impressing with his legs or his playmaking ability. He's showing off his gifted right arm at OTAs, too.
"Man, he throws a good deep ball," head coach Matt Eberflus said. "You could see it in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11s — and we're gonna take our shots down the field. He does a nice job doing that."
Eberflus added that Chicago's offense is benefiting from Getsy's approach. He's keeping it simple, making it easy to understand, and the Bears' skill players beyond just Fields are responding.
Sure, it's only OTAs, and the calendar hasn't flipped to June yet. There are another round of OTAs and a mandatory minicamp before training camp kicks off in July. But there's a swell of enthusiasm building inside Halas Hall, and for a team that's projected to be one of the NFL's losers in 2022, that's a big win.