Stephen A. Smith calls out Bears organization as Justin Fields hype dwindles

Smith's assessment of the Bears organization holds weight. Chicago has a long history of failed development under center, with former No. 2 pick Mitchell Trubisky as the most recent example. Could Fields be destined to follow in similar footsteps to the Bears castoff? 

Over Chicago's 0-2 start, Fields has completed 60.6% of his passes for 427 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His shortcomings in the passing department are far from a shock, considering Fields led the worst-ranked passing offense in football a season ago (130.5 YPG). However, there are legitimate concerns that Fields is regressing from the pocket. His 70.7% passer rating ranks seventh-worst among starting quarterbacks, while his QBR has plummeted from a 56.3 rating in 2022 to a 23.0 rating this season.  

Questions surrounding Fields' passing prowess may ultimately follow him throughout his career. However, he still has a chance to be a viable starting quarterback in the league if the Bears allow him to operate as a true dual-threat option.

Fields wowed as a rusher a season ago, rushing for the second-most single-season yards by a quarterback in NFL history (1,143). Yet, despite his dominance, Fields has been far less involved in the Bears rushing attack this season.

After losing David Montgomery in free agency, Khalil Herbert has underwhelmed as Chicago's new lead-back this season, rushing for a total of 62 yards. As for Fields, he's amassed 13 rushing attempts through two games, 4.16 carries fewer than he averaged per contest in 2022. 

If the Bears want Fields to shake off his early season woes and start putting pressure on opposing defenses, they will need to unleash Fields in his entirety. The more success Fields has in the run game, the more oppositions will load the box, leaving secondaries more vulnerable for Fields to pick apart as a passer.