Justin Fields reportedly endured a ‘toxic’ QB room in his rookie year with the Chicago Bears

Justin Fields was picked by the Bears 11th overall in the 2021 Draft.

Justin Fields reportedly endured a ‘toxic’ QB room in his rookie year with the Chicago Bears

Justin Fields, Andy Dalton, and Nick Foles (via IMAGO/AP)

The Justin Fields era in Chicago has come to an untimely end. The team has now picked a quarterback for the second time in 4 years in Caleb Williams. Fields’ time as a Bear was underwhelming to say the least and while the team would prefer to put the blame on him, the common perception amongst fans is that the organization failed him.

A recent report courtesy of Tyler Dunne has revealed the rough situation that Justin Fields was drafted into in 2021. As a rookie, even the top pick of the draft expects some form of veteran leadership and guidance. However, the Chicago Bears locker room at the time failed to provide him that despite having Andy Dalton and Nick Foles in the QB room.

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The report reveals that the QB room was “f***ing toxic as hell,” and elaborated on the situation.

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They never were together. It was always Andy and Nick walking side by side and Justin always 15 yards behind them.
The report added

Did this mean that the veterans had made up their minds to cut the rookie out and leave him hanging? No, Foles and Dalton did attempt to help Fields but the rookie may not have been the easiest teammate to work with.

Justin Fields was drafted into the least ideal situation for a rookie QB

Dunne highlighted an incident wherein Nick Foles was attempting to mentor Justin Fields but to his disappointment, he noticed that the rookie was not paying heed to his advice. “At that point, Foles was done trying to play mentor. The two could not stand each other,” the source said pointing out how this incident led to a strain in the relationship of the rookie and the veteran.

Justin Fields
Justin Fields (via IMAGO)

The Chicago Bears led by Matt Nagy wanted to play Andy Dalton as the starter in 2021 but owing to his injury, forced the team to rely on Justin Fields to start in his rookie year. It was common knowledge that he was not prepared for this but the team had no choice. Up until now, the narrative concerning Fields as a leader in the locker room has been positive, seldom have any issues surfaced with respect to his status as a good teammate. However, Dunne’s report shockingly reveals that the truth is contrary to popular belief.

The widely-held narrative that Fields was a strong leader is inflated, citing the quarterback as a 'surface level dude' who didn't develop authentic relationships with teammates...the quarterback carried himself with an undeserved aura and lacks emotional intelligence for someone who's been a quarterback so long.
A source from the Chicago Bears stated

These are some serious allegations that question his character traits as a leader and a teammate. Are these claims being made by the Bears to shift the onus from upon the organization to the quarterback or did Fields lack the necessary traits, and as a result fail to have the desired impact on the franchise? The answer to that will depend on how the quarterback’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers goes.

One thing is evident, the Bears and Fields were a prime example of a bad fit. The Bears could have done more as an organization to place the rookie in an environment conducive for him to succeed and Fields would have done more if he felt wanted within the franchise.

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