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Quite a few rookie quarterbacks featured in the 2021/22 NFL season. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance were drafted in the top three spots, with Mac Jones, Justin Fields and Davis Mills coming later.
A rookie quarterback who had a relatively forgettable season was the Chicago Bears' Justin Fields, who threw for 1,870 yards, seven TDs and 10 picks. However, Pittsburgh Steelers standout Cam Heyward warned the NFL about overlooking him. Heyward believes Fields poses a unique problem for NFL defenses:
"He always puts the defense at a disadvantage. He’s able to run, he’s able to throw. I loved him in college because of those reasons. I hated playing against him because of those reasons.”
Fields recorded arguably the best game of his young career against the Steelers. In a Week-9 matchup last season, the rookie threw for 291 yards, one touchdown and one interception with 45 rushing yards rushing in a near loss.
Justin Fields became somewhat of an afterthought of the 2021 class. Given Trevor Lawrence's draft position, he was a frequent topic of discussion. Trey Lance made headlines after he was benched for a veteran and Mac Jones completely turned the New England Patriots around.
These storylines have Cam Heyward believing Fields is an oversight. He went on to praise the youngster, saying he's happy that he was able to nab an interception off the quarterback:
“With Justin, I’m so happy I got my pick on him because he’s just going to continue to get better. The picks won’t happen every single time. He’s a heck of a talent, he’s going to continue to learn — they just gotta build around him.”
Justin Fields' tough rookie NFL season
Fields had an incredibly rocky first season in the NFL. A campaign in which he started 10 games and made appearances in two more. Fields completed 58.9% of his passes and had seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He also added over 400 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
However, the season was anything but bright for Bears fans as the team lost its final eight games of the season and finished 6-11.
Over the course of the season, the Bears went just 2-8 in games in which Fields was the starter. They fired Matt Nagy and hired Matt Eberflus, who can hopefully unlock some of the potential that Heyward referred to.
