Chicago Bears fans have wanted to see a true franchise quarterback take the helm for decades.
And since the Bears traded up to select Ohio State's Justin Fields at No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, anticipation has grown to see the former Buckeye take the field sooner than later.
Fields made it known Friday that he's going to do whatever he can to work his way into the starting lineup, but likewise made it clear he trusts in the plan Matt Nagy has for him, even if that means sitting on the bench for a bit.
"I think everybody on our team should be striving for a starting job and if you're not, then there's no reason for you to be here. So, of course, I'm going to do everything that I can to get that starting job," Fields said during a Friday news conference amid the start of rookie minicamp. "It's not up to me, coach Nagy has a set plan on my development and stuff like that. I'm just gonna work hard and keep my head down and just keep grinding it out everyday. "
Nagy has stated that he realizes he needs to have the right plan in place for when to debut Fields and the rookie's ready to follow it.
"I'm very comfortable," Fields said when asked if he was comfortable with Nagy's plan, even if it means waiting a while before playing. "I think it's very important for the players to trust the coaches and the coaches to trust the players. Whatever, coach Nagy has planned for me, it's what I'm going to do and what I'm going to follow."
There's pressure on Nagy and Bears general manager Ryan Pace to win now, but also to bring along Fields and develop a standout QB that the franchise has seemingly never stopped looking for since Hall of Famer Sid Luckman moved on more than 70 years ago.
Though Bears fans are infatuated with the promise of Fields, there is no doubt pressure upon him to deliver on the hype and ballyhoo that's come with his selection.
A five-star recruit out of Georgia's Harrison High who went on to shine for Ohio State, Fields believes he's ready-made for the situation at hand.
"I've been kinda in the spotlight since high school, so I kinda feel like I'm made for this," Fields said. "I'm built for this. It's nothing new to me, I'm just gonna continue to work hard and continue to get better every day."
