After the Bears traded up to draft quarterback Justin Fields, head coach Matt Nagy said everyone will know when it’s the right time to start the No. 11 overall pick.
That could be as soon as Week One, when the Bears take on the Rams to start the 2021 Sunday Night Football slate.
It will be a while until Chicago can make that determination, but Fields appears off to a good start with his new team. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo said Fields has been “very coachable” through the Zoom meetings they’ve had so far.
“Obviously we’ll know a lot more about Justin after this weekend [at rookie minicamp] in terms of where he’s at mentally and the way he processes and thinks and those things,” DeFilippo said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s hard to tell over Zoom until you really get your hands on a player. I think we’ll know a lot more after this weekend in terms of where he’s at from a mentally processing standpoint.”
As for that timeline, DeFilippo echoed his boss’ sentiment.
“Like [Nagy] said, I think we’ll all know when it’s Justin’s time to go win a football game,” DeFliippo said. “I’m a big believer in that as well.”
Chicago has Andy Dalton to keep the seat warm until Fields is ready to start. Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles also remains on the team’s roster.