Chicago Bears: Justin Fields breaks silence, throws shade at team’s culture

After weeks of listening to anonymous reports demeaning his reputation, former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields threw shade at the team’s culture.

Well, after it appeared that the divorce between quarterback Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears was amicable, things have been anything but that. General manager Ryan Poles stated that he had better deals on the table than the one he agreed to with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but bypassed them to put Fields in a great situation.

It seemed all well and good. The Chicago Bears would go on with the number one pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Caleb Williams. Fields would now play for one of the best organizations in the league with one of the best players coach, Mike Tomlin. Things are now great for both parties, right?

That answer appears to be no, now. Almost as soon as the trade was made, anonymous reports came from Chicago. Those reports seemed to denigrate Fields’ reputation. Fields was very popular among his teammates, many of whom publicly supported him, and fans who adored him.

It seemed that Poles was very aware of this. He continued to talk about Fields weeks

after the trade, trying to justify it. He highlighted the fact that he looked for a deal that was good for him, even if it meant he rejected a better deal with another team.

Soon after the deal was finalized, we heard reports of how Fields had difficulties with his teammates, specifically Nick Foles. Additionally, there were reports that he was difficult to coach. He came in with an attitude and would not take supervision.

Now it seems that Fields is answering back. While he said all the right things soon after the trade, he struck a different tone recently. Reporters asked about his feelings about being with a different team after several practices with the Steelers. He appeared to throw shade at Chicago’s culture.

Me being in two different places now, I realize you don’t get this culture everywhere.

That appears to be praise for Pittsburgh as well as a shot at Chicago.

There will certainly be many who jump on Fields for saying this. Remember, he took a shot at the coaching staff last season when he struggled. He mentioned that the coaching staff did not put him in a good position and tried to change him instead of utilizing his skills.

That caused a firestorm. The team ended up having Fields go back and clarify what he said.

Was Fields wrong?

While many will be up in arms about this statement, he was not wrong. Just like what

he said about the coaching last season, he was correct. Days after the regular season ended, Poles fired the offensive coaching staff. One of the reasons he gave for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy‘s firing was his inability to utilize the players’ skills.

Doesn’t that sound similar to what Fields said months earlier?

With his recent statement, Fields is correct again. The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the best-run teams in the NFL. Since 1969, they have had just three head coaches. In that same period, the Chicago Bears have had 12. That continuity has helped the Steelers win six Super Bowls. The Bears have appeared in a Super Bowl just twice, winning one.

The stability of the Steelers has also helped them make 33 playoff appearances in the past six decades. With all the instability surrounding the Bears, they have had just 16 playoff appearances. Going from the Bears to the Steelers is like going from a funeral to the best party ever.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the epitome of a great team with a winning philosophy. The Chicago Bears can be used as an example of owners prioritizing money over winning. Yes, money is important. However, the Steelers have been able to do both.

While many do not like it, seeing Fields defend himself is good. He got a raw deal in Chicago. In his rookie season in 2021, he had a head coach in Matt Nagy who did not want to play him. Injuries to starter Andy Dalton forced Nagy’s hand, though. Despite that, he did not change his offense to accommodate Fields. He just plugged Fields into Dalton’s offense even though they were two completely different players.

In Fields’ second season, he went in as the team’s undisputed starter. That seemed like good news. However, it was Poles’ first year as Chicago Bears general manager. He started a full-blown total rebuild. He parted ways with veterans and their bloated contracts and replaced them with low-cost, inferior players.

While that helped Poles’ rebuild, giving the Chicago Bears the most salary cap space in the league and the number one pick, it did nothing for Fields’ development. Fields spent the season running for his life with inferior protection. Additionally, he had inferior targets he could not trust to make plays.

In 2023, the Chicago Bears improved. The improvement was not enough, however. Poles was intent on bringing in his own quarterback. He wanted to put Williams in the best situation to succeed so he also overhauled the offense, adding much more talent. Now many of the positions are good and deep.

This was something Poles did not do for Fields. The argument is that Poles had to make those moves to be where the Chicago Bears currently find themselves. Yes, that is true. However, he could have had that new-look offense helmed by Fields. We never got a true indication of what Fields could do since he did not have the talent.

It is funny that we now hear all these anonymous reports coming out bashing Fields. If that was the case, though, why did Poles make a trade to accommodate Fields if he was such a bad player and teammate? If he was such a bad player and a cancer in the locker room, why reward him?

If Fields was such a bad influence with the Chicago Bears, wouldn’t the trade Poles make signal a derelict of duty? His job is to make moves for the better of the team, not players, especially bad players who are difficult to work with.

Let’s sit back and see if there is more to come in this drama between the Chicago Bears and Justin Fields.