Luke Getsy Just Made It Clear How Far Away He Thinks Fields Is
Luke Getsy took on a big challenge when he agreed to become offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. He voluntarily stared down decades of miserable history at the quarterback position. A puzzle nobody has managed to solve since the 1940s. There were brief instances of competence from Jim McMahon and Jay Cutler, but never the emergence of a genuine franchise guy. Hopes were high that Justin Fields might be different.
The first three weeks can be called nothing less than discouraging. Fields barely has a completion percentage over 50, has yet to cross 300 total passing yards, and boasts two touchdowns with four interceptions. The tape shows a player that is hesitant to pull the trigger and inaccurate when he does. His head is swimming, and some have started to wonder about his confidence. Getsy doesn’t seem bothered by the slow start. In fact, he made it seem like he almost expected it during his latest presser on Wednesday.
In his mind, he doesn’t see Fields as somebody in his second year. This is a rookie who’s had to flush everything he learned last season.
Luke Getsy has a fair point.
Fields had to rebuild his entire process from the ground up when the new coaching staff arrived. That was an obvious indication they felt Matt Nagy and his people had mismanaged the young quarterback. While those ten games he started in 2021 do count as overall experience, they’re essentially useless because none of the things he learned last season could transfer into what the Bears are doing in this new system.
That is why Luke Getsy doesn’t seem surprised by the early struggles. It is why Matt Eberflus keeps talking about the process of “growing up” when discussing Fields. They knew this was a young QB that needed time and patience. The coming weeks likely won’t be an easy watch for Bears fans, but the team is 2-1. They’ve gotten there by playing good complimentary football with a strong running game and solid defense.
This helps to buy Fields time. He can continue stacking games, learning how to decipher defenses before and after the snap. Getsy is confident the kid can get where he needs to be with enough experience. It’s a long season. There is plenty of time to figure this out.