Eberflus 'fell in love' with Fields' skillset last season originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Everybody loves Justin Fields.
He's received copious amounts of praise since turning heads last season by rushing for 1,143 yards -- the second-most all-time by a quarterback in a single season -- and helping the Bears' putrid roster into the 23rd-ranked offense in the league.
But one person who proclaimed his love of Fields' skillset on the field during last season is his head coach, Matt Eberflus.
"I fell in love with Justin’s skill set, I really did," Eberflus told The Athletic during last season. "I fell in love with what I learned about it from other people, other quarterback coaches in the NFL, their evaluations through the draft, and then guys that I talked to that either played against him or that knew him."
The intangibles are there for Fields. He's a well-known hard worker, leader and confidant of the team. He's steadily growing his relationships with the players, coaches and front office and gaining their trust.
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One example of the growing trust between Fields and the organization is his knowledge of the Bears' draft plans. Ryan Poles made Fields privy to the front office's plans for the draft and the offseason.
"I want my quarterback (to be) a part of the process," Poles said to NFL-plus. "I actually told him what we were going to do. We did exactly that."
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MORE: Ryan Poles made Justin Fields privy to Bears' draft plan
Fields was also the first call Poles made after the Bears traded the No. 1 pick for a cornucopia of draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore. Poles woke up Fields from a nap, anxious to tell him about his new No. 1 receiver.
"It’s awesome for me getting that trust from the coaching staff," Fields said. "You guys don’t see it, but we communicate here all the time, we trust each other fully. Just having them behind me, they know the kind of leader I am to my teammates, they know how great I want to be, the work I put in. It’s just great to have them behind my back for sure."
MORE: Fields shares how he reacted when Bears traded for DJ Moore
Fields has crossed every item off the Bears' checklist, except for one thing. He needs to elevate his quarterback play, specifically as a passer.
Over his first two seasons, Fields has not excelled as a passer of the football. His completion percentage is well below average(
Most are hoping he takes the same leap Jalen Hurts took from his second to third year in the league, injecting himself into the MVP conversation after helping the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance.
To Eberflus, that starts with him and Fields getting on the same page.
"We have to be able to lead the football team, quarterback and head football coach," Eberflus recalled saying. “Our relationship is going to matter because everybody’s going to be able to see that we’re on the same page."
