In particular, Andy Dalton and Justin Fields appear to have a good relationship with the veteran and former Bengal serving as a great mentor for the first-round rookie.
“I’ve learned a lot of things [from Dalton],” Fields said, per ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson. “I mean, he’s talked to me a lot. I actually went to dinner with him and his wife. I mean, Andy and Nick [Foles], they’ve been awesome, probably bigger than you guys even know.
“Andy has just completely taken me under his wing. Any question that I have for him, he’s going to answer, even when I’m throwing. I think there was one day after OTAs, I was throwing extra after practice and he stayed out there specifically to see maybe what I was doing wrong. He was just trying to help me out.”
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It’s no surprise to see Dalton take on a role as a leader and mentor with the Bears. He is currently the favorite to emerge as the Bears starting quarterback with coach Matt Nagy confirming that the plan is to start Dalton — who signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Bears this offseason — over Fields and Foles.
But being labeled a backup ahead of his rookie season is not bothering Fields at all. In fact, he knows exactly how to deal with this thanks to his past experiences in a similar spot.
“I’ve been in a situation like this [entering the season as a backup] before, and all I did was get better,” Fields said. “So I feel like you can control what you can control and come to work every day with a positive attitude and a want to get better, then there’s no stopping you. I think when that time comes, when I do get my opportunity, then I just would like to be ready for that moment.”
Fields, of course, is referencing his time at Georgia, when he was the backup to Jake Fromm as a true freshman. He saw limited action in 12 games before transferring to Ohio State and leading the Buckeyes to back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff.
It’s unclear how long Chicago will trust Dalton as the starter or when they might be willing to turn to the No. 11 pick that they traded up to select.
Either way, Fields is buying into the plan. He’s using his time as a backup to improve and adjust to the NFL level.
“If I don’t believe in it, it’s not going to work out,” Fields said. “My job is strictly [to] get better and be the best quarterback I can be and hope my team wins. That’s what I’m going to do whether it’s starting, whether it’s sitting, I’m going to do whatever is going to help us win.”
