Justin Fields reacts to first career NFL touchdown: 'Yo, this is crazy'
Justin Fields, the Chicago Bears’ 2021 first-round pick, scored his first NFL touchdown on Sunday Night Football, as he carried the ball around the right side from three yards out to make it a 20-14 game in the third quarter.
The Bears ended up losing to the Los Angeles Rams 34-14 on the road, but it won’t be a night Fields soon forgets. The rookie entered the night backing up Andy Dalton, who completed 27 of 38 passing attempts for no touchdowns and an interception; Fields, by comparison, was used sparingly by head coach Matt Nagy, and had the opportunity to enter for his first career touchdown in the third.
“It was awesome. Of course, first career touchdown and I just wanted to celebrate [with] them,” Fields said. “Cole [Kmet] and those guys were excited. We were just talking about that in the locker room. He almost ran me over. But we were all excited for sure and I just celebrated with my teammate.”
After the score, Fields celebrated with his teammates, and after the game he said “I’m definitely going to keep the ball, for sure.” Fields relished in the moment, and even appeared overcome by excitement in the postgame press conference.
“I’m not going to lie I was doing that during the game I was like ‘yo, this is crazy,’ and then at halftime, I was like ‘yo, this is still crazy.’ But yeah, it was definitely awesome kind of getting out there and just being out on the field,” Fields said. “Earlier today, I was thinking I never thought I’d be in this position. So just me being here is amazing and I’m just grateful for it for sure.
“It’s just crazy. When I was a kid, I was a realist,” Fields continued. “I never really thought I’d just have the talent growing up and making it to the NFL. So, it’s just crazy seeing myself here and just seeing you know God work. Just me being here in this moment.”
From Athens to Columbus
A native of Kennesaw, Georgia, Fields was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school, and was largely considered one of the best — if not the best — quarterbacks in the Class of 2018. He decided to stay in state, committing to the University of Georgia, but did not stay for long.
Fields was forced into a backup role his freshman season, as Jake Fromm took over quarterback duties for Georgia. He decided to enter the transfer portal and later announced via Twitter that he was committing to Ohio State.
Fields proceeded to have a stellar career with the Buckeyes, leading them to a 20-2 record and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. Last season, he completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 2,100 yards — an average of 262.5 per game due to the shortened season — along with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Yet, in the weeks leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields was criticized by many draft analysts that said he was lacking intangibles, prompting Ohio State alumnus Kirk Herbstreit to get defensive.
Fields backing up Dalton
After being taken 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields came into a Bears system that had recently signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. Nagy eventually named Dalton the starter, and for the time being, he has shut down any debate on the topic.
However, fans and pundits alike have weighed in on the quarterback controversy over the past months as Dalton and Justin continue to battle on the field, displaying widely different skillsets. NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport seems to think Dalton has a stronghold on the job, provided that his performance doesn’t take a turn for the worst.
“Andy Dalton [will be the starter] essentially until there’s no choice in the building but to make Justin Fields the starter,” Rapoport said. “And if that sounds vague that’s basically what it is with any rookie quarterback or any quarterback competition.”