Justin Fields wants to do something no Chicago Bears quarterback has ever done before, setting his sights on a lofty record.
This summer, the sun's out, and NFL quarterbacks' guns are out. For Chicago Bears' Justin Fields, he showed off his macho ego in a recent interview with CBS Sports' Bryant McFadden.
Fields declared himself as one of the top five running quarterbacks of all time despite entering his third NFL season in 2023. And that wasn't even the only bold claim he made.
Apparently, Fields is eyeing a rather lofty goal this year: he wants to be the first Bears quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards. Erik Kramer came close to that total in 1995, but in the franchise's century-long history, no one has yet reached 4,000.
Chicago happens to be the only franchise to not have a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards in a single season, which just goes to show the state of the team's offense for the last numerous decades.
Can Fields accomplish the feat in 2023? His ego's flying high this summer, and he certainly believes he can.
Bears QB Justin Fields wants to become first 4,000-yard passer in franchise history
After a difficult rookie season, Fields had a much more productive second year in the league with over 2,200 passing yards and over 1,100 rushing yards. He sniffed Lamar Jackson's single-season rushing record (1,206 yards) and achieved some milestones of his own, becoming the only quarterback in NFL history to record at least 1,000 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a season.
Though the Bears franchise continued to flail as a whole and ranked dead last in passing yards per game, Fields put together quite the exciting highlight reel ripping off tons of yardage on the ground; he had three games with at least 100 rushing yards and averaged a league-leading 7.1 yards per carry. And who could forget his iconic conversation with Dolphins' Mike McDaniel?
As Fields develops into a consistent starter, he's not going to stop running — it's one of his biggest assets and it sets him apart from his peers. Given that he wants to set a new passing record for the Bears, he just may not rely on his feet quite as much in 2023.
Let's hope D.J. Moore and Chase Claypool can keep up with Fields' pace. If he's going to hit 4,000, his receivers are going to need to pull their weight.