Bears QB Justin Fields Agrees To 4-Year, $18M Rookie Deal: Report

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears rookie Justin Fields hasn’t wasted any time making a strong first impression on a team he hopes to settle into as its franchise quarterback.

While the former Ohio State quarterback and overall 11th pick in this year’s NFL Draft hasn’t made any secret about his desire to take the starting job from veteran Andy Dalton, it appears Fields is also getting work done off the field as well.

The NFL Network reported Thursday that Fields has come to terms with the Bears on a four-year rookie contract. The deal, which is fully guaranteed, is worth $18.87 million, which includes a signing bonus of just more than $11 million, the network reported.

The Bears haven’t made any qualms about wanting to develop Fields, whom they traded up to the 11th spot to take with their first-round pick. Dalton, who was acquired in the off-season to replace Mitchell Trubisky, has said that he is willing to help Fields any way he can.

Yet, that hasn’t stopped Fields from making an impressive showing in off-season workouts. Bears coaches said that they wanted to see Fields take command of the offense that he has been learning since he arrived.

Fields has continued to take second-string snaps behind Dalton, whom Bears head coach Matt Nagy has said will remain the starter until coaches feel like they have to make a move.

“He sits back there with (quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo) when Andy is running the show and he’s back there repeating every word and he’s flipping it and he’s going through in his mind how to call the play — like he’s in the huddle,” Nagy told reporters on Wednesday. “The big part of that is getting the right personnel, understanding the formations. Where’s the ball at? It’s on the left hash, right hash, middle of the field, first wide vision. And so he’s going through all of that.”

Wednesday’s workout included two dropped snaps by Fields, according to media reports, but Nagy said that he expects some growing pains for the rookie. The Bears will hold a mandatory three-day minicamp next week when Fields is expected to pick up even more work.

“A lot of these times right now with these players, in particular Justin, there’s a lot of mental reps,” Nagy told reporters. “You get the mental side down in the offseason. You’re able to come out here on the grass and see what the timing is like.

“But now what we want to do is say, ‘OK, this is what you’ve done. This is where you can grow. Let’s see if that happens now in training camp.’”