Tracking quarterback Justin Fields during Bears training-camp practices:
In his first day in pads since the defense dominated practice Wednesday, Justin Fields responded with an efficient, low-risk performance that lacked splash plays. A lot of short completions, but no highlight plays to DJ Moore.
Fields’ day got off with a bang when he opened team drills with a completion to Chase Claypool on a crossing route against rookie Terell Smith that caused another skirmish when safety Eddie Jackson hit Claypool at the end of the play — perhaps after the play. Unlike the play with Velus Jones on Wednesday, this one sparked a response from Claypool and the offense before cooler heads prevailed.
Success was relative. In a 7-on-7 drill, Fields went five consecutive snaps without the ball hitting the ground, with completions to Moore, Jones, Claypool, Mooney and running back Trestan Ebner — all short passes.
Fields nearly did the same in the next round, with short passes to Moore, tight ends Cole Kmet and Stephen Carlson and Jones. But he took a shot downfield to rookie Tyler Scott down the left sideline that did not connect, with rookie cornerback Tyrique Stephenson.
Fields finished on a positive note, driving the Bears for Andre Szmyt’s 48-yard field goal in the two-minute drill — after a 17-yard completion to Velus Jones on an in-cutting route in the final 20 seconds.
