Sunday’s game between the Bears and Dolphins featured a matchup between two rising, young quarterbacks in Justin Fields and Tua Tagovailoa. Both shined in what turned into a shootout, ending in a 35-32 win for Miami.
For Fields, he had his breakout game against the Dolphins, where he showcased his star power as a dual-threat quarterback. Fields completed 17-of-28 passes for 123 yards with three touchdowns for a 106.7 passer rating.
But he absolutely killed the Dolphins defense with his legs, rushing 15 times for 178 yards and a score. His 178 rushing yards were the most by a quarterback in the regular season in NFL history.
Fields’ counterpart, Tagovailoa, was “impressed” with his performance, specifically with how Fields ran the ball.
“Dude is a baller,” Tagovailoa said after the game. “He was making some plays in the pass game, as well. I’m happy for him. I’m happy for the success that he’s finding, he’s finding himself in this league. I think people are starting to recognize more, the more he gets out and has those opportunities to play.”
Fields has been compared to Tagovailoa, among other young quarterbacks. Not because of their attributes, rather how their respective franchises have gone all-in on building around their young quarterbacks.
The Dolphins brought in receiver Tyreek Hill and left tackle Terron Armstead this offseason, and it’s made all the difference in the world for Tagovailoa.
The 2023 offseason is going to be an important one for Bears general manager Ryan Poles. The Bears are set to have around $120 million in salary cap space and plenty of needs to address, including at receiver and the offensive line.
Considering how Fields is performing with one of the league’s worst rosters, imagine what he could look like surrounded by better talent.
