Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles went to bat for Justin Fields after the quarterback came under fire for comments that appeared to be critical of the team’s coaching staff.
“I can’t be more clear than this – no one in our entire building, none of our coaches, see Justin as a finger-pointer at all,” Poles told the media Thursday, including NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “He has always taken ownership of anything that’s happened on the field. He takes it head-on, he works, he grinds, he puts his head down, he works with his teammates, works with his coaches to find solutions.”
Fields said Wednesday he felt his play recently has been “robotic,” adding that it’s been caused by having an abundance of information to process. When asked what might be causing him to overthink, Fields responded with “could be coaching.”
The quarterback later clarified his remarks and claimed his words were “taken out of context.” He added that he “needs to play better,” and that he’s willing to take all the blame for any in-game mishaps.
In addition to the 24-year-old’s struggles, the Bears have also had to deal with the surprise resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams and an 0-2 record. However, Chicago isn’t flinching due to its poor start, according to Poles.
“To be really clear, I know there’s outside noise, but no one in our building is panicking,” Poles added, according to Chris Emma of 670 The Score. “Not our owner. Not our president. Not our head coach. Not myself. None of our players. Everybody is focusing on solving the issues we have so we can become a better football team.”
Williams said Wednesday that he was stepping down to focus on his “health and family.” However, rumors spread online that raids were conducted in connection to the former Bears defensive coordinator, who missed the team’s Week 2 loss due to personal reasons. Poles reiterated that those rumors are “completely false,” per NBC Sports Chicago’s Alex Shapiro.
The Bears are averaging 18.5 points per game but are also giving up 32.5 points per contest, which ranks 31st in the NFL. Meanwhile, Fields has tossed two touchdowns to three interceptions to go along with a 60.6% completion percentage.
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