Amid questions over future with Bears, Justin Fields isn't worried about outside noise
CHICAGO (CBS) – If health is wealth, the Bears must feel like they could take a swim in the money bin coming off their bye week.
Only one player, linebacker Noah Sewell, didn't fully participate in practice this week. CBS 2's Matt Zahn had the latest on a team and a quarterback with plenty to prove down the home stretch.
Justin Fields and the Bears head into their final five games off last week's bye. It could be Fields' last chance to show he's the quarterback of the future, and that the Bears don't need to draft his replacement.
But he didn't sound too worried about all of the outside noise.
"Life isn't fair, so me personally, I'm just focused on what I can control and the rest is in God's hands, and if I'm here next year, if I'm not, football doesn't define who I am as a person," Fields said. "And that's why I don't really stress over stuff like that, over stuff that I can't control. My happiness will still be in the same place. A million people would love to be in the position I'm in right now, so [I'm] really just not taking that for granted."
Fields added he feels blessed to be in the position he's in and that it's helped thicken his skin when it comes to criticism.
"Since I've gotten to Chicago, I mean, y'all don't hold back," he said, appearing to reference the news media. "I hear it from y'all. I hear it from the fans and stuff like that, so I don't take any of it personally because I know everyone's entitled to their opinion."
On the field, his five most recent starts have gone much better than his first three, but Fields didn't look at it as building momentum toward a big finish. He said he's just trying to be consistent.