Justin Fields Dazzles in Preseason Debut for Chicago; Will He Be the Bears' Starter in Week 1?

(Photo : Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears calls the signals on his first play from scrimmage against the Miami Dolphins during a preseason game at the Soldier Field on August 14, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Bears fans can't get enough of Justin Fields after the rookie quarterback stole the show in Saturday's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. Fields did not disappoint in his much-anticipated debut at Soldier Field, completing 14 of 20 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bears to a 20-13 victory.

The 11th overall draft pick in the recent NFL Draft got a thunderous ovation from the Bears faithful when he entered the second quarter. Fields struggled, however, in his first piece of action for Chicago, with the Bears' offense recording just one total yard during his first three drives of the contest.

Fields finishes strong, records two total touchdowns

Fields started the game just 2 of 6 for 11 yards but managed to turn things around on his final four drives, completing 12 of 14 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Fields showed he is a dual threat, rushing for 31 yards and a score against the Dolphins.

The third quarter proved to be the Justin Fields show as the former Ohio State quarterback came out of the half-time break firing. Fields led the Bears on a 77-yard scoring drive to open the second half, capping it off with a fantastic 8-yard touchdown run.

JUSTIN FIELDS RUSHING TOUCHDOWN 🚨

Cheat code 🎮 pic.twitter.com/nBQDUaX2Xs
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) August 14, 2021

He fought off a Miami defender before leaving the pocket and went untouched until he crossed the goal line to give Chicago its first touchdown of the preseason. Fields then showed his passing skills in the following drive, connecting with tight end Jesse James for a 30-yard touchdown pass to seal the win for Chicago.

TOUCHDOWN PASS FOR JUSTIN FIELDS! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/pdbH1Uomfg
— Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) August 14, 2021

Fields was delighted after the win, saying, "It was awesome. Definitely a dream come true, first NFL touchdown and have my teammates celebrate, it was a nice moment." It wasn't just Bears fans who were amazed by Fields' NFL debut as LeBron James also watched the game and was impressed with Fields' performance. The four-time NBA champion posted a message on Twitter, saying, "Justin Fields is so special man."

Andy Dalton feeling the heat after Fields' impressive debut

Fields' dazzling performance against Miami piles even more pressure on Andy Dalton as he tries to hold on to the starting quarterback position for the upcoming NFL campaign. The former Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys QB looked far from impressive in his preseason debut on Saturday, finishing 2-of-4 for 18 yards during his first two series and failing to put some points on the board for the Bears.

Head coach Matt Nagy has repeatedly said this offseason that Dalton will be the Week 1 starter for Chicago against the Los Angeles Rams, but that setup may change based on the preseason performances of him and Fields. Dalton threw for 2,169 yards with just 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions during his stint with the Cowboys last season.