Report: Justin Fields had ‘toxic' relationship with ex-Bears QB

During his tenure with the Chicago Bears, a picture was painted that quarterback Justin Fields had the support of everyone in the organization.

However, now that the 25-year-old signal-caller is no longer part of the organization, information is coming to light indicating that wasn’t exactly the case.

Fields reportedly did not get along with former teammate Nick Foles, per Go Long TD’s Tyle Dunne, who said sources confirmed to him that the relationship between the two QBs was “toxic as hell.”

“They never were together,” a source told Dunne. “It was always Andy (Dalton) and Nick walking side by side and Justin always 15 yards behind them.”

Dunne’s report seems to reinforce what former Bears director of player personnel Josh Lucas told Windy City Gridiron back in February about the dynamic in Chicago’s quarterback room.

“Justin wasn’t great his rookie year," Lucas said. "We thought having two vets with him would really help him with Andy and Nick and that was not cohesive at all."

Fields and Foles were only teammates for the 2021 season. 

The former went 2-8 as the starter with 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while the latter was 1-0 and threw for 250 yards and a touchdown while serving as the third-string QB behind Dalton.

Foles was released in May 2022 as the Bears transitioned Fields into the full-time starter. It’s not known if the bitterness between Fields and Foles was a factor in his release.

“There were several arguments amongst the QBs,” Dunne wrote. “Once, per one source, Foles was trying to teach something to Fields in the QB room and — upon turning toward the rookie — Foles realized Fields wasn’t even paying attention. His head was down. At that point, Foles was done trying to play mentor. The two could not stand each other. Around the building, one source says, ‘You cut the tension with a knife.’”

The Bears brought in Trevor Siemian, Nathan Peterman and Tim Boyle to back up Fields in 2022 while Foles signed a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Fields is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers while Foles was released by the Colts in May 2023 and is currently unsigned.