\u00ab\u00a0I\u2019m trying to win this weekend,\u00a0\u00bb Fields said Wednesday. \u00ab\u00a0Of course there\u2019s some reason to celebrate, but I\u2019m not just going to be complacent with where I\u2019m at.\u00a0\u00bb<\/b>
\nAfter Bears coach Matt Nagy met with Justin Fields to tell him he\u2019d be the permanent starter Tuesday afternoon, the rookie quarterback drove home from Halas Hall to fill in his parents, who are staying with him. They wanted to go to dinner to celebrate. Fields didn\u2019t. Fields\u2019 parents eventually decided to go out, anyway. The quarterback stayed home alone with his French bulldog, Uno, and watched Raiders film. \u201cI\u2019m trying to win this weekend,\u201d Fields said Wednesday. \u201cOf course there\u2019s some reason to celebrate, but I\u2019m not just going to be complacent with where I\u2019m at.\u201d As responses go, Fields\u2019 reaction feels strangely appropriate. When the rest of Chicago found out Wednesday that Fields will start the rest of the season, they reacted the same way Fields\u2019 parents did \u2014 by celebrating. Rather than get enveloped by the hype, though, Fields chose to focus on the work. Yes, Fields said Wednesday, it was his goal to become the full-time starter this season. He was surprised \u2014 \u201cBut not crazy surprised,\u201d he said \u2014 when Nagy told him that he would be the starter against the Raiders and beyond. Veteran Andy Dalton, who suffered a bone bruise in his left knee Week 2, will be the backup Sunday. \u201cDefinitely a little bit of surprise,\u201d Fields said. \u201cI feel like he was pretty straightforward with me and Andy. And I think my teammates believe in me. So [I\u2019m] just grateful for the opportunity and just trying to get ready to work.\u201d In announcing that, in his words, \u201cit\u2019s Justin\u2019s time,\u201d Nagy admitted that it won\u2019t always be easy. But the Bears have confidence in Fields\u2019 development Monday through Saturday, and his ability to show that growth on Sundays. Nagy pointed to Fields\u2019 growth between his first start \u2014 the Bears gained 47 yards in a 42 plays in a debacle against the Browns \u2014 and his second, in which Fields went 11-for-17 for 209 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in a win Sunday against the Lions. Fields being forced to play without injured running back David Montgomery will ratchet up the degree of difficulty. But Nagy is intrigued enough to find out what his rookie can do, both against the Raiders and the rest of the league. \u201cI think the biggest thing for us is to understand that it\u2019s not going to be perfect,\u201d Nagy said. \u201cJustin knows that, right? We all understand. There\u2019s going to be some times where things happen, but we\u2019ve got to continue to stay positive.\u201d Fields\u2019 fellow quarterbacks should help. Nagy repeated how difficult it was for him to break the news to Dalton. The veteran was disappointed by the decision \u2014 and Nagy didn\u2019t blame him \u2014 but didn\u2019t pass that along to the rookie. When Fields was driving home to meet his parents, Dalton called him. \u201cHe just told me it was a great opportunity for me and that\u2019d he be here for it all, for everything I needed, and he just didn\u2019t want it to be awkward,\u201d Fields said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t want our relationship to change because of the situation. So I told him that was very comforting to hear from him\u2026 \u201cOur relationship has just grown over the past few months. And it\u2019s going to continue to grow each and every day. [Third-stringer] Nick [Foles] and Andy, they\u2019ve both been great to me. They\u2019ve taught me a lot. And, of course, I\u2019m going to be leaning on those guys for the rest of the season to just learn as much as I can from them.\u201d Now, though, he\u2019ll be able to put those pointers into action. Starting Sunday. \u201cYou just have to understand that there\u2019s going to be mistakes made,\u201d Fields said. \u201cYou just have to learn from those mistakes and try not to make those mistakes twice.\u201d<\/p>\n