Chicago Bears QB Fields in Striking Distance of Major Record

The 3-13 Chicago Bears have had a season to forget, but at least they can comfort themselves with the knowledge that they have one of the league's most exciting young quarterbacks. Justin Fields still has a long way to go as a passer, but he's on the verge of going down as one of the all-time runners at his position. With 64 yards in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings, Fields could set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback.

Justin Fields is 64 yards away from breaking Lamar Jackson's single-season QB rushing record. He's got one more game to do it.
— Alex Shapiro (@AlexShapiroNBCS) January 1, 2023

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson currently holds the record with 1206 rushing yards across his 15 starts in his exceptional 2019 season. Fields currently sits at 1143 yards over 15 starts, but the league moved to a 17-game schedule in 2021, so he'll get one last shot at greatness in Week 18. Fields has actually exceeded Jackson on a per-attempt basis, rushing for 7.1 yards per carry to Jackson's 6.9.

That the Bears are 3-13 despite Fields' all-time ability as a runner speaks to just how much of a passing league the NFL has become. Fields has been absolutely thrilling this season, but the Bears have been the NFC's worst club due to his struggles through the air: they rank last in the league this season in passing yards per game, sack rate, and interception rate. The Bears are going nowhere until they can put Fields in a better position to succeed.