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NFL Draft season is in full swing and the smokescreens are getting wilder and wilder. Just ask Justin Fields.
Fields was once considered to be the clear-cut No. 2 quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft class, but in recent weeks he has been surpassed by BYU signal-caller Zach Wilson.
But why has Fields been falling? According to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, there are some absurd questions being tossed around about the Ohio State Buckeyes star.
Orlovsky, who made it very clear that these were not his opinions, shared what he’s been hearing during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
According to Orlovsky, people are questioning Fields’ work ethic and his desire to be a great NFL quarterback.
I love a good @danorlovsky7 roast sesh as much as anybody BUT..
I think folks are missing that he was answering my question about “Why the narrative has changed about Fields so much?”
He very assertively said “These are not my opinions”
He then went on to give a potential why pic.twitter.com/Wud0ve4tcI
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 31, 2021
“One, I have heard that he is a last-guy-in, first-guy-out type of quarterback,” Orlovsky said. “Like, not the maniacal work ethic. I’ve even heard it compared to Justin Herbert, where it was like, dude, when Justin Herbert showed up, he was like a psychopath when it came to working and get ready for the draft. Or even at school, like, ‘Give me more, I want to work non-stop.’ And I’ve heard that there are issues with Justin Fields’ work ethic.
“The second thing is … Where is his desire to go be a great quarterback? I think that there’s a desire to be a big-time athlete, from what is expressed to me, but where is his desire to be a great quarterback? And to be great, you gotta be willing to find the things that you are not good at and just freaking grind on them.”
That’s as big of a smokescreen as you will hear.
Fields has proven he is willing to play through injuries and he has excelled at the highest level of college football. To question his willingness to put in the work is asinine.
Last season, Fields threw for 2,100 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions while adding 383 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground while helping to lead the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff National Championship against Alabama. Of course, it was a shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In his last full season in 2019, Fields threw for 3,273 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just three interceptions with another 10 scores on his feet.
The 2021 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 29, and runs through Saturday, May 1. We will see then just how serious any concerns about his work ethic are.
