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Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff Writer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The last time a Chicago Bears player entered the season ranked among the Top 10 MVP candidates, Justin Fields was 15 years old.
It was 2014, and the odds of Jay Cutler winning MVP were 25-1, seventh-best among the candidates, according to the website SportsOddsHistory. Cutler went on to pass for 3,812 yards, just 26 yards shy of Erik Kramer’s single-season club record.
But Cutler didn’t finish among the top six MVP finalists and he watched former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers win his second award.
Now it’s Fields’ turn. Fields was ninth in MVP odds at DraftKings at 20-1 as of Monday afternoon, and the betting market is bullish on the Bears’ third-year QB. Fields leads all candidates in garnering bets placed and money wagered on PointsBet. In fact, he’s attracted more bets than the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jalen Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs‘ Patrick Mahomes combined.
“I mean he’s an exciting player, right? And he got to prove a little bit of that last year,” said Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was the Packers’ offensive quality control coach in 2014. “The most important thing for us is that Justin continues to grow. And not just Justin, but everybody in this offense.”
It’s not just Fields who has bettors excited about Chicago. The Bears received more bets to win the NFC North than any team to win any other division on PointsBet. And this despite the fact Chicago won just three games last season and its win total projection was 7.5, as of Monday.
The MVP favorite heading into this season is Mahomes (6-1), who won his second last season.
“Having that talk doesn’t help us win games,” Fields said. “If it did, then yeah, I would be excited about it, but at the end of the day, none of that talk matters.
“I just have to go out there and be the best player I can be for my team.”
Fields threw two touchdown passes in the preseason, including a 62-yard catch-and-run to DJ Moore in the first preseason game. The Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers for a package that included Moore, and that connection is one of the reasons for the optimism in Chicago.
“I feel like I’m ready,” Fields said. “I think us, as a whole team, we’re ready.”
Fields rushed for 1,143 yards last season, finishing 70 yards shy of breaking Lamar Jackson’s single-season quarterback rushing record, but Fields struggled as a passer. Chicago averaged a league-low 130.5 passing yards per game while Fields ranked at or near the bottom in several categories, including adjusted net yards per pass attempt (4.63), which put him last among 33 qualified quarterbacks.
Help for Fields this offseason came in the form of Moore, a revamped by-committee backfield, improved pass protection (although injuries have become a recent talking point) and a second season with the same playcaller in the same offense.
“When you look at his capabilities and what he can do, it’s hard not to be excited about it,” said Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards, who played his first four seasons in Philadelphia. “The plays he can make and seeing him progress as he matures at quarterback and seeing him make the right plays .He can make a lot of different throws just off of how strong his arm is.
“I think that’s where the excitement comes from, at least for us. We’re excited about it.”
ESPN gambling reporter David Purdum contributed to this report.
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