History of Justin Fields in Timeline
Justin Fields is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes after a stint with the Georgia Bulldogs. At Ohio State, he achieved significant success, being named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year twice and playing in the 2021 National Championship Game.
March 5, 1999: Justin Fields is born
Justin Skyler Fields was born on March 5, 1999.
2016: Bears Start 0-3 for the First Time Since 2016
After losing their first three games of the 2023 season, the Chicago Bears found themselves with an 0-3 record for the first time since 2016.
October 2017: Justin Fields Commits to the University of Georgia
In October 2017, Justin Fields committed to play college football at the University of Georgia, withdrawing a prior commitment to Penn State.
2017: Justin Fields excels in high school, suffers a season-ending injury
In 2017, Justin Fields excelled as a high school athlete, earning accolades in both football and baseball, but suffered a broken finger during a nationally televised game, leading to season-ending surgery.
2017: Bears Start 0-2 for the First Time Since 2017
In 2023, the Chicago Bears started their season with an 0-2 record, marking the first time they had done so since 2017.
2018: Justin Fields serves as a backup quarterback at the University of Georgia
During the 2018 season at the University of Georgia, Justin Fields served as the backup quarterback, seeing action in 12 games and accumulating a combined 694 yards and eight touchdowns through passing and rushing.
2018: Justin Fields transfers to Ohio State
Following Georgia's loss in the 2018 SEC Championship Game, Justin Fields decided to transfer to Ohio State.
2018: Justin Fields experiences a racially charged incident at the University of Georgia
In 2018, while at the University of Georgia, Justin Fields was the subject of a racially charged incident involving a Bulldogs baseball player.
2018: Justin Fields' Senior Year is Documented on Netflix
Justin Fields' senior year of high school was featured in the second season of the Netflix series "QB1: Beyond the Lights" in 2018.
February 8, 2019: Justin Fields granted immediate eligibility at Ohio State
After successfully arguing for a waiver based on "mitigating circumstances," Justin Fields was granted immediate eligibility to play for Ohio State on February 8, 2019.
2019: Justin Fields leads Ohio State to Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff
In 2019, his first season with the Buckeyes, Justin Fields led the team to a Big Ten Championship win against Wisconsin and secured a spot in the College Football Playoff.
2020: Justin Fields advocates for playing during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Justin Fields actively advocated for continuing the football season, even initiating an online petition that garnered significant support.
2020: Justin Fields leads Ohio State to another Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff appearance
In 2020, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Justin Fields once again guided the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season, securing another Big Ten Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
January 18, 2021: Justin Fields declares for the NFL Draft
Justin Fields announced his decision to enter the 2021 NFL Draft on January 18, 2021, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
June 10, 2021: Justin Fields signs his rookie contract with the Chicago Bears
On June 10, 2021, Justin Fields officially signed his rookie contract with the Chicago Bears, a four-year deal worth $18.8 million.
2021: Fields' Epilepsy Diagnosis Revealed
During pre-draft interviews with NFL teams in 2021, Justin Fields revealed his diagnosis of epilepsy, a condition he had been managing since his freshman year of high school.
2021: Justin Fields plays in the National Championship Game
On this date in 2021, Justin Fields and the Ohio State Buckeyes competed in the National Championship Game.
2021: Justin Fields is drafted to the NFL by the Chicago Bears
In 2021, Justin Fields was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.
2022: Fields Suffers Injuries, Bears Struggle
In 2022, Justin Fields suffered a shoulder injury during a game against the Atlanta Falcons, forcing him to miss a week. He returned to set a record by becoming the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to rush for a touchdown in six consecutive games. However, Fields also sustained a hip injury later in the season, causing him to sit out the final game. The Bears ended the season with a dismal 3-14 record.
2022: Justin Fields begins his 2022 season with the Chicago Bears
Justin Fields' 2022 season with the Chicago Bears began with a mixture of wins and losses, marked by both individual strong performances and team struggles.
2022: The Chicago Bears trade draft picks with the New York Giants to select Justin Fields
To secure Justin Fields in the 2022 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears engaged in a trade with the New York Giants, exchanging multiple draft picks.
May 2023: Fields Graduates from Ohio State
In May 2023, Justin Fields graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in consumer and family financial services.
2023: Bears Endure Difficult Start to the Season
The Bears had a difficult start to the 2023 season, losing their first three games. Fields sustained a head injury in Week 3 but didn't miss any playing time.
March 16, 2024: Fields Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers
On March 16, 2024, Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for draft picks. The Steelers also declined the fifth-year option on his contract, making Fields a free agent after the 2024 season.
2024: Justin Fields is traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers
After three seasons with the Chicago Bears, Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.
2024: Fields Faces Uncertain Future with the Bears
Despite achieving career highs in completion percentage and passing yards, and throwing a career-low number of interceptions in 2023, Justin Fields faced an uncertain future with the Chicago Bears heading into the 2024 NFL draft. The team held the first overall pick, leading to speculation about whether they would select a new quarterback or retain Fields.
2025: Conditional Draft Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
As part of the trade that sent Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, the Chicago Bears received a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.