From a marketing standpoint, Justin Fields has been one of the more popular players in the NFL since he was drafted in 2021. The Chicago Bears started that offseason with a social media proclamation that Andy Dalton was their QB1, but fans knew. Everyone knew.
The league sold a ton of Bears' #1 jerseys after Chicago traded up to draft him at 11 overall, and while he began his rookie year as a backup, he quickly found himself starting. He ended up with 10 starts as a rookie, then 15 more in 2022, where he improved his numbers across the board while flashing a weekly highlight for the NFL to promote.