Bears' Justin Fields complains about lack of calls after blow to head
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is campaigning for better protection from referees following Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
"It’s been too many times I’ve slid and been hit too late and I don’t get the flags," Fields explained on Tuesday, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "I’m going to be on the refs, looking for a call. When I think it’s a flag I’m going to ask the ref."
Fields specifically was referencing how he received a clear blow to the head delivered by Philadelphia's Ndamukong Suh after the signal-caller slid to the ground to complete a run. Suh wasn't flagged for his foul, and former NFL player Clay Harbor was among those who took to Twitter to say that the defensive tackle likely would've earned a penalty had he made similar contact on a veteran such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady:
"On Sunday he said he didn’t think it was a foul," Fields added about the referee from the 25-20 defeat. "I’m just going to be begging for those calls and hope that I get one in the near future. I felt like I was down and then I felt a 300-pound guy."
While quarterbacks lose some protection via rules once they become runners, defensive players are prevented from hitting any ball-carrier high who gives himself up, especially if such contact is avoidable.
As noted by Statmuse, Fields leads all quarterbacks with 1,000 rushing yards on the campaign. The 23-year-old is just 206 yards away from matching the single-season quarterback rushing record held by Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
The 3-11 Bears next host the 11-3 Buffalo Bills on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. It will be interesting to see if Fields gets a "makeup call" or two playing against the team that will enter this weekend atop the overall AFC standings.
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