'This one's for him': QB Justin Fields dedicates Bears' win to franchise icon Dick Butkus
LANDOVER, Md. – Most of the Chicago Bears did not find out about the death of franchise icon Dick Butkus until a moment of silence was held for the Hall of Fame linebacker prior to the start of Thursday's game.
“We actually found out about it when we saw it on the screen," Fields said on Amazon Prime Video's postgame show following the Bears' 40-20 drubbing of the Washington Commanders.
Fields, who tied a career best with four touchdown passes as the Bears got their first win of the year, said the news came as a "big shock." He and wide receiver Darnell Mooney briefly processed the news on the sidelines.
"We were like 'What?'" Fields said.
The Bears confirmed reports of Butkus' death about 90 minutes before kickoff. Chicago had its best showing all season in all three phases to pull off the upset, snapping a 14-game losing streak. It was the Bears' first victory since Oct. 24, 2022.
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"Condolences to his family," Fields said. "It just means a lot, tonight, getting the win – first win in a long time. So, Bears legend, he’ll never be forgotten. We played for him tonight. So, this one’s for him tonight.”
Is Brock Purdy a top-five QB? TNF analyst Tony Gonzalez thinks so
Nobody will deny that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is off to an auspicious start this season. His team is 4-0 with a date against the Dallas Cowboys on "Sunday Night Football" awaiting.
Tony Gonzalez is ready to declare him a top-five quarterback in the league, citing Purdy's league-leading quarterback rating and QBR, 72.3 completion percentage (third best in the NFL) and zero interceptions on the season.
The rest of the desk protested Gonzalez's premise, but the Hall of Fame tight end stood strong.
"He's laser-focused. He's a machine," Gonzalez said. "Him and (coach Kyle) Shanahan together, this makes this team over the top for me."