When the Chicago Bears drafted Justin Fields with the No. 11 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald had two reasons to be excited.

First, Fitzgerald was thrilled that he never has to play against one of the best quarterbacks in Ohio State history ever again. Second, as a loyal and passionate Bears fan, he’s excited the franchise drafted the quarterback of the future.

Sports Betting in Big Ten Country

Ohio sports betting apps are officially launching on January 1, 2023.

Pre-registration is now available at FanDuel Ohio for an extra $100 bonus. Go pre-register now.

21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Speaking with NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano, Fitzgerald talked about the Bears decision to draft Fields and quieted some of the critics who thought the former Buckeye leader dropped because of tough performances against Northwestern and Indiana last season.

Below is the clip:

Fields was 2-0 against Fitzgerald’s Northwestern teams, winning in Evanston in blowout fashion in 2019 and defeating the Wildcats 22-10 in the 2020 B1G Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Instead of trying to figure out a way to stop Fields on Saturdays, Fitzgerald now just gets to sit back and enjoy watching the new QB of his favorite NFL team.