NFC Notes: Justin Fields, Jordan Love, Bears, Packers, Vikings

Bears

“Just how tight-knit we are, how we’ve grown over the season, it feels like almost a college locker room where you pretty much live within a 10-minute radius of all the guys, you’re always hanging out and stuff like that,” Fields said. “The chemistry that we have, the closeness that we have within our group is amazing to see and it’s rare in the NFL. So I’m definitely grateful for all of the relationships and connections I’ve made with all of my teammates this year, so it’s just been awesome.”

• Bears WR DJ Moore met with HC Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles and hyped up Fields: “I bored him up, of course. I mean, he’s the quarterback of the Chicago Bears until otherwise. And I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon. We’ll see.” (Adam Jahns)

Packers

The Packers are heading to the playoffs thanks in part to the performance of QB Jordan Love, who drew praise from HC Matt LaFleur.

“I’m super happy for him,” LaFleur said of Love, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “I know it’s not always easy when you’re a first-round pick and you have to sit there and watch and wait your turn. That’s tough. That’s tough on a lot of guys, but he approached it the right way. He’s been a great teammate. He’s been super supportive in whatever role he’s taken on and he’s excelled in whatever role he’s taken on. It’s really rewarding to see the progress he’s made over the course of these few years. He’s certainly proved himself over the back half of the season. I don’t think there’s many questions left, to be honest with you.”

“It was awesome,” Love added on the team heading to the playoffs. “That’s a moment I’ll never forget right there, but I feel like that’s just a moment of everything coming together. “You want to play in big-time games and, when the pressure’s on, just to be able to go showcase what you’re made of. Definitely being on the bench for those three years and being behind Aaron and wanting to be out there so bad, now that I’ve got my opportunity, just making the most of it, taking it and running with it. That’s the same thing that everyone in that locker room is doing when they get those opportunities. It’s definitely something that I was waiting for and dreaming of and it definitely is everything that it’s living up to be.”

Vikings

• Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell on fifth-round QB Jaren Hall going to the No. 3 role on the depth chart: “I didn’t think it was fair to Jaren to possibly have him in a situation where, unless he’s injured, he can’t come out of the game. Just long-term development. Still a ton of confidence in where he’s at.” (Kevin Seifert)
• Vikings S Harrison Smith said he isn’t ready to talk about his future and has not made a decision on playing in 2024. (Seifert)