Wednesday was the second pro-day for Ohio quarterback Justin Fields, and hours before it began, Fields received an inspirational message from San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice.
“Justin Fields, hey man, do not worry about what they say about you, brother,” Rice said. “We know you’re a hard worker and you enjoy what you do on the football field. You inspire your teammates to be better. Hey, they said the same thing about me. They said I’m not a 40 ‘. “Yes, I may have run a 4.5, 4.6. I do not even know. But for one thing, they did not look at me on the way to the finish zone.”
Fields is widely regarded as the second-best quarterback prospect of the draft behind just Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence going into the 2020 season, but unequal games against Northwestern and Indiana, coupled with the rise of BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, means that Fields is likely to be available for the 49ers selected. Nr. 3.
“Just let that stuff blow over your head, man,” Rice tells Fields. “Congratulations, I’m sure you’re looking forward to the concept. And hopefully you’re going high.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were at Fields’ pro day, and Shanahan was photographed sharing a laugh with the passerby in Ohio.
The team is most recently paired with Mac Jones during the preparation process, but it looks like the national NFL media figures are starting to feed back their Mac-Jones-to-the-49ers proclamations.
Shanahan and Lynch are also attending the second pro day of Trey Lance in North Dakota next Monday. The first round of the 2021 NFL draft is scheduled for Thursday, April 29th.