The Bears will be without Justin Fields for multiple weeks, but there are no current plans to place the third-year quarterback on injured reserve, sources tell CBS Sports.
On Friday, Chicago ruled Fields out for Sunday’s game against the Raiders, and undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent will get the first start of his career. Fields has a dislocated thumb on his right hand that has made it difficult to grip the ball, and he didn’t practice at all this week.
The minimum number of games a player must miss after being placed on injured reserve is four. Indeed, it’s possible Fields winds up missing four games. But his importance to the team weighs heavily in the decision to keep him off short-term injured reserve in the event he can heal more quickly than expected.
After the Raiders game, the 1-5 Bears face the Chargers, Saints and Panthers. It’s possible Fields can return to play against any of those teams.
Fields was playing his best ball of the season just before the injury. He threw for a combined 617 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns against the Broncos and Commanders, and he helped the Bears get their first win in 13 games with the Week 5 victory against Washington.
But the Bears are one of six teams in the NFL with one or zero wins. They currently hold the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft by virtue of their trade last spring with the 0-6 Carolina Panthers.
As it stands now, Chicago is unlikely to be active at or near the trade deadline. The Bears shipped Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith off last fall ahead of the deadline, but sources indicated the team isn’t jazzed about sending away more players for mid-round picks this year.
Bagent earned the backup job in training camp after the Bears cut P.J. Walker. The team likes his decisiveness, and it looks forward to seeing what he can do against the Raiders with a full week of practice with the starters.
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Author: Jonathan Jones
October 22, 2023 | 10:30 am
