When the Chicago Bears traded up to draft Justin Fields earlier this year, they traded up for their future. This was a franchise-changing move. Remember that, now, as we’re diving into talking about his latest injury.
Fields has been dealing with an ankle injury for a couple of weeks now, forcing him out of action last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Fortunately, Nick Foles and company were able to pull off a miraculous win late in the game.
It is safe to say, though, that fans want to see Fields this week. Not Foles, and definitely not Andy Dalton — who returned to practice this week without limitation.
Fields, though, has not practiced in full. The past two days, Fields has been limited while the other two quarterbacks have been good to go. While it’s understandable for the angst and excitement around Fields to lead fans to want him to play on Sunday, that may not be the best for him long-term.
The Chicago Bears should tread carefully with Justin Fields’ injury.
While an ankle injury isn’t necessarily career-threatening, the Bears don’t want to force him back into action too soon and risk further injury. Take the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson for example.
Jackson has also been dealing with an ankle injury the past couple of weeks. The Ravens are a prayer and a hope away from a playoff spot right now, and could really use Jackson back on the field.
However, Wednesday, Jackson returned to practice with a noticeable limp. Thursday, he missed practice entirely. That, as they say, is not good.
This causes one to believe that Baltimore allowed him to return too soon, and now they risk not having him on Sunday to try and make a playoff push. If they do roll him out there, Jackson likely won’t be 100 percent, which means he won’t be able to do the things with his legs that he needs to do in order to be fully effective in his game.
Back to Fields, now. Sunday is not a playoff game. It’s not even one which has playoff implications. This game against the New York Giants is utterly meaningless. If Fields is allowed to return and he’s not completely healthy, that would be doing a disservice to your young, franchise quarterback.
Matt Nagy has two games left in his time as the Bears head coach, and he’s seemingly always had the players’ backs. This is a case where he needs to have Fields’ back and ensure that his health is put first.
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