The Chicago Bears lost a tough game on Sunday as the Atlanta Falcons came back and defeated them by a final score of 27-24. It was a tough game but it certainly helped them gain some better draft stock. As long as the quarterback continues to play well, that is all that matters.
Unfortunately, we have a new fork in the road when it comes to Justin Fields. He left the field via a cart as the Bears were about to lose. He hurt his shoulder really bad. He has taken a beating a lot this season despite playing incredibly well for about two months now.
After an MRI on Monday, coach Matt Eberflus announced that he is day to day. It is also known that the Bears feel better about it on Monday than they did on Sunday which is great news. Their next game comes this upcoming Sunday when they take on the New York Jets.
Trevor Siemian is the backup quarterback and could get the start if Fields isn’t good to go. Following that game, the Bears have the Green Bay Packers the following week before their late-season bye week. Decisions will have to be made.
The Chicago Bears have to make sure that Justin Fields is okay to play.
The pending result of this could change everything. If Fields is healthy enough to play and play well, all will be forgotten. However, it would be nice to have any time off to get healthy again but not at the expense of losing momentum in his development.
He has been so good at making an impact that he is starting to look like the top quarterback that he was drafted to be. Injuries can start to derail that kind of stuff. He is a very mobile quarterback which is nice but the Bears don’t protect him well at all.
If they don’t figure it out soon (and the NFL isn’t better at protecting the younger quarterbacks), he is going to be hurt more than he plays. It doesn’t matter how tough he is. The last thing the Bears want is to stunt his development.
We see with guys like Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson that quarterbacks can play like that and be super elite. The difference is that the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Ravens have a much better offense to help their guys stay on their feet (with options to throw to).
If Fields needs a week off from playing that is fine. Even if he needs to take time off until after the bye that is fine too. All that matters is that the Bears take whatever the injury results are and be a smart serious franchise with them.
If he is done for the season, that will be a problem but they can’t let him go out there and get hit again until they are sure that there will be no long-term effects from this current injury.