Who is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Bears vs Seahawks today?

The Chicago Bears will face the Seattle Seahawks today in a game that is meaningless for the Bears and although not officially eliminated yet, could mean very little for the Seahawks too. The Bears still have some serious names on their injury report due to COVID-19 protocols, but what really stands out is the quarterback position. Nick Foles is slated to start with Andy Dalton out with a hand and groin injury and Justin Fields is a game-day decision with an ankle injury. Insert Ryan Willis into the conversation.

Technically, we do not know who the backup quarterback will be behind Nick Foles today. At least not yet. With the game starting at 3:05 pm today, we should know more around the start of the Noon games. What we do know is that it should not be Justin Fields and here is why. Fields is still dealing with his cracked ribs. With his ankle injury now, there’s no reason he should be the backup if he’s not healthy enough to be the starter.

The Chicago Bears should have Ryan Willis be the backup, not Justin Fields

Putting Justin Fields in the backup role just doesn’t make any sense. Either he is healthy enough to start or he’s not healthy enough to play. If you want him as an emergency backup in the third-string spot, okay, but at this point, just start Nick Foles and have newcomer Ryan Willis be the backup instead.

I know what you might be thinking, but who is Ryan Willis? Well, Willis is a former quarterback out of Virginia Tech. He started his college career in the Big 12 while playing at Kansas. He struggled in his freshman year though as he only completed 52.1 percent of his passes and had more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (8). His sophomore season wasn’t any better with only three touchdowns to seven interceptions. Ryan Willis then transferred to Virginia Tech in 2018, where he started his Junior year but lost the starting spot in his senior season.

Willis was part of the 2020 NFL Draft but was not drafted. Instead, Ryan Willis was drafted into the Spring League, The Spring League is a developmental league aimed at serving athletes who want to continue to work on their craft and hope to earn a spot on a professional team. The Spring League consists of eight teams but does not pay any of their players.

Last season, Ryan Willis led the league with 1,680 yards and 13 touchdowns. He played for the “Linemen” and helped lead them to a 4-1 record. His performance earned him MVP honors as the team won in The Spring League Mega Bowl.

The Chicago Bears gave Willis a tryout prior to the Week 15 matchup vs the Vikings. They signed him to the practice squad on December 18, 2021, with Andy Dalton going on the reserve/COVID-19 list and now he’s been flexed to the active roster ahead of today’s game with Dalton out and Justin Fields a game-time decision as to the backup behind Nick Foles.