NFL insider sheds light on the status of Justin Fields as the Bears starting QB
As soon as Justin Fields went down with his thumb injury a little over four weeks ago, speculation set in. Speculation of when Fields might return. Was he going to need surgery or would he be able to come back before the season was over? Could Tyson Bagent prove to be a better option than Fields? Could this be the end of Fields in Chicago, despite throwing for eight touchdowns and one interception the two weeks prior to being hurt against Minnesota? Even the possibility of trading him prior to the trade deadline was being discussed.
Well, it didn't take long for most of that speculation to go away. Matt Eberflus spoke up early about how Fields was the QB1 when healthy. I don't know how many people truly believed that, but Tyson Bagent's performance over four weeks wasn't enough for anyone to declare him a better option than Fields. Bagent's story is fantastic and he has proven he is a backup quarterback in this league. Now, he needs to continue to learn, grow, and prove he can start. That just won't be happening this season or even next season in Chicago.
Justin Fields should start for the Chicago Bears in Week 11
This morning, NFL insider, Ian Rapoport announced that sources confirmed as long Justin Fields doesn't have a setback in practice today, he will be declared the starter for the Lions game this Sunday. This is good news. Nothing against Bagent, but Fields is more dynamic. Bagent has a quicker release and slightly better pocket presence, but he doesn't have the accuracy when throwing the ball beyond 10 yards. At least not consistently.
feed
Bagent led the Chicago Bears to two wins, or at least he didn't turn the ball over and allowed his running game to lead them to two wins. I say this because wins are not a QB stat. The Chicago Bears should know by now if they think Justin Fields is the guy to stick around beyond 2023. That said, he still has seven games to sway that decision. Will we see more of what we saw in his two starts vs. the Broncos and Commanders or will he revert to what we were seeing against the Vikings before the injury? Only time will tell, but the feeling for this Sunday just feels more exciting with Fields under center.