The Chicago Bears are preparing to spend at least the next week, maybe longer, without their starting quarterback after the latest Justin Fields injury update.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Monday afternoon that Fields is dealing with a dislocated thumb in his right hand and is “doubtful” to play in their Week 7 home game against the Las Vegas Raiders on October 22. He also added that there “is no timetable right now” for Fields’ return as they continue to gather information.
“It’s really going to come down to grip strength,” Eberflus said, echoing his postgame comments about Fields not being able to grip the ball on the sideline after his injury.
Fortunately, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that “no surgery is imminent” for Fields’ injured thumb, but he also added a disclaimer about what surgery would mean if the Bears and Fields ultimately needed to go that route at a later date.
“The hope is for rehab to improve grip strength and for him to get back on the field when he can,” Rapoport posted on X. “Surgery would mean out indefinitely.”
Fields dislocated his thumb while taking a sack in the third quarter of Sunday’s 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. From the broadcast, he appeared to land on his right hand after trying to throw the ball away, and he did not return for the rest of the game.
Justin Fields Injury Clears Way for Rookie Tyson Bagent
Without Fields, the Bears will turn to undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent as their starting quarterback for Week 7 against the Raiders. The 23-year-old out of Division II Shepherd was a healthy inactive for the first three games of the season but won over the coaches and supplanted Nathan Peterman as the backup in Week 4.
Now, in the seventh week of his NFL career, Bagent becomes the main man in Chicago.
Bagent has been popular among Bears faithful since shining in his 2023 preseason action. Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best rookie quarterback (83.6) over August’s three-game slate, and he finished 20-of-29 as a passer with 156 yards, one interception and a pair of rushing touchdowns to earn himself a 53-man roster spot.
To the minority of fans who were clamoring for the Bears to bench Fields in favor of Bagent during his September struggles, though, be careful what you wish for.
Bagent did some good things for the Bears in his first regular-season snaps, including leading them on their lone touchdown drive of the game, but there were also several messy reminders that he is still an undrafted rookie. He turned the ball over twice in his quarter and a half of play with a strip-sack taken for a touchdown on his third play. He also threw a fourth-quarter interception that killed the Bears’ comeback attempt.
Overall, Bagent could have been worse with a 10-of-14 passing clip and 5.9 yards per passing attempt, but he will need to find his composure if wants to help the Bears win.
Bears Also Lose Nate Davis to Injury in Vikings Loss
The injury update on Justin Fields is the most damaging blow to the Bears coming out of their loss to the Vikings, but they might also have to spend time without another one of their offensive starters — right guard Nate Davis — after he was carted off Sunday.
Davis went down in the second quarter against the Vikings after it appeared fullback Khari Blasingame landed on his ankle while hitting the ground at the end of a play. After trainers attended to him on the field, he eventually took a cart into the locker room and did not return for the remainder of the game.
On Monday, Eberflus confirmed that Davis suffered a “high ankle sprain” in the loss and would also miss the Bears’ upcoming home game against the Raiders.
“Nate Davis suffered a high ankle sprain,” Eberflus said Monday. “He’ll be out this week as well, and that’s going to be a week-to-week deal with Nate Davis.”
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Bears Receive Troubling Update on Justin Fields Injury After MRI