Getty Justin Fields will not play in the Bears' second preseason game against the Colts on Saturday, August 19.
Chicago Bears fans eager to see their starting quarterback in action again will have to wait at least another week — or perhaps even longer.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced Thursday that quarterback Justin Fields and several other starters will not be playing the team’s second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, August 19, after he played in last week’s opener. Instead, backup quarterback P.J. Walker will start in his place against the Colts.
“He’s not playing, and the selected starters that we have are not playing in the game because of the work we’ve done here,” Eberflus said, via ChicagoBears.com. “We decided that last night [Wednesday] and that’s what we’re going with. We have a lot of great opportunity. I talked to the backups just now and last night about the opportunity they have ahead of them getting all these reps. It’s going to be a great opportunity for those guys.”
Walker could certainly benefit from additional live reps after a shaky performance in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans last weekend. He fared the worst out of the Bears’ four quarterbacks in the game, completing four of his eight pass attempts for 19 yards and one interception after coming in to relieve Fields for the third series.
The Bears signed Walker to a two-year, $4 million contract this offseason, so there is almost certainly no danger of him losing his backup job, but a stronger second outing from him could help the team feel more secure about the depth behind their starter.
Will Justin Fields Play Again Before Season Opener?
Fields had a good showing against the Titans last Saturday even though his time spent on the field was relatively short. He played in the first two offensive series with the rest of the starters and completed all three of his passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were scored on 50-plus-yard screen plays that were well executed.
While Fields’ performance was effective, though, it also left something to be desired for fans who have been anxious to see the strides he has made as a passer over the past several months of the 2023 offseason. The third-year quarterback did not get much of a chance to show off his quicker passing mechanics or improved accuracy on short and intermediate throws in the game, both of which have been on display in training camp.
The Bears could still decide to let Fields play some snaps during their preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills on August 26. But with so much riding on Fields in 2023, it may make more sense for them to continue playing it safe with him, which means that fans could have to wait until the regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers on September 10 to see their franchise quarterback back on the field again.
Can Tyson Bagent Push Nathan Peterman for QB3 Job?
Walker will get the starting nod against the Colts on Saturday, but Fields sitting will also give the Bears an opportunity to feed more live-game reps to their other two quarterbacks — Nathan Peterman and undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent — as they attempt to figure out which one will serve as their third quarterback for the 2023 season.
Peterman is the familiar option of the two. He spent the majority of the 2022 season on the Bears’ practice squad as the third quarterback behind Fields and Trevor Siemian and was bumped up to the active roster when injuries hit the room in early December. Peterman didn’t exactly knock anyone’s socks off in the preseason opener against the Titans, but he showed solid command of the offense and finished with a 4-of-6 passing clip for 58 yards that should earn him some good karma going into his second outing.
The Bears might see more long-term upside in Bagent, though. The rookie quarterback out of Division II Shepherd worked with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy at the Senior Bowl earlier this year and was one of the first undrafted talents they locked up after the draft. In his NFL preseason debut, he went 4-of-5 passing for 37 yards and received the fifth-highest offensive grade (87.6) in the game for the Bears from Pro Football Focus.
In backup QB news: Tyson Bagent had a great low red zone drill for the Bears. Three TD passes. Two to Robert Tonyan,
While Bagent still figures to be the underdog in the competition, the potential for more reps to come his way on Saturday could give him a chance to gain ground on Peterman.
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Bears Make Final Decision on Justin Fields & Starters vs. Colts