Getty The Bears are signing veteran quarterback Trace McSorley to their practice squad.
The Chicago Bears are signing another veteran quarterback as they prepare to spend at least Week 7 without injured starter Justin Fields.
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are signing former Baltimore Ravens sixth-round pick Trace McSorley to their practice squad, effectively making him the No. 3 quarterback behind Tyson Bagent and Nathan Peterman while Fields is out.
McSorley played in six games — the most extended stretch of his career — for the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, but he completed just 54.2% (48 of 93) passes and threw 5 interceptions to just 1 touchdown during that stretch. For the Bears, he will likely only be an emergency quarterback option if their bad situation worsens.
The Bears are likely signing McSorley to help them in the short term. Head coach Matt Eberflus already told reporters on Monday, October 16, that Fields is “doubtful” to play against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7, so adding McSorley simply keeps them three deep for practice purposes and emergency situations.
However, the move could also indicate the Bears have long-term concerns about Fields’ injury and are preparing to spend extended time without him at the helm.
Will Bears Consider Placing QB Justin Fields on IR?
Eberflus kept his cards close to his chest when talking about Fields’ injury on Monday. He confirmed that Fields dislocated his right thumb during Sunday’s loss to Minnesota but declined to share what the MRI revealed about the injury. He also said the team would not know much about the long-term ramifications until later in the week.
If the MRI revealed that Fields sustained ligament damage in his throwing hand, though, it is not out of the question to think he might land on injured reserve.
The Bears will want to avoid that scenario, if possible. Placing Fields on injured reserve would mean spending a minimum of four games without him. Even if they think it will take him three weeks to get healthy, it is still preferable to keep him off the injury list.
If the Bears do decide that injured reserve is the best route, though, they will almost certainly make the move heading into the weekend against the Raiders. Fields can stay on injured reserve however long he needs to heal, but adding him to the list in the coming days would ensure he is able to return as soon as Week 11.
Tyson Bagent Likely to Make 1st Career Start in Week 7
The Bears have not officially declared their starting quarterback for Week 7 against the Raiders, but all signs point to undrafted rookie Bagent making his first NFL start.
Bagent unexpectedly rose through the Bears’ quarterback ranks over the past few months, going from a fourth-stringer at the start of training camp to a full-fledged backup before the fourth game of the season. He also played the first regular-season snaps of his career in relief of Fields on Sunday against the Vikings, completing 10 of his 14 passes for 83 yards and an interception over about a quarter and a half of play.
If Bagent does start against the Raiders, he would be the first undrafted rookie to start for the franchise since the completion of the merger in 1970.
“I’m obviously very confident in myself, and nothing changes for me,” Bagent said in Sunday’s postgame. “Since Day 1, I’ve been preparing as if I was going to play the whole game. That’s just kind of how I approach the game. I like to know what’s going on at all times. So nothing is really going to change for this week. Back to the drawing board and get ready for Vegas this week.”