With quarterback Justin Fields limited in practice all week and listed as “questionable” for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, the Chicago Bears have made a very notable roster decision.
According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the Bears are elevating quarterback Nathan Peterman to the active roster today. While they haven’t officially ruled out Fields, it’s a strong sign that the team remains uncertain on whether he can play tomorrow.
Fields has been battling an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. It’s believed that the injury might require surgery after the season and that right now it’s an issue of pain tolerance.
Trevor Siemian is the Bears’ backup quarterback and would step in for Fields if he can’t play. Siemian has appeared in one game this season, completing one pass for five yards in garbage time of a Bears loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.
It took a while, but Justin Fields finally settled into this Chicago Bears offense and has given the team a new identity. While he only has one game with over 200 passing yards this season, he’s thrown 11 touchdowns against four interceptions over the past seven games.
On the ground, Fields has been so explosive that he could finish the season with more rushing yards than Lamar Jackson. He has 834 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground this season.
At 3-8 on the season, the Bears’ focus down the stretch is on developing Fields into a more polished quarterback.
Maybe the Bears will resist the temptation to open Fields up to further injury this weekend and let him sit. Or maybe Fields will fight through the pain and play.
Which do you think will happen?