Bears quarterback Justin Fields won’t practice Wednesday, coach Matt Eberflus said, and remains doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Raiders.
Rookie Tyson Bagent will start Sunday against the Raiders and veteran Nathan Peterman will be the second-stringer.
Fields is working with Bears trainers after dislocating his right thumb when his throwing arm was slammed into the ground on a sack in the third quarter Sunday. Fields tried to lobby to return to the game but couldn’t grip the ball with his right hand.
Thumb dislocations are accompanied by tears in the ligaments surrounding the thumb. Eberflus said the Bears will monitor Fields throughout the week and make a decision then about whether he’ll need surgery.
“It still comes down to the grip strength,” Eberflus said.
If the Bears put Fields on injured reserve he’d have to miss the next four games.
“Other people that have had this injury, it’s gone that way, where they’ve taped it and gone through it and they’ve played, and it’s been a week-to-week thing,” he said. “And then all the way to having surgery and them being out. We don’t know where it is yet. We’ll figure it out later in the week.”
The Bears signed quarterback Trace McSorley on Tuesday, indicating they did not expect Fields to practice this week. McSorley will run the practice squad offense.
