If Justin Fields can play Thursday against the Panthers, he will, Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday.
Fields, who has missed the last three games with a dislocated thumb, is progressing toward a return after throwing in practice last Friday. A short week of walk-throughs to prepare for Thursday night’s game against the Panthers at Soldier Field might not be an ideal path, especially with back-up Tyson Bagent playing competently, if somewhat erratically, in three starts. But preparedness won’t be the issue for Fields, Eberflus said.
“Bagent has done well,” Eberflus said. “He had 271 yards through three quarters [against the Saints] in terms of passing and running, so we feel good where he is. But if Justin is there and is available and is functional, will will go with him.”
Fields practiced for the first time Friday, casually throwing deep passes to receivers in the portion of practice open to the media. He said after practice his grip strength still was not 100%, but was “mentally preparing” to play against the Saints. He was encouraged that it was improving and was hopeful of playing against the Panthers. But it’s all about the thumb, Eberflus said.
“[With] guys coming off injury, it always comes down to the medical staff clearing them,” Eberflus said. “How the player feels he can function in the game, and the the coaches looking at it and saying, ‘Yes, he could function at a high level and get the job done.’ So it’s always those three factors.”
With the Bears 2-7 and Eberflus’ future possibly in the balance in the final eight games, the second-year head coach could use Fields’ return as soon as possible to give the Bears a chance to establish a path toward contention that has yet to develop.
Bagent was an intriguing option when he replaced Fields in the third quarter of a 19-13 loss to the Vikings on Oct. 15 at Soldier Field. After beating the Raiders and losing to the Chargers in his first two starts, Bagent was hot and cold against the Saints. Through three quarters, he completed 15 of 19 passes for 201 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for a 123.9 passer rating — and confounded the Saints defense with well-timed scrambles for 70 rushing yards, including gains of 20, 26 and 12 yards.
But it all came apart in the fourth quarter. Bagent completed 3 of 11 passes for 19 yards, with two interceptions for a 0.0 passer rating — plus a lost fumble on a strip-sack that short-circuited a comeback in a 24-17 loss at Caesars Superdome.
At this point, the Bears need to see as much of Fields as they can. Fields had stellar performances in back-to-back games against the Broncos (335 yards, four touchdowns, 132.7 passer rating) and Commanders (282 yards, four touchdowns, 125.3 rating). But he reverted to his inconsistent form against the Vikings (58 yards, one interception, 36.7 rating) when he injured his thumb.
If Fields does not play Thursday, he’ll have 10 days before the Bears’ next game, against the Lions at Ford Field on Nov. 19. Either way, he should have a minimum of rust after having played six games.
“I’m sure there’s a little bit of something there for a young guy to come back in after missing a little bit of time,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. “But as far as him being out there, being in the meetings — he’s dialed in.”
And as wide receiver Darnell Mooney pointed out, the Bears have a lot of work to do on offense whether Fields or Bagent is at quarterback. It’s getting late.
“We’ve been trying to get this progress going for a long time now,” Mooney said. “It’s a build-up and it’s a process — trying to get things that work regardless of who is at quarterback. We have a lot of things to get done [and] not just at the quarterback situation.”
