Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that quarterback Justin Fields is considered doubtful to play in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday night because of the dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Fields injured his thumb in a Week 6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings then missed Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent replaced Fields against the Vikings then led Chicago’s offense in Sunday’s 30-12 win. He’ll lead the offense again against the Chargers.
“Bagent will be our starter until the time he’s cleared,” Eberflus told reporters.
Eberflus reiterated after Sunday’s win that “Justin’s our starting quarterback” when he’s healthy.
Per Eberflus, Fields is “not quite there yet.” But he’s optimistic that Fields won’t require surgery to repair the injury.
“We do think we’re on the right path,” Eberflus said regarding rehabilitating the injury without surgery.
After an 0-4 start, the Bears have won two of their last three games to improve to 2-7. Fields led a 40-20 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 5 while throwing for 282 yards and four touchdowns.
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Bagent was effective as a game manager in Sunday’s win, completing 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. The Bears focused their offense on the ground, where they gained 173 yards, including 89 yards and two rushing touchdowns from D’Onta Foreman.
On Sunday, the Bears will face a desperate Chargers team that expected to compete for a playoff berth but has gotten off to a 2-4 start capped by consecutive losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
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