Bears teammate gives interesting update on Justin Fields
Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields has missed two weeks after suffering a rib injury against the Baltimore Ravens. With an upcoming divisional showdown with the Green Bay Packers this weekend, his status remains in the air.
When asked about the status of Justin Fields, Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney provided an interesting response about his quarterback’s health.
“He hasn’t been giving any signs that he’s hurt,” Mooney told NBC Sports’ Alex Shapiro.
Given the nature of the injury, much of Sunday’s decision could come down to pain tolerance. The lack of indication that Fields is suffering from pain during practice serves as a positive sign.
Bears head coach Matt Nagy later confirmed that Fields has been cleared by the medical staff and will start Sunday night.
In Fields absence, backup quarterback Andy Dalton has struggled throwing three touchdowns and five interceptions over two weeks. The Bears have split those two games 1-1 after losing the Ravens game in which Fields suffered the injury.
Justin Fields has experienced ups and downs throughout his rookie season but seems to have a connection with Darnell Mooney early in his career. The young wide receiver has 51 receptions on 90 targets for 721 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Over 10 games and eight starts, Fields has 1,361 passing yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is completing 58.1 percent of his passes and has rushed for 311 yards and two touchdowns.
Mixed results from Justin Fields
Andy Dalton initially won the Bears starting quarterback job, but it didn’t take long for Fields to take over. Since he did take over, Fields has been inconsistent but has shown flashes of his potential. Entering Sunday’s game, Fields had completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,282 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has also rushed 52 times for 288 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 29 sacks.
Fields struggled when initially taking over as the Bears quarterback, but the former Ohio State star has played well over the previous two weeks. On Halloween against the 49ers, he threw for 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception but added 103 rushing yards and another score on the ground. Two weeks ago, he threw for 291 yards and added 45 more in a close loss to the Steelers.
The Bears are currently 4-8 on the season, sitting in third place in the NFC North. While looking ahead to the NFL draft may be the mindset of most fans in this situation, Chicago traded away their 2021 first-round pick to move up to select Fields.