Lake Forest, Illinois – Bears quarterback Justin Fields He was ruled out of Chicago’s season finale against the Vikings due to a groin injury he suffered in a Week 17 loss at the Detroit Lions.
to support Nathan Peterman He will start at quarterback against the Vikings at Soldier Field.
Fields finished his second NFL season 64 yards shy of setting the single-season rushing record, which Lamar Jackson Reached during the 2019 season (1,206 yards). Fields rushed for 132 yards on 10 attempts against the Lions, including 105 in the first quarter, the most by a quarterback in a quarter over the last 45 seasons.
Coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday that Fields complained of groin soreness on Monday and was sent for an MRI, which revealed the quarterback had a strain.
After losing 41-10 to the Lions last Sunday, Fields said he injured his hip while playing in the first half which required a brief visit to the medical tent.
After initially stating that Fields would play against the Vikings “if healthy” after the Lions’ loss, the Eberflus changed tone on Monday. When asked about the condition of Fields and other starters who are expected to eventually fit, Eberflus said he and the coaching staff will meet with general manager Ryan Poles to assess the roster because the health of the entire team “from where we were two weeks ago is different than where we are now.”
The Bears ran a field run instead of a normal practice on Wednesday to give the players’ bodies another day to rest. Eberflus expressed optimism that Fields’ hip strain is not a long-term concern.
“He is not able to go at full speed,” Eberles said on Wednesday. “I asked him how it was today, and he said it still really hurt.”
Sunday’s game against Minnesota carries major ramifications as it relates to spotting. If the Bears lose to the Vikings and the Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago will jump past Houston in the draft standings and earn the #1 overall pick. The Bears currently hold the #2 pick in the draft.
Eberflus insisted that Fields’ exclusion from the final game of the season was due to injury, rather than an attempt by the team to improve his position.
“I will go back to our normal operating procedures,” said Eberfluss. “So, what is that? It’s the medical staff, so he hasn’t made that hurdle clear. So, if he’s gotten past that hurdle, we’ll have to move on to the next one, which is the trainers. He’s working the way he can work to protect himself, right?” It’s the player. Does he feel good about doing it. So, he didn’t clear the first order. So, that’s exactly where he’s at.”
Peterman said he learned on Wednesday that he was going to start against Minnesota. His final start came with the Buffalo Bills in 2018.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Peterman said. “It’s been a few years. We still have to play a lot of football in pre-season or otherwise, but obviously the regular season game is a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a lot of hard work. This season and a lot of Obvious ups and downs, but getting out on a great note, having some fun and just going outside and playing football would be a good thing. Excited about it.”
While Fields’ dynamic rushing ability was showcased in 2022, Chicago had the worst passing offense in the NFL at 129.9 yards per game. The Bears averaged 31 points per game from Weeks 7-10 but were unable to sustain a high-scoring offense.
When asked if he could rate areas where Fields grew as a passer versus those with an incomplete score, Eberflus pointed to a few mitigating factors that helped and hindered the 23-year-old quarterback as he aimed to improve as a passer. .
“I would say they are probably both, to be honest,” said Eberles. “I think he’s improved, though. You can see what his improvement is. The scoring offense was hitting on all cylinders at the halfway point or a little later. I think he’s had a lot of lineup changes with receivers, offensive line and running back And all that stuff. But that definitely has an effect on crime. So, you should be able to look at that.”