Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is unlikely to play this week due to a lack of grip strength with his thumb, head coach Matt Eberflus said Monday.
“For this week it looks like it’s doubtful. But we’ll see at the end of the week and see where it goes. I know he’s a fast healer,” Eberflus said of Fields playing in Week 7 when the Las Vegas Raiders visit Chicago.
Surgery remains a possibility for Fields. The Bears anticipate knowing whether a procedure in necessary by the end of the week.
Fields dislocated his right thumb during Sunday’s 19-13 loss to the visiting Minnesota Vikings. He left the game in the third quarter after being tackled face-down with his body weight landing on the thumb beneath him.
X-rays and an MRI exam showed no long-term damage but Eberflus said Fields experienced significant swelling that weakens his grip on the ball.
Eberflus said Fields wouldn’t be cleared for as long as it takes for “swelling and stiffness to reside and strength to come back so he can grip a ball.”
“It’s really going to come down to grip strength,” he said.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent took over for Fields and fumbled on his first NFL drive, with the Vikings returning it for a touchdown. Bagent later scored on a 1-yard sneak, but the undrafted rookie out of Division II Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.Va., was intercepted to end Chicago’s final drive.
Fields completed six of 10 passes for 58 yards and threw one interception before leaving the game. He also rushed eight times for 46 yards.
In six games this season, Fields has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,201 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has also rushed for 237 yards and a score.
–Field Level Media