The Bears may have lost more than just a game on Sunday against the Falcons. Quarterback Justin Fields went down in the final two minutes of the game to an apparent left shoulder injury after landing awkwardly on it. Bears fans concerns on Sunday about Justin Fields injury being at least somewhat serious were confirmed Monday.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus told reporters in Monday’s press conference that Justin Fields was day-to-day moving forward and that they would know more on Wednesday. Eberflus cited weighing short term and long term consequences in regards to if Fields would play Sunday or if he’d be sidelined for an extended period of time. Eberflus confirmed it would be Trevor Siemian to get the start in the event that Fields can’t go.
How Serious Could Justin Fields Injury Be?
Wednesday may in fact have to be the day we officially have word on Fields after conflicting reports from two major NFL insiders have surfaced since coach Eberflus’ presser earlier on Monday.
NFL Network and NFL.com insider, Ian Rapoport reported that Justin Fields injury was in fact a left shoulder dislocation and that Fields’ status would remain day-to-day for the time being.
#Bears QB Justin Fields suffered a left shoulder dislocation, sources say, a painful injury he somehow played through on Sunday. Coach Matt Eberflus described Fields as “day-to-day.” His status for this Sunday is still to be determined.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2022
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio just now reported that Justin Fields injury in fact isn’t a shoulder dislocation, “per a source with direct knowledge of the situation.”
Source says Bears QB Justin Fields did not dislocate his left shoulder. https://t.co/puUw3ZM1rM
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 22, 2022
Florio stated: “That doesn’t mean he’s fine. He has an injury, and he said after the game that it’s very painful. It’s still not known (at least not publicly) what it is.”
It’s anyone’s guess but former NFL team doc and orthopedic surgeon, David J. Chao seems to have a bead on how serious it could be:
#JustinFields injury analysis (shoulder and hamstrings) here. No updates from @ChicagoBears head coach. Our thoughts by video here ⏩ https://t.co/k8JlDIRqYn pic.twitter.com/D3UtTuPPoN
— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) November 20, 2022
Why, Regardless of Diagnosis, The Bears Are In a Win-Win Situation
So, say Fields does in fact have a dislocation and it requires surgery putting him out a couple of months. With so much time left in the season and it being his non-throwing shoulder, Fields wouldn’t miss much offseason work. On top of that, considering the Bears have lost four in a row with Fields playing like Superman himself — meaning the final six games played by Siemian would all but assure the Bears nail down a top five draft pick.
On the flip side of that coin – if it is just a minor injury that only requires a week or two to heal then no harm, no foul. The Bears know what they have in Fields and can more than afford to let their franchise quarterback take much needed rest. No need to do anything that will further mortgage the quarterback’s future health.
What’s Next?
Bears head to East Rutherford to take on the Jets who are also unsure about their quarterback situation this week. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jets HC Robert Saleh hasn’t committed to quarterback Zach Wilson this week.
The quarterback’s lack of accountability coupled with the Jets amassing only 44 passing yards against the Patriots and losing a game in which the Jets defense only allowed three points seems to have been the final straw for New York in a season where they sorely need their offense to catch up to their championship caliber defense.
Sunday could be the battle of the backups at the Meadowlands.
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