How Justin Fields looked to Bears defenders in return to practice
How Justin Fields looked to Bears defenders in return to practice originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- A hectic week at Halas Hall concluded with some good news Friday as quarterback Justin Fields returned to practice and threw for the first time since dislocating his right thumb 19 days ago.
Fields said he "felt good" and is progressing in his rehab. Head coach Matt Eberflus said there's a "51 percent" chance Fields won't play Sunday when the Bears visit the Saints in New Orleans. The Bears officially listed Fields as "doubtful" for the Week 9 contest. No player the Bears have listed as doubtful has played since Eberflus took over as head coach.
It seems unlikely that Fields will return to action Sunday in New Orleans. The Bears previously announced that undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent would start vs. the Saints, with Fields still considered "week-to-week." That status has improved to "day-to-day," and the arrow is clearly trending up for the Bears' injured starting quarterback.
"He looked pretty good, he looked pretty good," safety Eddie Jackson said Friday of Fields' return to practice. "Nineteen days is crazy. Time be flying. He looked good, he looked good."
Fields' grip strength still hasn't fully returned. He is wearing a glove on his throwing hand so that he doesn't have to use as much pressure with the injured thumb.
Bears defenders didn't see a lot of Fields on Friday, with Bagent taking most of the reps, but the early returns from Fields' first day back were positive.
"I'd say he looked really strong," cornerback Jaylon Johnson told NBC Sports Chicago. He didn't take that many reps. But he looked like he had a lot of strength in his arm."
Fields said he will see how his body responds to his first throws in almost three weeks. He'll prepare as if he's playing, but there are many boxes to check before he gets the green light to return.
“Just if I’m gonna be able to make all the throws and be able to withstand hits and stuff like that during the game," Fields said Friday.
"That’s really depending on Justin, where his pain tolerance is when he throws and then also the functionality of it, where it goes from there," Eberflus said when asked if Fields might play in Week 10 against the Panthers if he can't go Sunday. "It’s day to day and then the trainers, where the trainers say he is and we work through it and look at it is as a coaching staff and say, ‘Hey, this is where he is. He’s accurate. Looks good. everything looks on point,’ and go from there."
The Bears are 1-1 in the two games since Fields' injury. Bagent played well in his first career start, helping the Bears throttle the sinking Las Vegas Raiders. It was a different story in Week 8 as the undrafted rookie struggled in a 30-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Despite the uneven game in Los Angeles, the Bears left that game confident in Bagent's ability to man the ship for however long Fields is out.
"He did a pretty good job," Jackson told NBC Sports Chicago after the loss to the Chargers. "It's a learning lesson. It's definitely a learning lesson. They gave him some different looks and moved around on him a lot. I love his poise, though. He stayed poised in the pocket. He makes the throws. This is just one he's going to have to learn from, man. It ain't going to all just be butterflies and picket fences.
"There's going to be ups and downs. It's all about how he responds. He's a competitor. He's always humble. He's always learning. He don't give up. It was a learning lesson."
Fields has played an "integral" role in helping prepare Bagent for each start. The third-year quarterback isn't surprised that Bagent has acquitted himself well as the start in his absence.
"Tyson’s been great," Fields said. "The first game, against the Raiders, he played great. He played his butt off. He just wants to learn each and every day and he knows he can come to me for any questions and I’ll help him out. But he’s been great. He’s been leading the guys. He’s ready to go.”
Fields likely will watch from the sidelines again Sunday, but he took a big step toward his return Friday and gave his teammates the impression that a return is imminent.
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