Hi, friends. Our normal Bears writer, Luis, is out today with the flu (feel better, my guy!) and our backup, Patrick, is tearing it up in Vegas. So you’re stuck with the third guy on the BN Bears depth chart. Apologies. This is going to be an extremely thin set of bullets this morning, but don’t worry, we have plenty of other Bears content from Luis and Patrick coming at you throughout the day.
The Bears had a Thanksgiving Day practice yesterday, and you can check out some of the visuals below, including multiple clips of Justin Fields using that injured shoulder.
Obviously, those are all short, controlled passes, but it’s good to see him out there and mobile (officially, he was “limited” on Thursday). A pretty good sign for Sunday, if you ask me. But that begs the question … is there even any reason to rush him back this weekend?
Unless he’s somehow 100% healthy on Sunday (I doubt it), I could understand why the Bears might want to sit Fields down for a couple weeks. With a Bye coming up in Week 15, he could miss just two games — Week 13 (@Jets) and Week 14 (vs. Packers) — but get a full month of rest WHILE ALSO still getting three games to finish the season on a high note thereafter. Developmentally and strategically, that might make the most sense for the Bears, who should already be convinced he’s worth building around next season. And remember, he also had a hamstring injury against the Falcons. So it’s not like the Bears could entirely script around his shoulder if it wasn’t 100%.
On the flip side … I mean, come on. I’m a fan. And Justin Fields has been just so awesome to watch lately. Actually, I think I’ve been having more fun watching the Bears lose these last four weeks than I was watching them “win” with Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky in 2018. And with the Packers on the downswing, I would absolutely relish the opportunity to see him take them (and Aaron Rodgers) down. I’ll add that while Fields has clearly shown signs of development this season, you’d prefer to keep getting him reps. In other words, yeah, ideally (obviously) you’d want him out there to keep learning. Like that’s a no-brainer, yes? So I’m a little torn. But my gut tells me we’ll see him on Sunday. Just a feeling.
In the meantime, this is just an excellent thread of videos of Fields making absolutely baller throws throughout the season. Click through and enjoy.
Kevin Fishbain has a great Bears Q&A for you over at The Athletic, including a question on why Fields doesn’t draw more flags.
Also at The Athletic, a look into the current QB status of all 32 teams. With Justin Fields at the helm, the Bears land in the “Evaluating,” but “optimistic” grouping, alongside the Eagles (Jalen Hurts), the Dolphins (Tua Tagovailoa), Seahawks (Geno Smith), and Jaguars (Trevor Lawrence). Not bad company.
Signed thru: 2024 | APY Rank: 32 | QB EPA Rank: 19
It took the Bears six games to adapt their offense to Justin Fields’ dual-threat abilities. The change has revealed Fields as the most promising quarterback prospect in Chicago for decades. The Bears need to upgrade his weaponry next.
Memories.
Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving Football yesterday? I kinda can’t believe how close the Lions got to taking down the Bills. Good for them. Much better game than I anticipated. But ultimately, Josh Allen is just too dang good. This throw, man. Iced.
Meanwhile, where did you land on the big controversy of the day?
(That should be a completion and a touchdown).
Generally speaking, I think announcer jinxes are B.S. (because they are), but you can’t help but laugh at this one …. You’re just tempting fate, man!
Obvious Shirts is having their huge Black Friday sale right now, and they’ve got some awesome new gear.
Would it be wild for the Bears to go after Saquan Barkley this offseason?
The Cubs have been connected to free agent outfielder Michael Conforto, but … why? He’s probably a good player, but the fit seems odd.
After beating the Celtics and Bucks this week, the Bulls have some immaculate vibes.
NEWSLETTER
