NEWSLETTER
Thank god. It seems cooler heads have prevailed, and Justin Fields (separated shoulder) will not start tomorrow against the Jets.
We’ve had the discussion over and over again this week, but despite how badly Fields wants to compete, sitting him down is *absolutely* the right call. It’s not ideal, obviously — you’d prefer NOT to mess with the momentum and growth he’s shown over the past several weeks. But he’s also already shown that he’s worth building around next season. That conversation is over — at least, in my opinion.
In fact, with just one more game before the Bye, I’d say the Bears would be even wiser to sit Fields down next Sunday against the Packers too, to get him almost a full month of rest, whether he really “needs it” or not. That would still give him three games to finish the season on a high note and round out any development he may still have left. And, hey, in the meantime, maybe Trevor Siemian helps the Bears maintain their elevated draft position. That can’t hurt, either.
No, this is definitely the right call. And even though Bears football will go back to boring for at least one week, it’s in the overall best interest of the organization.
UPDATE: I guess I should make it clear that it’s not a done deal, as Ian Rapoport reports that the Bears still plan “to give QB Justin Fields an opportunity to warm up prior to Sunday’s game. But it sure seems like everyone is planning on Siemian (especially with QB Nathan Peterman being elevated to the active roster).
