Shout out to Micahel for handling Bullets yesterday and for getting things out the door while I was dealing with the flu and fever. That was no dang fun. And even though I’m not at full strength, I can’t handle another sick day in bed. The inactivity is not good for my brain. And I almost misspelled brain, which tells you everything you need know. So let’s power through some Bullets and maybe take a nap.
The Bears and Jets kickoff festivities in East Rutherford, N.J., in less than 24 hours. And yet, we don’t know who Chicago’s QB1 will be for the game. Reporting from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has that decision being made “at the highest levels” of the Bears organization. Which, to me, strongly hints at Trevor Siemian starting tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong. I love that Fields wants to play. And I appreciate that Head Coach Matt Eberflus would let Fields play if he was at full strength. But I fall on the side of playing it safe at this stage of the season, which is what I think will ultimately happen when the smoke clears. If it takes a higher power to push that message across, then so be it.
Locally, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs hears there is a “high likelihood” Siemian is the starter — while citing organizational desire to play it cautiously. From the Trib’s long-time Bears beat reporter:
The Bears will hold a walk-through Saturday morning before traveling to New Jersey, so it’s possible they could evaluate Fields and see how he is doing Sunday morning. Two sources said they believe there is a high likelihood Siemian will start as the Bears (3-8) try to avoid a five-game losing streak for the third consecutive season. The scenario of Siemian starting would not come as a surprise given the organization doesn’t want to see Fields suffer further injury during a season in which he has shown promise.
I’m guessing Fields won’t play based on the reporting from Fowler and Biggs. There are just too many signs pointing toward Siemian getting the start while Fields rests and recovers before being reevaluated ahead of next week’s game against the Packers. And, let’s be honest with each other: You’d rather him be healthy for that game, right?
Let’s close the Fields discussion on a high note:
A small bit of progress is better than no progress.
That Friday Bears injury report was a doozy:
The Bears getting a double whammy with safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon being out due to concussion stings. But head injuries must be treated with the utmost caution, so I have no issue with both being out. I’ll be curious to see who gets the first crack on the depth chart at replacing both players. This could be an opportunity for someone to make a good impression and leave quality tape for the Bears (or someone else).
You can’t hit what you can’t catch. A defensive-leaning head coach like Robert Saleh should know that. And yet, he said this:
Wouldn’t you rather deal with the drama surrounding the starting situation for a week than have to maneuver through what is happening with the Jets. That ex-Jets cornerback Lamar Jackson (currently with the Bears) had this to say about former teammate Zach Wilson had me gobsmacked:
On the periphery of NFL/Bears Twitter, I saw some Zach Wilson-Mitchell Trubisky comps that had me flummoxed. For all of his flaws and shortcomings, Trubisky’s teammates liked him enough to play hard for him. Even when things went sideways, those guys battled. I’ll never forget how that team rallied around Trubisky when taking it to Deshaun Watson and the Texans when there was a common belief that Watson would walk into Soldier Field and stick it to the Bears in December 2020. I don’t think these Jets would do that for Wilson under any circumstances after last week’s performance. Maybe Wilson can rebuild his stock. But don’t expect it to happen overnight.
Today marks the last college football Saturday of the regular season. And, as you might expect, the Bears have eyes on Ohio State-Michigan:
I love that we’re already plotting and angling for ways to get Ohio State stud receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Bears in 2024:
On the one hand, I don’t want to downplay a player’s injury. But on the other hand, what has Aaron Rodgers said or done to make me believe that he isn’t throwing out a thumb injury as an excuse? Every time Rodgers says ANYTHING, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” comes to mind:
Happy anniversary:
On Friday, Florida State-Florida put on a show. This was among the many highlights of the high-scoring back-and-forth affair:
There was a time when there were a bunch of Maurice Clarett-Bears rumors because of then-GM Jerry Angelo’s Ohio ties. It never came to fruition. And Clarett not becoming a star NFL running back remains one of the biggest “what-ifs?” that comes to my mind:
Financially speaking, the Carlos Santana signing is the largest free-agent deal the Pirates have signed since 2016. And we all know how that season ended:
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