Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz will start against the Chicago Bears on Thursday despite still nursing a bicep tendon strain.
The strain is by Wentz' throwing shoulder, which unsurprisingly led to questions over his availability due to the quick turnaround of games. However, as Washington are set to have a 10-day rest between Thursday's game and their following clash against the Green Bay Packers, they're willing to take a risk.
Wentz is still in some discomfort, and sources have stated he isn't 100 per-cent despite being seen throwing in practice. But head coach Ron Rivera is hoping to get through Thursday's game, and then allow Wentz to heal due to their prolonged rest the following week.
An injury for any quarterback is certainly not ideal, as the pivot and driving force of any team. But when the injury affects their mobility and throwing motion then it's a whole new problem.
But, Washington clearly feel as though Wentz isn't damaged enough to miss out on their clash with the Bears, and Rivera is keen to stick with his man. The Commanders have had an awful start, posting a 1-4 record with just the one success over the Jacksonville Jaguars in week one.
Since then, it's been nothing but misery, although injury and setbacks have been the tale of their season. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson and tight end Logan Thomas continue to be out for the Commanders, and rookie running-back Brian Robinson has only just returned after being shot in the off-season.
Wentz being out would be the icing on the cake, and Rivera is happy to take a risk in what is already being looked at as a must win game. The Bears are currently 2-3, and also have tough fixtures coming up.
Rivera's choice to put faith in Wentz may have been influenced after an awkward altercation between the pairing, as the coach appeared to point the finger at his quarterback for their poor start to the season. Rivera was asked what the difference was between them and the other NFC East rivals who are all performing well, and he replied: "Quarterback."
However, Rivera then rectified that he only meant that their quarterback's have been settled for some time, whereas Wentz is still new to Washington. Rivera revealed that they'd got over any potential fall out, as he later said: "Carson and I had a nice conversation, so I think we're ready to roll."
"Coach addressed it, handled it, nothing for me that I'm overly concerned about," Wentz also added. "Coach is a very straightforward, upfront guy. He addressed it in the team meeting, which I thought was really cool, in what he meant by it all. I feel very confident in that."
Rivera also offered an apology though, as he admitted: "I told them I said some things that were misconstrued; I didn't present them properly. That's on me.
"I took accountability, told the guys I should know better. S***, I had a bad day so I figured I was feeling better today, let's move forward."
