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After missing Week 12 with a left shoulder injury, Justin Fields appears to be trending towards a return to the Bears lineup for Sunday’s home matchup against the Packers.
Fields, who has been dealing with a separated shoulder with partially torn ligaments, will not carry an injury designation into Week 13 against Green Bay, the team announced Friday. The second-year quarterback was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday and Friday following a limited session on Wednesday, indicating his recovery is on the right track after he logged limited practices last week before ultimately being ruled out.
When asked if the upgrade indicates Fields will start on Sunday, Bears coach Matt Eberflus stopped short of a confirmation but acknowledged that the 23-year-old is trending in that direction.
“If it keeps going the way it is the last two days, it’s a green light,” Eberflus told reporters, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
Eberflus also announced QB Trevor Siemian, who took over for the injured Fields last Sunday, is slated to undergo season-ending oblique surgery. Siemian completed 14-of-25 pass attempts for 179 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 31–10 loss to the Jets. Nathan Peterman will serve as the team’s QB2 with Siemian out.
With Fields’s pending return on the horizon, it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic signal-caller fares in his first game since getting injured late in the Bears’ Week 11 loss to the Falcons. Against Atlanta, Fields recorded 153 passing yards, one touchdown pass and one interception to go with 85 rushing yards and a rushing score.
Although the 2022 season will effectively go down as another lost year for the Bears (3–9), Fields has been exceptional for the bulk of the season, showcasing his dual-threat ability to historic success in recent weeks. On the season, Fields has logged 1,642 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes and eight interceptions, as well as 834 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
