Over the past several weeks, arguably no NFL quarterback has had more on his shoulders than Justin Fields. Ironically, the Bears quarterback suffered a shoulder injury Sunday that has resulted in coach Matt Eberflus has labeling him as day-to-day on Monday. However, Eberflus also did not rule out the possibility of the injury being season-ending.
Hours later, NFL Media reported that Fields suffered a dislocated left shoulder against the Falcons. One medical source tells CBS Sports it’d be a “shock” if the QB suits up for Sunday’s game against the Jets, though he officially remains day-to-day. Typically, a dislocation requires a six-week rehabilitation without contact sports, even after the shoulder has been re-located.
The Bears had Fields running the ball double-digit times per game in four of their last five contests prior to Week 11, and he gained 555 yards and five touchdowns on his 62 carries during that time. Fields was busy on the ground again on Sunday against the Falcons, running 14 times in the first half alone. He didn’t run as much in the second half, though, as he was dealing with hamstring cramps.
Toward the end of the game, Fields took off on a designed run to the left side of the formation and was tackled and fell hard on his left shoulder. He remained in the game, but afterward, the Bears had him carted to the locker room for further evaluation. Fields himself said his shoulder is in pain and that he’s unsure how it will affect him going forward.
Chicago travels to East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on the Jets next week, then comes back home to host the Green Bay Packers before their bye in Week 14. Fields has obviously been carrying a whole lot of responsibility for the offense, and he’s done quite well with it of late, even as Chicago has struggled to find wins. If he were to miss time, the Bears would have to turn to Trevor Siemian under center.
