Bears QB Justin Fields Won't Play Week 18
Justin Fields’s season has come to an end. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Chicago Bears are sitting their prized quarterback for Week 18’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Bears QB Justin Fields has a sore hip and is out for Week 18. Nathan Peterman will start for Chicago
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 4, 2023
Fields, who is nursing a hip injury, absorbed seven sacks in last week’s 41-10 loss to the Detroit Lions, finishing the afternoon with 207 total yards (75 passing, 132 rushing), one touchdown, and one interception. He also lost a fumble.
With the Bears playing for nothing but pride, it’s a wise decision to have the 23-year-old avoid any more unnecessary hits.
After struggling in his rookie campaign, Fields took a step forward in 2022, mainly as a runner. The former Ohio State standout became just the third quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, racking up 1,143, 64 yards shy of Lamar Jackson’s single-season QB mark of 1,206. While he completed just 60.4% of his passes, Fields was surrounded by minimal talent on the outside and still has room to grow as a thrower if Chicago can upgrade its supporting cast in the offseason.
Backup Nathan Peterman will start in Fields’ absence.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Bears as +7.5 home underdogs on the spread and +295 on the moneyline.
