Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is expected to return o the starting lineup in Sunday's Week 11 matchup against the Detroit Lions, NFL insider Ian Rapoport tweeted on Wednesday morning.
Sources: #Bears QB Justin Fields, out the last month with a dislocated thumb, is expected to start Sunday vs the #Lions, assuming today’s practice goes well. The key has been regaining grip strength, and Fields was nearly there before TNF. With a solid practice, he will be. pic.twitter.com/6Oxp4Ta8G4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 15, 2023
Bears fans were expecting Fields to return this week, but with head coach Matt Eberflus' recent transformation into a words gymnast, it's nice to get some clarity from an insider like Rapoport.
Of course, there's a caveat. Justin Fields can't suffer any setbacks over the next few practices. That's usually the case for any player who's returning from injury, and I assume that will be Eberflus' primary talking point.
Fields enters Week 11, completing 61.7% of his passes for 1,201 yards, 11 TDs, and six INTs. He was on a two-game tear in Weeks 4 and 5, throwing for eight touchdowns and just one interception, but he left a frustrating last impression against the Vikings in Week 6 before exiting with a dislocated right thumb.
Rookie Tyson Bagent managed the offense well in his four starts, going 2-2, and, at one point, created a mini-quarterback controversy. Perhaps that's just what happens with Bears fans. If a quarterback plays well, he's the savior. If a quarterback struggles, he's the curse.
Fields has been a combination of both savior and curse since being selected 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft. He's caused a divide among Bears fans on social media; there's an equal number of fans who still believe he can be the QB1 this team has always lacked and fans who think Chicago is better off moving on and drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 draft.
Justin Fields has seven games to prove his fans right and recruit the non-believers back onto his bandwagon. It gets started on Sunday against the Lions, and it won't be easy.
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