Bears quarterback Justin Fields will not play in Chicago's season finale against the Vikings because of a hip injury.
Nathan Peterman will be starting at quarterback.
Lamar Jackson's single-season quarterback rushing record of 1,206 yards is 64 yards away from being set by Fields. Fields had the most rushing yards by a quarterback in the first quarter of a game over the last 45 seasons.
Coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday that quarterback Fields was sent to get an exam after he complained of pain in his hip.
Fields injured his hip on a roll-out play in the first half and needed to go to the medical tent.
Eberflus changed his tone on Monday and said that Fields would play against the Vikings if healthy. When asked about the status of Fields and other starters who would be expected to suit up in the finale, Eberflus said that he and the coaching staff would meet with general manager Ryan Poles to evaluate the roster.
The Bears held a walk-through on Wednesday to give players a day off. Fields' hip strain is not a long term concern according to Eberflus.
Eberflus said that he wasn't able to go full speed. He said it was still sore after I asked how it was.
Significant implications can be found in the game against Minnesota. If the Bears lose to the Vikings and the Texans lose to the Colts, Chicago would get the top pick. The second pick in the draft is held by the Bears.
Eberflus said that Fields' injury was not an attempt to improve the team's draft position.
Eberflus said he would return to the normal procedure. I don't know what it is. He did not clear the hurdle because it was the medical staff. We would have to go to the next one if he cleared that hurdle. Is he protecting himself the way he can? The player is next. Does he like doing that? The first one was not cleared by him. That is just where it is.
He was told on Wednesday that he would start against Minnesota. He started for the Buffalo Bills in the last year.
Peterman said it was an awesome opportunity. It has been a long time. A regular-season game is an amazing opportunity and I am looking forward to it. It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of ups and downs, but to go out on a good note is going to be a good thing. I'm excited for it.
The Bears had the worst passing attack in the league at 129.9% yards per game. The Bears averaged 31 points per game but couldn't score a lot of points.
Eberflus pointed to a number of factors that helped and hindered Fields as he tried to improve as a passer.
Eberflus said that it was probably both. I think he made improvements. You could see where he got better. The scoring offense was on top of its game at one point. I think that he had a lot of lineup changes with the receiver, offensive line, running back, and so forth. It's definitely an impact to the offense. You need to be able to see that.
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