While we all knew there was going to be a time when rookie Justin Fields replaced Andy Dalton as the Bears’ starting quarterback, we expected it to happen due to struggles or a natural progression of things, not injury.
Dalton had an impressive first series against his former team, the Bengals, at the start of the game, leading the Bears on a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive that resulted in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Allen Robinson.
And while things quieted down a bit on the ensuing possession, Dalton wasn’t struggling to the point where anyone expected Fields to see action aside from the package of plays Matt Nagy had employed.
But Dalton suffered a knee injury on a 14-yard scramble early in the second quarter. At first, Dalton tried to play through the injury, where he wound up taking a sack. But with a few minutes left in the half, Dalton left for the locker room, where he was deemed as questionable to return.
Following the Bears’ 20-17 win, Nagy was asked about the status of Dalton. Specifically whether he’d suffered an ACL injury.
Nagy told reporters he was “pretty sure” that Dalton didn’t suffer a serious ACL injury, although he’ll know more tomorrow following an MRI.
Bears coach Matt Nagy is “pretty sure” that Andy Dalton did not suffer a serious ACL injury, but he’ll know more tomorrow.
— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) September 19, 2021
Dalton’s injury gave way for Fields’ debut — in significant action — where he had a rough outing. Fields made plenty of rookie mistakes, including penalties, offensive line miscommunication, a fumble and a costly interception that kept the Bengals in the game in the final minutes.
But those mistakes were to be expected, especially given Fields didn’t get any reps with the starting offense in training camp or preseason. But Fields wasn’t helped by his receivers, who dropped plenty of passes, the most egregious of which was Allen Robinson’s drop in the end zone. Still, there’s plenty to be excited about in regards to Fields’ future.
The biggest question heading into this week is who will be the starting quarterback come Week 3 against the Browns — and whether Dalton’s injury has any say in the matter.
[listicle id=481101]
[listicle id=481039]