Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields suffered a dislocated thumb in his right throwing hand in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Monday that Fields is doubtful for the team’s Week 7 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Eberflus said there’s currently no timetable for his return.
“It’s really going to come down to grip strength,” Eberflus said.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reiterated as much when he revealed a source noted Fields will be out for “however long it takes for swelling and stiffness to reside and strength to come back so he can grip a ball.”
There is encouraging news as a source told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted surgery isn’t imminent for Fields, an indication he won’t be out for the foreseeable future.
The hope is for rehab to improve grip strength and for hi to get back on the field when he can. Surgery would mean out indefinitely.
With Fields likely sidelined for a few games, the expectation is it’ll be undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent getting the starting nod. Bagent, who was previously named the backup quarterback moving forward, replaced an injured Fields in Sunday’s game. Nathan Peterman should serve as his backup.