Tag: byron pringle

Justin Fields on the Bears-Packers rivalry: ‘It means a lot to us’

You don’t need to tell Justin Fields about the importance of the Bears-Packers rivalry, & most importantly, flipping it in Chicago’s favor.

Bears fans don’t need to be reminded about how one-sided the rivalry with the Packers has been over the last couple of decades. Chicago has lost 20 of the last 23 regular-season meetings — and they haven’t won since 2018 — which has always made those games twice a year miserable for Bears fans.

You also don’t need to tell quarterback Justin Fields about the importance of this rivalry, and most importantly, flipping it back in favor of Chicago.

“It means a lot,” Fields said. “I want to win every game I play. But it’s the tradition of this rivalry. Means a lot to us as a team, to the fan base, to the people upstairs. It just means a lot to everyone in this building.”

Fields’ teammate Byron Pringle put it in terms that Bears fans can certainly appreciate.

“We know they don’t like us and we don’t like them,” Pringle said. “So, we already know what type of game it’s going to be.”

Last season, Fields vowed to get the rivalry back on the Bears’ side, sooner rather than later.

“Just know it will be back on our side very soon,” he told 670 the Score’s Parkins & Spiegel last November. “Sooner than later for sure.”

Fields is currently 0-2 against the Packers and looking to finally turn the tide in the rivalry. Could this Week 2 matchup be that moment? Guess we’ll have to see when the Bears face the Packers Sunday night on NBC.

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Byron Pringle praises Justin Fields for composure in Bears’ Week 1 win

Despite a rough first half, Justin Fields led the Bears to a comeback win over the 49ers, where Byron Pringle lauded Fields’ composure.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields played a huge role in the team’s upset win over the 49ers in Week 1. If you looked at the box score you wouldn’t think that, but it’s context that matters.

After a rough first-half outing where Fields had just three completions and an interception, he turned things around in the second half with his raw talent, playmaking ability and composure.

It’s something that receiver Byron Pringle really admired about his quarterback.

“I love his composure throughout the game, from the first to the fourth,” Pringle said. “He knew it was four quarters we have to play, not just one half. I like how he handled himself, kind of like the guy where I left from, Pat Mahomes. He’s always calm and being able to progress and keep the offense rolling, not just giving up on the guys because something bad happened early in the game.”

Things seemed bleak in the first half, where the 49ers jumped out to a 10-0 lead early in the third quarter. But Fields quickly brought his team back, starting with some improv when the pocket collapsed and Fields found Dante Pettis for a 51-yard score on a scramble drill.

The Bears scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half, including two on passes from Fields.

“That’s just being a pro, that’s being a vet,” Pringle said. “That’s a big leap especially for a second-year player just because I know you’ve probably seen other players pout, like, get down and probably blame, [pointing] fingers behind closed doors. But he just kept his composure and was able to lead the offense and orchestrate it the correct way.”

Fields completed 8-of-17 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a 85.7 passer rating. While his stat line doesn’t jump off the page, his performance certainly does.

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3 causes for concern as Bears face the 49ers in Week 1

As the Bears prepare for the 49ers, there is plenty to be concerned about heading into Sunday’s game.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of the 2022 season, where they’re taking on the San Francisco 49ers at home in what appears to be the waning years of Soldier Field.

There are already concerns facing the roster, particularly given the new offensive and defensive schemes and the lack of depth or big-name players at any position.

As the Bears prepare for the 49ers, there is plenty to be concerned about heading into Sunday’s game.

Bear Necessities: Byron Pringle working to further connection with Justin Fields

Bears WR Byron Pringle, back from injury, knows he needs to work overtime to get his timing down with Justin Fields.

This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

Bears receiver Byron Pringle made his return to practice this week after battling a quad injury that’s kept him sidelined since early August.

Pringle, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, was among those receivers competing for the WR2 spot behind Darnell Mooney. Unfortunately for Pringle, he hasn’t gotten a chance on the field due to injury.

But Pringle managed to stay involved on offense despite being sidelined for a month, where he remained involved in meetings and on the sideline during practice or preseason games.

“Since I was out, I’ve been trying to just listen to coaching points, the communication on the field, like they’re giving it to the other guys,” Pringle said Monday, via NBC Sports Chicago. “Just knowing I’m not trying to be a step behind when I get back on the field, so I’ve been paying attention in the meeting room and listening to everything Coach Getsy’s been coaching and points that Justin’s been saying to the fellas.”

Despite Pringle being sidelined, he managed to take advantage of his downtime.

“That actually was a big help, me being out,” Pringle said. “I was able to study more before I get out to the field. As far as not knowing what to do, I feel like I’m good.”

The biggest concern with Pringle being sidelined is his connection with quarterback Justin Fields. But Pringle understands he’ll have to work extra hard to get their timing down.

“We’ve just gotta get on it after practice,” Pringle said. “Even like, like certain routes you can convert. Some routes you can’t. Some, I may want to hook up in the window, like, in the zone, and some he may want me to keep going. We’ve just gotta keep talking about it, keep communicating about it.”

Bears OL Lucas Patrick, WRs Byron Pringle, Velus Jones Jr. return to practice

The Bears got some good news on the injury front as Lucas Patrick, Byron Pringle and Velus Jones Jr. all returned to practice Monday.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their regular season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, where there were some injury concerns about three projected starters.

But there’s good news for the Bears. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, center Lucas Patrick and wide receivers Byron Pringle and rookie Velus Jones Jr. all participated in Monday’s short practice.

Patrick and Pringle had been sidelined with injuries since the beginning of training camp.

Patrick broke his right thumb and reportedly had surgery. The expectation was Patrick would be ready in time for the season opener, and this is certainly a step in the right direction.

Pringle suffered a quad injury in early August, which head coach Matt Eberflus said would require him to miss some time. Eberflus said he didn’t expect it to carry over into the regular season, and there’s hope that could be the case.

Rookie defensive end Dominique Robinson was the only player who didn’t participate.

The Bears will release their first injury report on Wednesday, which will shine a bigger light on the statuses of Patrick, Pringle, Jones and Robinson heading into Sunday’s game against the 49ers.

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Injury questions linger for Bears heading into Week 1 matchup vs. 49ers

The Bears have some injury questions to three projected starters on offense ahead of Sunday’s opener vs. 49ers.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of the 2022 NFL season, where they’ll host the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday at Soldier Field.

But there are still plenty of lingering questions heading into the week, including along the injury front. The Bears have some injury questions to three projected starters on offense ahead of Sunday’s game.

Center Lucas Patrick has been sidelined with a thumb injury since the beginning of training camp. Patrick broke his right thumb and reportedly had surgery. But all projections pointed to Patrick being ready in time for the season opener.

If Patrick isn’t ready to go for Week 1, it’ll be Sam Mustipher getting the start at center. Mustipher, who started all 17 games at center last season for Chicago, has been the starting center in Patrick’s absence.

Free-agent receiver Byron Pringle suffered a quad injury in early August, which head coach Matt Eberflus said would require him to miss some time. Eberflus said he didn’t expect it to carry over into the regular season. Flash forward one month later, we’ll see if Pringle is able to make his return for the season opener.

Rookie wideout Velus Jones Jr. has an undisclosed injury that forced him to miss the preseason finale. We’ll see if Jones is able to return to practice this week in hopes of making his NFL debut against San Francisco.

Chicago currently has just four healthy receivers — Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis and Ihmir Smith-Marsette — and they’re without two of their top four wideouts in Pringle and Jones. The Bears already have one receiver on injured reserve in N’Keal Harry, who can return as early as Week 5.

The good news is rookie safety Jaquan Brisker returned to practice last week after breaking his thumb in the preseason opener. We’ll see his status this week.

The Bears will release their first injury report on Wednesday, which is when we’ll get our first confirmation about the status of those three players and any other injuries lingering on the roster.

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6 free agent receivers the Bears should target as injuries mount

Given there are injuries to multiple wide receivers, the Bears should consider targeting free agency for some additional depth.

The Bears are two weeks into training camp, and the injuries have started to mount. Notably, the wide receiver group can’t seem to catch a break.

Veteran receivers N’Keal Harry and David Moore have suffered long-term injuries and will miss multiple weeks. Another veteran, Byron Pringle, is dealing with a quad injury, and it’s unknown when he’ll return.

Rookie Velus Jones Jr. has also missed multiple practices and is “day-to-day” with an undisclosed injury.

Given there are multiple receivers with long-term or unknown injuries, the Bears should consider signing additional players for depth. Here are six free agents they should consider.

10 takeaways from the second week of Bears training camp

The Bears have two weeks of training camp in the books. Here’s what we learned from the last few practices.

The Chicago Bears have concluded their second week of training camp practice at Halas Hall, where the pads finally came on and the intensity was kicked up a notch.

There was plenty to take in from the second week of practice, including the offense still needing work, some development along the offensive line and an influx of injuries.

The Bears return to the practice field on Tuesday for Family Fest, where they’ll hold three straight practices before their preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.

But before we look ahead to the third week of practice, here’s what we learned after Chicago’s second week of training camp:

8 takeaways from ninth practice at Bears training camp

The Bears held their ninth practice of training camp on Saturday. Here’s what we learned from the fourth straight padded practice.

The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field at Halas Hall for their ninth practice of training camp, which was once again another intense, padded practice.

It was a closed practice on Saturday, but there were plenty of updates from the media in attendance. Despite a short-handed offense, it was a solid day from quarterback Justin Fields. But there were a number of notable injuries both on offense and defense.

There was plenty to digest from practice and press conferences with head coach Matt Eberflus, offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, running back Khalil Herbert and linebacker Nicholas Morrow.

Following Saturday’s practice, here’s a look at what we learned from the ninth day of Bears training camp:

Bears injury, absence updates from Day 9 of training camp

The Bears had a laundry list of players sidelined for Saturday’s practice, including Byron Pringle, Kyler Gordon and Velus Jones Jr.

The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field on Saturday for their ninth training camp practice, and there were a number of notable absences.

Let’s start at wide receiver, where some of the team’s top wideouts are nursing injuries. Byron Pringle is dealing with a quad injury that’s considered more than day-to-day. Matt Eberflus said there’s no timetable for his return, but he doesn’t expect it to carry into the regular season.

Wide receiver N’Keal Harry left Saturday’s practice early with an apparent left leg injury. Harry was tackled by safety Eddie Jackson and linebacker Nicholas Morrow during the start of a team period. He had difficulty putting any weight on his leg and was helped to the locker room.

Now, on to the rookies. Cornerback Kyler Gordon, wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. and offensive tackle Braxton Jones are sidelined with undisclosed injuries that are considered day-to-day.

The Bears were already without cornerbacks Gordon, Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelley on Friday, and they remained sidelined on Saturday with undisclosed injuries. Also sidelined was defensive tackle Angelo Blackson, wide receiver Dante Pettis and tight end James O’Shaughnessy.

Offensive tackle Teven Jenkins did return to practice after missing seven straight practices with an undisclosed injury. He participated only in individual drills as he’ll look to ramp-up before getting back into the competition for a starting tackle job.

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