The Chicago Bears today will be without their star quarterback, Justin Fields, who is out with a shoulder injury. That wasn’t much of a surprise heading into Sunday’s Week 12 action.
What is a surprise for the Bears is who will be their starting QB on the road against the New York Jets: Nathan Peterman.
Well, that’s what we thought until the offense took the field and Trevor Siemian was under center for Chicago.
So here’s what happened: NFL reporters reported 45 minutes before kickoff that Siemian, the Bears’ backup QB, had suffered an oblique injury and Peterman would start the game.
Then a few minutes before kickoff the Bears’ PR team said that it would be a game-time decision and that Siemian could still start.
Mike Garafolo had the initial news:
#Bears starting Nathan Peterman. Trevor Siemian hurt his oblique in warmups today.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 27, 2022
Here was the update minutes before the game:
#Bears media relations tells reporters in the press box it’s a game-time decision now on the starting QB between Trevor Siemian and Nathan Peterman. As game-time decisions go, this is the game-timeiest ever.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 27, 2022
Wtf. Kickoff in 8 minutes and the Bears don't know their starting QB. So Bears. https://t.co/DiY0pIXg4t
— Joe Ostrowski (@JoeOstrowski) November 27, 2022
And then it became official when the Bears’ offense took the field in the first quarter:
All indications (helmet on, coaches talking to him) are it’ll be Trevor Siemian to start for the #Bears following the kickoff here.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 27, 2022
So. Close.
NFL fans had jokes about Peterman.