Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields appears to be nearing his return from a dislocated thumb injury, as he has been practicing in a limited role this week.
However, a former Bears defender would actually prefer to see Tyson Bagent remain in the starting role even if Fields is healthy.
Former defensive end Alex Brown made an appearance on NBC Sports Chicago’s Football Aftershow this week, and during his spot, he told former NFL head coach Dave Wannstedt that he has not at all been impressed with what he has seen from Fields.
“What you can’t do is being in your Year 2 or Year 3 and you still can’t read a defense. Like, that’s a problem for me,” Brown said of Fields. “What I see [Bagent] doing, yes, he’s making mistakes. Yes, I’m with Coach [Wannstedt], you can’t turn the ball over like he did in the second half and expect to win. But we also saw some really good things he did, too. I just believe he runs the offense a little better, but when Justin’s back, he’ll probably be the guy coming back in.”
Bagent, an undrafted rookie out of Shepherd University, relieved Fields when he initially went down in Week 6 and has been under center ever since.
While he has shown some flashes, he has not been great overall, as evidenced by his most recent performance in which he went 18-for-30 with 220 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions and a lost fumble in a defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints.
On the season overall, Bagent has totaled 697 yards, three touchdowns and five picks while completing 67.3 percent of his throws and posting a passer rating of 70.9.
Fields has certainly been inconsistent since entering the NFL in 2021, going just 6-25 as a starter. However, he put together a couple of brilliant outings prior to his injury, compiling eight touchdowns and just one pick between Weeks 4 and 5.
If Fields is healthy, head coach Matt Eberflus will certainly re-insert him as the starter.
The Bears are 2-7 and will battle the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night.
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