Bears coach Matt Eberflus has been adamant all season that quarterback Justin Fields would keep playing if healthy, regardless of the team’s record or the games having no significance in the standings, but he acknowledged Monday that there’s a lot of gray area in whether a player is healthy — especially at this point in the season.
Eberflus didn’t give a definitive answer on whether Fields will start for the Bears in their season finale against the Vikings on Sunday. He has been playing through pain in his left, non-throwing shoulder since separating it in Week 11 against the Falcons and hurt his hip Sunday against the Lions.
When asked directly Monday whether he was considering sitting Fields against the Vikings, Eberflus said there are “ongoing conversations” about the entire roster.
“What we need to do [is] what’s the best interest for our football team going forward,” he said. “That conversation [will go] all the way through Wednesday, all the way through Friday and we’ll decide as we go.”
Following the 41-10 loss to the Lions on Sunday, Eberflus seemed steadfast on playing Fields and said, “If he’s healthy, good to go, he’s going. We’ve got to get the experience, and he’s got to play and learn and get better every single week.”
He said Monday he stood by that comment, and when pressed on whether the benchmark for “healthy” was different in this game as opposed to one with meaningful stakes, he said, “We’re gonna look at everybody on our football team and making sure that we’re doing what’s best for the Bears.”
While there’s always value to Fields playing as he develops, the Bears’ offensive line and wide receivers are depleted. Sitting Fields not only would preserve him, but help ensure the Bears pick first or second in the draft. They currently have the No. 2 slot, but could move anywhere from first to fourth in the final week.