Tyson Bagent operated the starting offense for the Chicago Bears at practice on Wednesday with the expectation he’ll be in that role Sunday when the Las Vegas Raiders visit Soldier Field.
Starter Justin Fields left last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter with a dislocated thumb on his right hand. Swelling is slowly subsiding but compromises Fields’ grip strength.
Head coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday there is no change to Fields’ status for Week 7: He’s doubtful and surgery remains a possibility. Eberflus said “clarity” on a long-term plan is expected sometime this week.
“Again, nothing’s off the table. Nothing’s on the table — right now. We’ve still got to see where it is,” Eberflus said.
Bagent was one of the remarkable stories of the preseason for the Bears. The undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University beat out PJ Walker, the former XFL QB who started for the Cleveland Browns last week, to back up Fields. Bagent scored a rushing touchdown but lost a fumble and threw a game-ending interception in the 19-13 loss to Minnesota.
“This is only going to be beneficial to him to get all these reps this week,” Eberflus said. “I’m excited to see where he is. I know the guys have a lot of confidence in him. He’s a very confident guy.”
Nathan Peterman is the third quarterback on the roster and would be active Sunday if Fields is out. Peterman, 29, has 13 interceptions in 13 career games, including five starts. He entered the NFL in 2017 with the Buffalo Bills and also played for the Raiders.
–Field Level Media
