Ryan Poles on Justin Fields missing Week 12: Our job is to protect our players

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles appeared on the Bears pregame radio show Sunday morning and addressed QB Justin Fields missing Week 12’s matchup against the New York Jets.

Poles acknowledged Fields’ competitive spirit but said it’s his job to ensure players don’t harm themselves.

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles said on the Bears pregame radio show that QB Justin Fields is a “highly competitive player” but “our job is to protect our players and their health. You always want to protect your quarterback.”

— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) November 27, 2022

Fields will be replaced in the starting lineup by Trevor Siemian. Siemian has 29 starts on his resume (24 with the Denver Broncos, four with the New Orleans Saints, and one with the Jets) and is 13-16 over that stretch. He has a career completion percentage of just under 59% and a 41:17 touchdown to interception ratio.

The long-term risk greatly outweighed the short-term reward of playing Fields in what’s become a meaningless regular season game. If the Bears were in the middle of a playoff run or competing in the NFC North, perhaps Fields’ playing status would be different. But at 3-8 and a “bigger” game against the Green Bay Packers on deck, resting Fields — and protecting him from himself — was the obvious choice.

The Chicago Bears vs. New York Jets Week 12 game is scheduled to kick off at 1:00 p.m. EST from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.