The Chicago Bears face a very difficult question with seven games remaining in the 2022 season. Should they risk QB Justin Fields, the franchise's most important player in decades, to further injury for the sake of reps and experience? Or is it wiser to put Fields on ice and preserve him for 2023?
There isn't an easy answer. Coach Matt Eberflus has preached winning above all else, even after GM Ryan Poles demolished the defense at the trade deadline. Dating back to training camp, Eberflus has emphasized how important being 'on the grass' is for player growth and team development. If Fields is shut down, his personal growth, and the evolution of the offense around him, could be stunted.
The Bears are in this situation because of Fields' questionable usage at the end of Week 11's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Bruised and battered, Fields' left arm hung in pain after a tackle out of bounds during Chicago's final possession of the game. He remained in the lineup, ran the ball, and took what appeared to be a late hit. Is it possible that the last run made his left shoulder injury worse? We'll never know. But the fact that offensive coordinator Luke Getsy left Fields in harm's way is, at the very least, frustrating.
To be fair, that run play (the one Fields took a late hit on) looked like a designed draw to RB David Montgomery. There was some confusion in the backfield, and you know the rest. But maybe Fields shouldn't have been on the field in that situation. Sometimes, teams have to protect players from themselves.
According to multiple NFL insiders, Fields' injury is a dislocated shoulder. It's an injury that could take as little as one week to recover from or as long as three months if surgery is required. The Bears are calling Fields day-to-day, and Eberflus hasn't ruled out Fields' year being over.
Hence, the dilemma: to play or not to play Fields.
Argument 1: Play Justin Fields
Of course, this argument requires an obvious condition: Fields injury can't get worse by playing. If it can, there's no shot he sees the turf. But if his injury is as bad as it can get, and there's no long-term risk to his health in 2023 and beyond, playing Fields is the obvious right decision (if you're an Argument 1 fan).
Quarterbacks need reps. They need reps against real defenses and blitz packages. They need reps with their wide receivers to develop timing. They need reps running an offense, going through progressions, and speeding up their internal clock. Live reps can't be replaced. As much as watching and learning from the sideline does have some benefits, Fields has been in the NFL long enough to where that kind of instruction would be counterproductive.
Look at Justin Fields' rookie season as proof. The more reps he's taken, the more snaps he's handled, the better he's gotten. The NFL game is slowing down for him; imagine where he'll be three, five, or seven weeks from now?
The best chance the Bears have at being a legitimate playoff contender in 2023 is if Fields comes out of the gate playing the way he has over the last five weeks. This Bears team, the one that's proven it can score at or near 30 points on any given week, is different. With the expected reinforcements coming on defense through free agency and the draft this offseason, Chicago's outlook next year is... exciting.
The ceiling on this team in 2023 is whatever Fields' maximum upside is. That upside is lowered a bit if he doesn't play again in 2022.
Argument 2: Sit Justin Fields
Playing Fields at less than 100% health is an inherent risk. Even if that risk is minimal because he can't do any long-term damage to his shoulder, it's still a risk. Perhaps he favors the left side of his body and puts his right side -- his throwing shoulder -- unnecessarily into harm's way. Fields is human, after all. His instincts to protect himself will naturally kick in.
Is the risk worth the reward?
Experience is critical. But no player, regardless of their experience or game-breaking talent, is worth anything if they aren't available. And if Fields isn't available for a portion of the offseason, training camp, or the start of the 2023 regular season, the Bears aren't going anywhere.
Sitting Justin Fields has some ancillary benefits, too. Let's face it, the Bears aren't going to win games without him. And if they stack a bunch of losses together over the next seven games, there's a realistic chance they'll end the season with a top-three pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They currently hold the No. 3 pick overall. With two elite defensive prospects in this year's class in Alabama's Will Anderson and Georgia's Jalen Carter, piling losses could be the easiest way to strengthen the defense for next season.
Purists will scoff at the idea that losing is a winning formula. I get it; we wait all year for these 17 games. Each one matters, and each loss hurts. But the Bears have been in an obvious rebuild since last off-season's free agency period. At 3-8, the rebuild is still in its first lap. Adding a premium prospect to this roster- which can only happen if there are a bunch of losses- will get Chicago out of the league's basement much faster.
The Verdict
There's sort of a middle ground in this debate. The Bears have a bye in Week 14. If the Bears decide to sit Fields for the next two games, he'll get three weeks of rest. He can return to the lineup in Week 15 and finish the season with four games to build momentum for 2023.
The Chicago Bears have no choice but to keep their focus on 2023. Coach-speak says otherwise, but the 2022 season is lost. Bears fans deserve an exciting offseason and a bright future. They'll only get those things if Justin Fields is healthy and ready to go in 2023.
Sit him for at least the next two games. Revisit his recovery in Week 15. And if he's still even the slightest bit uncomfortable? Shelve him for the rest of the year. It'll make Bears games hard to watch down the stretch, but hope and optimism will remain for next season. And there's that whole 2023 first-round pick, too.