Justin Fields Seven-Game Test

It's only seven weeks but can tell the Bears plenty about their future at the quarterback position.

In announcing Justin Fields' return to the starting lineup on Wednesday, Bears coach Matt Eberflus acknowledge the last seven weeks can say a lot about Fields' ability to be the quarterback who leads the team into the future.

"I think seven weeks is enough time to show consistency and being the high performer that we expect him to be," Eberflus said. "I know he's had some good performances along this year, certainly the last few have been solid.

"We expect consistency out of all our positions."

Fields had never started more than two straight victories and hasn't started for consecutive wins since the first two starts he made against Detroit and Cleveland in 2021. He has never gone more than three straight games with passer ratings in the 90s or higher, although he did have back-to-back ratings of 132.7 and 125.3 against Washington and Denver this season before suffering a right dislocated thumb against Minnesota Oct. 15.

He has an 82.3 career passer rating and 91.6 for this season.

Fields feels physically ready to attack the final seven games.

"I mean, it’s not 100 percent, but it feels good," he said. "There’s still a little bit of healing left. But it’s stable. You know and, like I said, it’s good.”

Fields' goal is the same as the one the Bears gave to Bagent while he played.

"Just protect the ball," Fields said. "That’s No. 1. If my hand gets hurt in the process, as far as the ball’s protected, that’s all that matters, but I’m not really out there thinking about my hand, you know?

"If I was out there (thinking that), it’s like a mental block. There’s no mental block with my thumb and playing normal football, yeah.”

Beyond wanting to see consistency from Fields, Eberflus made it clear he expects the offense to look different now than it did when undrafted backup Tyson Bagent ran it the last 4 1/2 games.

"I think you have some different options," Eberflus said. "You have some different options there, different movement passes that you might run that you wouldn't run with a different quarterback in there certainly opens up your package a bit."

Bagent's long run was actually the same as Fields' this year, 20 yards. However, Fields ran for 1,143 yards last year and opposing defenses set their scheme to adjust to take this away, leaving other areas to exploit.

Eberflus liked they way Fields worked with Bagent during the injury in a way to help both the team and his backup.

"It's been great, in terms of him being a professional, him helping out Tyson obviously starting his first starts, and I think that was very beneficial for Tyson to have that support," Eberflus said. "Because you can feel it, you can feel support, you can feel him being genuine about that support and really helpful and he was great that way.

"He's always been a great teammate, always been one of the hardest workers. He was engaged in all those game plans to be helpful and to be supportive."

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