CHICAGO — Bears quarterback Justin Fields dislocated his right thumb and will be ruled out for Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Matt Eberfus said Monday.
Fields was injured in the third quarter of the Bears’ 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. X-rays came back negative, but he underwent an MRI on Monday.
“There’s no timetable right now,” Eberfluth said. “It really depends on the grip strength. Natural swelling occurs with this injury, so we should know more by the end of the week.”
Eberflus told the Bears they expect to know in a few days whether Fields will need thumb surgery. The Bears coach said he had not received any feedback on the MRI results and reiterated that Fields’ ability to handle the ball will be critical in determining his next move.
Fields was working with athletic trainers at Halas Hall on Monday, and Eberflus said he just wanted to “give it time” for the swelling to go down.
“It doesn’t look like a bad thing, but we’ll see where it is,” Eberflus said when asked if Fields had a torn ACL.
On Chicago’s first possession of the third quarter, Fields injured his thumb after landing on his right arm while being sacked by Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter. As Fields went down, he attempted to redirect the ball in the direction of running back Darlington Evans.
After visiting the injury tent, Fields walked back to the locker room with a towel covering his right hand. He was initially listed as a possible returner but was ruled out shortly after.
Rookie quarterback Tyson Bargent made his NFL debut Sunday in place of Fields, completing 10 of 14 passes for 83 yards and an interception, and helped Chicago with a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The team’s only touchdown.
“I think he’s really nailed it,” Eberflus said of Bargent. “Obviously the first series wasn’t ideal. I think you should give him credit. He’s a backup quarterback, a young guy, and I thought he came in with a lot of poise.
“… He showed it on that touchdown. Tyson showed a lot of good stuff in that game.”
Bargent, an undrafted free agent out of Shepherd University, holds the NCAA passing touchdown record (159) and is the Division II leader in passing yards (17,034) and total touchdowns (171). Record holder. He signed with Chicago in May and made the initial 53-man roster, beating out current Browns quarterback P.J. Walker, who played for the Bears this offseason. Veteran backup Nathan Peterman is the third quarterback on Chicago’s active roster and the emergency quarterback in the Vikings game.
Eberflus said he doesn’t believe the Bears will need to simplify Bargent’s playbook if Bargent replaces Fields as the starter on Oct. 22.
“Of course, we’re always prepared for this,” Eberfluth said. “It’s just one fight away. Just one fight away from getting in there and Tyson has earned that spot with the opportunities he’s created. We’re definitely going to continue to do that.”
The Bears coach provided two additional injury updates on Monday. Eberflus said right guard Nate Davis suffered a high ankle sprain against the Vikings and will not play against the Raiders. Cornerback Terrell Smith, who was downgraded Friday due to illness, will miss “three to four weeks” with mononucleosis, Eberflus said.