The Chicago Bears have been dealt a major blow ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Quarterback Justin Fields, who was expected to make his first NFL start, has been ruled out due to a hip injury.
Fields, the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, had been dealing with the injury since the Bears’ Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He was able to play through it in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, but the injury has worsened since then and he is now unable to play.
The Bears will now turn to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to lead the offense against the Raiders. Dalton, who signed with the Bears in the offseason, has not started a game since Week 17 of the 2019 season when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The news of Fields’ injury is a huge setback for the Bears, who were hoping to get their rookie quarterback some valuable experience in his first NFL start. Fields had shown promise in his limited action this season, completing 18 of 25 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears will now have to hope that Fields’ injury isn’t too serious and that he can return to action soon. In the meantime, they will have to rely on Dalton to lead the offense against a tough Raiders defense. It will be an uphill battle for the Bears, but they will have to make do with what they have.