The Bears will once again turn to quarterback Chase Daniel when they face the Giants on Sunday, as starter Mitchell Trubisky will sit out with an ongoing shoulder injury, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Per Garafolo, Trubisky is healthy enough that he could play if Chicago allowed it (although he’s still not throwing, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com). But playing it safe is probably the right decision for the Bears, especially given their playoff position and their opponent in Week 13. Not only does Chicago have a 96% chance of earning a postseason berth and an 83% chance to win the NFC North (per FiveThirtyEight.com), but the club is a four-point favorite on the road against New York.
Making his first start since the 2014 campaign, Daniel completed 27-of-37 attempts against the Lions in a Thanksgiving Day victory. Daniel, who inked a two-year, $10MM contract with the Bears during the offseason, tossed two touchdowns against the Lions, and while he certainly doesn’t offer the upside of Trubisky, he is capable of managing wins, especially with the NFL’s top defense supporting him.
The Bears don’t believe Trubisky’s injury is a long-term issue, and given how close he was to playing this week, it stands to reason he’ll be available when Chicago takes on the Rams in Week 14. After that pivotal matchup, the Bears will close out the season against the Packers, 49ers, and Vikings.