Justin Fields To Start In Week 13
DECEMBER 3: Getting Fields back is crucial for the Bears this week as their backup quarterback, Siemian is being placed on IR. To fulfill the backup duties, Chicago has signed the practice squad quarterback, Peterman, to the active roster, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
DECEMBER 2: Justin Fields has made steady progress since suffering a dislocated shoulder, and he will ultimately miss just one game as a result of it. The Bears quarterback is not on the team’s Week 13 injury report, meaning he is in line to start on Sunday. 
Fields was carted off the field during Chicago’s Week 11 loss to the Falcons. The injury took away his opportunity to record three consecutive 100-yard rushing games, but more importantly, also left his short- and intermediate-term availability in question. After further testing, it became clear that his return to game action would be dependent on pain management.
The 2021 first-rounder expressed optimism in being able to suit up for Week 12, but was held out. He received first-team reps in practice this week, though, and was listed as a full participant for the past two days. As a result, head coach Matt Eberflus said Fields is “100%” with respect to his health status leading into the upcoming contest against the Packers.
“Right now he feels, and we feel, that the mobility and strength is there for him to protect himself,” Eberflus added, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, on Twitter, “and he feels like he’s a hundred percent, ready to go.”
That will allow the Ohio State alum to pick up where he left off in what has become an encouraging second year in the NFL. Fields has taken an incremental step forward as a passer in 2022, operating within a very run-heavy scheme and with a pass-catching corps which will no longer include No. 1 wideout Darnell Mooney for the rest of the season. On the ground, though, Fields has become the team’s offensive focal point with a league-leading 6.8 yards per carry and seven rushing touchdowns.
Even as Fields is set to return, however, the Bears will be shorthanded under center moving forward. Veteran backup Trevor Siemian – who filled in for Fields last week – suffered an oblique injury during warmups. While he was able to play through it during Chicago’s loss to the Jets, the 30-year-old will now undergo season-ending surgery, per an announcement from Eberflus. That will leave Fields and Nathan Peterman available as signal-callers for the remainder of the season.
The 3-9 Bears are not in the thick of the NFC playoff race, but they will have the opportunity to evaluate Fields both in terms of his recovery, and his continued career ascension as the rebuilding squad eyes improvements in the offseason.
Bears Add QB Tim Boyle
The Bears could be down their top two QBs when they take on the Packers on Sunday, so the team has added some reinforcement at the position. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reports (via Twitter) that the Bears have signed quarterback Tim Boyle off the Lions’ practice squad.
Starting quarterback Justin Fields is currently dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder that forced him to miss Sunday’s game against the Jets. Trevor Siemian gutted through an oblique injury to play in that loss to New York, and it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to suit up this weekend. That would leave Nathan Peterman as the only healthy quarterback on the roster, so the team ended up snagging Boyle off Detroit’s taxi squad.
Boyle served as a backup to Aaron Rodgers to begin his career before catching on with the Lions in 2021. He ended up getting three starts for Detroit last year, completing 61 of his 94 pass attempts for 526 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. The 28-year-old re-signed with the Lions this past offseason, and after getting cut at the end of the preseason, he caught on with the organization’s practice squad.
He’ll likely be a temporary piece in Chicago once the team’s QB corps is completely healthy. However, Boyle wasn’t just a random fill-in. Cronin notes that the Bears signed him because of his familiarity with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was the Packers’ QBs coach when the two were in Green Bay.
The Bears made two more moves today, placing defensive back Dane Cruikshank on injured reserve and signing defensive lineman Andrew Brown off the Cardinals practice squad. Cruikshank has gotten into eight games for Chicago this season, but a hamstring injury will sideline him for at least the next four games. Brown has 23 games of NFL experience, with the former fifth-round pick having collected 18 tackles and one sack in time with the Bengals, Texans, and Chargers.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Owen Carney, WR Tyron Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Tae Davis
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DB Lamar Jackson
- Released: WR Kaden Davis, RB Tyreik McAllister
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Jarren Williams
- Released: WR Josh Johnson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Kenny Young
- Placed on IR: OL Drew Desjarlais
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Devery Hamilton, LB Quincy Roche, DB Trenton Thompson
- Released: WR Robert Foster
New York Jets
- Signed: S Kai Nacua, RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: WR Diontae Spencer, DL Marquiss Spencer
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: RB Kennedy Brooks, T Roderick Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Renell Wren
- Released: WR Josh Malone
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Kemoko Turay
- Released: CB Ka’dar Hollman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB J.J. Russell
- Activated from IR: CB Anthony Chesley
- Released: DL Khalil Davis, CB Quandre Mosely
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Reggie Roberson Jr.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: S A.J. Thomas
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to active roster: S Innis Gaines
Free Agents
- Retired: RB/FB Elijhaa Penny
Penny announced his retirement on Twitter. The former undrafted free agent started his career with the Cardinals before spending four seasons with the Giants. He got 83 carries during his five years in the NFL, collecting 302 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 147 yards and one score. He was most known for his special teams ability, with Penny having appeared in at least 50 percent of his team’s ST snaps in four of his five seasons.
Bears Place S Eddie Jackson, WR Darnell Mooney On IR
Having already traded away two accomplished veterans on defense before the deadline, the Bears will go the rest of the way without their other defensive Pro Bowler.
The foot injury Eddie Jackson suffered against the Jets in Week 12 led the team to move him to IR, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets the veteran safety is expected to miss the rest of the season. It is a Lisfranc injury, according to Rapoport and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The Bears also moved Darnell Mooney to IR. The third-year wide receiver had already been ruled out for the season’s remainder.
A fourth-round pick in 2017, Jackson is the longest-tenured Bears defensive starter. After the trade of Roquan Smith, he holds that distinction by a considerable margin. Jackson, whom the Bears extended immediately once be became eligible for a deal in January 2020, has lined up as a starter in all 88 games he has played — dating back to Week 1 of his rookie year. This will be the former Pro Bowler’s longest absence as a pro.
After giving Jackson his worst grade as a pro in 2021, Pro Football Focus viewed this as a bounce-back season. Jackson’s four interceptions lead the Bears — he is the only defender still with the team to have picked off more than one pass this season — and represent his highest INT total since his 2018 All-Pro campaign. Jackson has also forced two fumbles and registered 80 tackles.
The Bears already faced the Jets shorthanded in the secondary, with rookie starters Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon missing what turned out to be another Mike White showcase event. Chicago, which traded Robert Quinn days before unloading Smith, has allowed at least 27 points in each of its past five games. Jackson’s absence will certainly make matters more difficult for a team barreling toward a top-five draft choice in 2023. The Bears have not picked in the top five since trading up for Mitch Trubisky in 2017.
Jackson’s four-year, $58.6MM extension calls for a nonguaranteed $13MM base salary in 2023. While the Bears stripped away every other piece from their Vic Fangio– and Chuck Pagano-era defenses this year, Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes all signs point to Jackson sticking around next season (subscription required). Jackson will turn 29 next week.
Bears WR Darnell Mooney Out For Season
NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed yesterday’s suspicions when speaking to the media, stating that Mooney’s season is indeed over. He will be placed on IR and is “likely” to have surgery on his ankle, Eberflus added.
NOVEMBER 27: The Bears were without their leading receiver by the end of today’s game, which could very well be his last appearance in 2022. Chicago fears Darnell Mooney suffered a season-ending ankle injury, as noted by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). 
During the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Jets, Mooney exited the contest and did not return. Pelissero notes that further testing will be done tomorrow to gather more information, but the worst-case scenario appears to be in play at this point. The loss of Mooney could be crippling given his importance to the Bears’ offense, and the team’s limited passing game.
Mooney entered the league with little fanfare as a fifth-round pick, but he showed considerable promise as a rookie in 2020 with 631 yards and three touchdowns. He took a sizeable step forward last year, notching 81 receptions, 1,055 yards and four scores. The free agent departure of Allen Robinson left the Tulane product as Chicago’s undisputed No. 1 pass-catcher, and he operated as such with a team-leading 493 yards while the Bears remained committed to a ground-heavy offense.
Assuming the 25-year-old is sidelined for the rest of the season, Chicago will likely turn even more to a committee approach in the passing game. Tight end Cole Kmet and running back David Montgomery rank second and third, respectively, in receiving yards this season. On the perimeter, N’Keal Harry – whom the Patriots traded to the Bears this summer – and Chase Claypool – acquired from the Steelers at the trade deadline – could take on larger roles moving forward, with the likes of Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle and rookie Velus Jones Jr. also being involved.
In other injury news, the Bears saw safety Eddie Jackson carted off the field today. He suffered a non-contact foot injury, one which likewise threatens to leave the rebuilding team without a key contributor for an extended time period. Especially if the Bears continue to operate without emerging quarterback Justin Fields, the remainder of the 2022 season will be one marked by injuries hampering any attempts at an offensive turnaround in particular.
Bears To Start QB Trevor Siemian In Week 12
NOVEMBER 27, 12:04pm: Scratch that. Siemian is under center for the Bears, with Peterman operating as the backup.
NOVEMBER 27, 11:29am: Fields is indeed inactive for Sunday’s contest against the Jets, and in even worse news for the Bears, Siemian injured his oblique during pregame warmups (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network). Therefore, Peterman will be making his first start since Week 9 of the 2018 season, while Siemian will serve as his backup.
As Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com tweets, RB David Montgomery is Chicago’s emergency signal-caller.
NOVEMBER 26: It sounds like the Bears are preparing for tomorrow’s game as if they won’t have Justin Fields under center. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that Chicago has promoted quarterback Nathan Peterman from the practice squad.
Fields has been nursing a shoulder injury that resulted in him being listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Jets. The QB told reporters that he’s dealing with a separated shoulder with partially torn ligaments, and while he acknowledged that he’s feeling better every day, he was still limited on Thursday and Friday before earning his official questionable designation.
“I think we’re going to let it go up to the game,” coach Matt Eberflus said (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “We’ll try to do that. We think that’s where it is, and we’ll see where he is at game time and see how he feels.”
If Fields doesn’t play, veteran Trevor Siemian will likely earn his first start of the season. The Bears had been rolling with only two quarterbacks on their active roster prior to today’s transaction. Garafolo notes that the Bears will likely take their starting QB decision down to game time.
As for Peterman, the veteran QB has spent the majority of the 2022 season on Chicago’s practice squad. Following a one-plus-year stint with the Bills to start his career, Peterman spent the better part of the past four seasons with the Raiders. He only got into a pair of games during his time with the organization, completing three of his five pass attempts.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/22
The league’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations for Week 12:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: WR Marquise Brown (story)
- Signed to active roster: WR Andre Baccellia
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Pharoh Cooper, TE Maxx Williams
- Placed on IR: TE Zach Ertz (story), T D.J. Humphries (story)
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: C Jonotthan Harrison
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: CB Daryl Worley
- Promoted from practice squad: WR DeSean Jackson, LB Julian Stanford
- Placed on IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB T.J. Carrie, DE Kobe Jones
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: RB Darrynton Evans
- Promoted from practice squad: LB DeMarquis Gates
- Waived: CB Lamar Jackson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: P Drue Chrisman, WR Kwamie Lassiter II
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Jermaine Carter
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: RB Devine Ozigbo
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Brandon Johnson, CB Faion Hicks
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Innis Gaines, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Jacobi Francis, CB Will Redmond
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Zayne Anderson, WR Cornell Powell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Tyler Hall, DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: RB Joshua Kelley
- Signed to active roster: T Foster Sarell
- Promoted from practice squad: S Raheem Layne
- Waived: OLB Jeremiah Attaochu, RB Larry Rountree III
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to active roster: T AJ Arcuri, RB Ronnie Rivers
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Roger Carter, G Jeremiah Kolone
- Placed on IR: DT A’Shawn Robinson (story)
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: T Max Mitchell
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Chazz Surratt, DL Tanzel Smart
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DL T.Y. McGill
- Waived: DL Kemoko Turay
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Laquon Treadwell, LB Vi Jones
- Placed on IR: WR D’Wayne Eskridge (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from PUP: K Caleb Shudak
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Greg Mabin, LB Andre Smith
Washington Commanders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Alex Erickson
Bears’ Lucas Patrick To Miss Rest Of Season
Injuries will end up bookending Lucas Patrick‘s first Bears season. The veteran interior lineman became eligible to return from IR this week, but Matt Eberflus confirmed no injury activation will take place.
Patrick underwent toe surgery during his time on IR, and Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes the Bears are shutting down the free agent acquisition for the season’s remainder. This will wrap the fifth-year blocker’s initial Chicago campaign at just seven games (five starts).
The Bears doled out a host of low-cost contracts this offseason, making Patrick’s two-year deal worth $8MM stand out to some degree. The ex-Packers starter followed OC Luke Getsy to the Bears and was expected to be the team’s starting center. Injuries intervened. Patrick suffered a thumb injury early in training camp, and while he returned in time to start the season, the Bears’ plans for him did not come to fruition.
Patrick, 29, played guard for much of the season, seeing the thumb problem lead the Bears to delay his move back to the snapping role. He only returned to center for the team’s Week 7 win over the Patriots. Ten snaps into that game, Patrick went down with the toe malady. That led Sam Mustipher, whom the team was previously starting at center, back into action. Weeks later, Mustipher — who started 17 games at center last year — Pro Football Focus’ No. 16 overall pivot. The younger center has helped the team surge to the top of the league in rushing this season.
The rebuilding team stands to make more investments along the offensive line in the offseason, seeing as Ryan Poles‘ squad is projected to carry a league-high — by a whopping margin — $125MM in cap space in 2023. Patrick is set to count $5.38MM against the team’s cap next year.
Bears To Target Defensive Line Upgrades This Offseason?
- Like the Browns, the Bears could stand to improve in the middle of their defense. Chicago currently ranks 29th in rushing yards allowed (143 yards per game), and has had little in the pass-rush department from the interior. As a result, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs predicts both a sizeable free agent addition and a high draft pick each aimed at rebuilding the d-line this offseason. After several cost-cutting moves made this year, the Bears are projected to have over $100MM in cap space in 2023, and seven selections in the first five rounds of the upcoming draft. That could leave general manager Ryan Poles with plenty of opportunities to boost his squad’s defensive front as they look to move into the next phase of their rebuild.
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