Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields wasn’t even sure Sunday afternoon exactly how the injury to his left shoulder happened, likely upon impact with the ground as he was tackled.
On the first play of the Bears’ final drive against the Atlanta Falcons, Fields ran for 1 yard before Falcons cornerback Dee Alford pulled him down by his left leg. Fields tumbled on his left side and came up clutching his shoulder.
Fields stayed in for two more plays, running for 4 yards and then throwing an interception that sealed the Falcons’ 27-24 victory. But he was in obvious pain even an hour after the game.
“The pain right now is pretty bad,” Fields said. “But I’ll just take it day by day and see how it feels later in the week.”
Fields rode a cart away from the Bears locker room to get the shoulder checked out. He returned more than 20 minutes later and struggled to pull off his jersey as he discussed the injury with safety Eddie Jackson.
He told reporters he still was awaiting details and didn’t know whether it would keep him out this week, but he did say he thinks the injury affects his throwing motion “a little bit.” This issue is separate from a left shoulder injury he had earlier this season, he said.
“The doctors took a picture and said they were going to talk about it, go over it and just let me know later,” Fields said.
Fields said he also dealt with leg cramps, with the broadcast cameras showing trainers stretching his legs on the sideline in the second half.
“I think playing in a dome today where the weather was cold, I was probably sweating a little bit more, the nutrients get out of you quicker,” Fields said. “So I’ve got to make sure I prepare before the game and hydrate.”
Fields completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown and had 18 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus said after the game he still was waiting on an update on the shoulder.
“We’ll see where it goes,” Eberflus said. “We’ll have an update on Wednesday. We don’t know what it is. Obviously we’re going to take a look at it and see what it is.”
Check back later for more details.
