Bears' Justin Fields Doubtful vs. Raiders with Thumb Injury; No Timetable for Return

It doesn't seem like Justin Fields will be suiting up for the Chicago Bears when they take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7.

After Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported the quarterback suffered a dislocated thumb during Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters in a Monday update that Fields is considered doubtful with no official timetable.

"It's really going to come down to grip strength," Eberflus said.

Rapoport added more context to the situation:

Tyson Bagent entered the contest for the injured Fields and finished 10-of-14 for 83 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.

There was a moment when it seemed like the backup might lead a comeback win, but he floated a deep ball to DJ Moore on Chicago's final drive that was intercepted by Byron Murphy Jr.

Bagent also lost a fumble earlier in the game, which the Vikings returned for a touchdown.

The timing of the setback is certainly unfortunate for Fields, who entered Sunday's game against the Vikings coming off two excellent performances.

Fields threw for a combined eight touchdowns and one interception against the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders and seemed to be turning the corner as the season progressed. However, he was just 6-of-10 for 58 yards, zero touchdowns and one pick against Minnesota before exiting.

His injury only clouds the quarterback situation for the Bears.

On the one hand, he has shown flashes the past two years of being a potential franchise quarterback that the organization has so long been missing. On the other hand, there hasn't been enough consistency to trust that long-term prognosis.

Given the Bears' 1-5 record and the Carolina Panthers' 0-6 start, Chicago could have multiple favorable draft picks in 2024. It owns the Panthers' first-round pick as well, so there is still a possibility it could get the top two selections in the upcoming draft.

Whether that would mean drafting USC's Caleb Williams or someone else remains to be seen, and Fields figured to have the opportunity to secure his long-term future with the team by playing well as the season progressed.

However, there will be even more uncertainty if he misses significant time with this setback.