Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields has learned to stop expecting penalty flags to fly when he takes a late shot to the head on a play-ending slide, but he feels the problem spoke for itself in the latest incident against Green Bay.
In the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 17-9 loss to the Packers, Fields took a brutal hit while sliding from safety Jonathan Owens that caused his head to bounce off the turf. The hit looked so bad from the broadcast booth that CBS’ Tony Romo immediately commented on how he thought that would result in a personal foul against the Packers.
Instead, the referees kept their flags in their pockets and allowed the game to continue for another two plays before the NFL’s independent neurologist intervened. He called Fields to the sideline so that he could be evaluated for a concussion following the hit, and the irony of that decision was not lost on Fields after the game.
“I just don’t understand,” Fields told reporters in Sunday’s postgame when asked about the no-call late hit. “I don’t even know how to answer it because I don’t want to get fined in any kind of way. But I mean, like I said, the fact that I had to come out two plays later for a potential head injury on a play I slid on should speak for itself.”
Justin Fields Has Brief Evaluation Before Returning
Putting aside the n0-call on Fields, the tone shifted quickly from outrage to concern when the third-year quarterback immediately returned to the huddle. The broadcast team once again raised the issue, questioning why the league did not intervene and force Fields to head to the sideline for further evaluation for a possible concussion.
Sure enough, the neurologist signaled for Fields to come out of the game two plays later. Perhaps more surprising, though, was the fact that Fields stayed on the sideline for exactly one play before the medical team cleared him to return to action. The stamp of clearance came so quickly that reporters felt obliged to ask about it after the game.
Fields did concede that his head “hurt for a few seconds” after the big hit from Owens, but he also added that he could tell he “didn’t have a concussion or anything” quickly.
“They just asked me do I know where I am,” Fields said. “I just did a few balance tests and stuff like that and, of course, I was trying to speed up the process a little bit. But after they clear me and say that I’m good, I just ran back out onto the field.”
Justin Fields’ Future in Chicago Remains Undecided
The Bears (7-10) now head into the 2024 offseason with some major decisions to make about the quarterback position. Fields showed signs of improvement throughout his third season, but it is unclear whether he persuaded the front office that they should continue to build around him as their franchise quarterback heading into next year.
To complicate matters further, the Bears have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft (via the Carolina Panthers) and could use it on a new franchise quarterback if they feel that Fields is not the long-term answer. If they are happy with Fields’ development, though, they could trade down from the top spot and receive a major haul in return.
The Bears will need to decide whether to pick up Fields’ 2025 fifth-year option before the league deadline of May 2. According to Over the Cap, the Bears can expect Fields’ fifth-year option to cost them roughly $21.97 million against the cap in 2025.
