Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields exits loss vs. Minnesota Vikings; Tyson Bagent takes over

CHICAGO – The Bears lost again, falling to the Minnesota Vikings, 19-13, at Soldier Field, but the bigger news Sunday was quarterback Justin Fields’ exit. Fields left the game early in the third quarter with a hand injury.

X-ray’s on Fields’ hand were negative, according to head coach Matt Eberflus, but the QB will get an MRI on Monday morning for further details. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Fields dislocated his thumb, popped it back into place, but still couldn’t grip the football.

“He wanted to come back in the game,” Eberflus said after the game. “You know, that’s really all I have in terms of [the injury]. But he just couldn’t grip the ball to throw it right now.”

Fields fell awkwardly on his right arm (his throwing arm) as he tried to escape the pocket and throw the football out of bounds for an incompletion. Fields flicked the ball toward the sideline while a Vikings defender hit him from behind. He landed hard on his right arm.

The team later classified the injury as a right hand injury.

Fields did not return to the game. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent entered in his place. It’s unclear if Fields will miss significant time.

“His demeanor is great [after the game],” Eberflus said of Fields. “He goes, ‘Coach, we’ll see where it is tomorrow.’ He was positive and he was upbeat.”

Fields entered the day coming off two of the best passing games of his career. Over the previous two games, he threw for more than 600 passing yards and eight touchdown passes. Things, however, were off to a rough start Sunday.

Even before the injury, Fields and the offense struggled throughout the first half. Fields ended his day 6-for-10 passing for 58 passing yards with one interception. The Bears failed to score a touchdown with Fields in the game. Receiver DJ Moore, fresh off a 230-yard effort a week ago, had only two targets in the first half.

“We didn’t hold up our end of the bargain,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “Defense played great today and we actually allowed points offensively, so, look at the end of the day we’ve just got to erase it.”

Fields’ injury happened on the first possession after halftime. As soon as Fields exited the game, things went downhill in a big way. Bagent entered an NFL game for the first time. The rookie was an undrafted addition this spring out of Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia. He was the cinderella story of the preseason for the Bears, and one of the best stories across the entire NFL during training camp.

Bagent completed his first NFL pass attempt to receiver Velus Jones Jr., but the next dropback didn’t go nearly as well. Vikings safety Josh Metellus knocked the ball loose from Bagent’s grip for a strip sack. Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks recovered the fumble and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown.

The play extended Minnesota’s lead, 19-6. It didn’t end the game, but it was certainly a huge setback.

“I’ve got to keep two hands on the ball,” Bagent said. “I’ve got to protect the ball. That’s a big job of mine when I’m out there.”

Following the fumble, though, Bagent settled in and looked better. He led a 77-yard touchdown drive, that he capped off with a 1-yard QB sneak for a touchdown.

He had the offense moving again at the end of the game, trailing by six and looking to even things up with a touchdown. Unfortunately, as the clock ticked near two minutes remaining, Bagent lofted a pass with a bit too much air under it and Minnesota’s Byron Murphy Jr. picked it off for an interception.

The game didn’t end in a win, but Bagent’s teammates were confident in the rookie afterward. Despite being a relatively unknown rookie from a small school most people have never heard of, the Bears believe they have a young backup QB who does all the right things.

Confidence in himself, that’s important in a quarterback and you can hear that in the huddle. You can hear that up on the line. And he’s got conviction when he throws it. I told him keep letting it rip after the game.”

—  Cole Kmet, Bears tight end

“Confidence in himself, that’s important in a quarterback and you can hear that in the huddle,” Kmet said. “You can hear that up on the line. And he’s got conviction when he throws it. I told him keep letting it rip after the game.”

If Fields is out for an extended period of time, Bears fans will be seeing a lot more of Bagent.