Justin Fields to start in Bears preseason opener against Titans

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields will start and play in the team’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans Saturday, head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Wednesday.

Eberflus said he wants to see Fields go through the “operation.”

“When you’re looking at the quarterback position, the operation [is] No. 1,” Eberflus said, via The Athletic. “Can we get in and out of the huddle crisp and execute the play if we have any run-to-pass or pass-to-pass [or] run-to-run stuff going on? We’ve got to make sure we look at that. Can he make all the protection calls that he needs to make, make the adjustments? Just the operation. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Eberflus didn’t reveal how many snaps or series Fields will play. In 2022, Fields saw a total of 57 snaps in the preseason — 30 coming in the third and final game.

“It’s usually a range,” Eberflus said. “Usually I’ll tell guys, ‘Hey, it’s seven to 10 plays. He’s going 12 to 15 plays.’ So you can have a little flexibility there based on the way the drive is going for that particular guy. That’s what we’ll do.”

Ryan Poles doesn’t expect Justin Fields to need to run as much in 2023

Fields flashed his dual-threat capabilities in 2022, rushing for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. Fields struggled, however, moving the ball through the air. The former Ohio State star threw for 2,242 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while being sacked 55 times. With a bit of a retooled offensive line and the acquisition of star wideout DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers, general manager Ryan Poles is hoping for more balance in Fields’ game in 2023, he recently said on “The Rich Eisen Show.”

“I do think with increased protection and more weapons to throw to, he won’t need to run as much,” Poles said. “But just sprinkling that in and obviously having the threat to do that on occasion, maybe not at the same volume again [as last year], it’s going to be a hard thing for defenses to prepare for.”

Fields certainly doesn’t lack confidence. After recently making headlines for claiming he’s among the best five running quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, he declared another bold statement. Fields guaranteed he’ll be the first quarterback in Bears history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season.

“I will. And I plan on doing it this year, too. I plan on doing it this year,” Fields said on the “All Things Covered” podcast.