Bears quarterback Fields says he separated his shoulder Sunday, will he start against Jets?

The Great Justin Fields Shoulder Mystery is finally over.

The Bears' quarterback did indeed suffer a separated left shoulder - as well as some torn ligaments - during a 27-24 loss to the Falcons last Sunday. The injury occurred on a first-down run on the Bears' final possession.

Kudos to the second-year QB for not messing around and telling us the truth.

Now, will Fields be able to suit up against the Jets on Sunday?

That's a good question and one Fields couldn't answer Wednesday at Halas Hall.

"Coach (Matt Eberflus) pretty much said it was up to me; they want the best thing for me," Fields said. "So he said if I feel that I can play, if I feel that I can go out there and protect myself ... then I'll be able to go.

"So I'm just gonna see how it feels each and every day and play it by ear."

The Bears went through a walk-through Wednesday, which meant Fields wasn't taxed nearly as much as he would have been in a normal practice. Still, he admitted the "pain was pretty high at times" as he was finishing throws and even when he was handing off.

Eberflus expects to get more clarity Thursday when he puts the team through a faster-paced session.

"We'll see (how) he's moving full speed during ... the drill work and stuff like that," Eberflus said. "We'll be able to tell."

Fields is as tough as they come when it comes to dealing with pain, something the entire country witnessed when he played in the 2021 NCAA national championship game despite having cracked ribs and a partially torn hip muscle. Fields ran for 67 yards and threw for 194 during Ohio State's 52-24 loss to Alabama.

"That's the last game of the year," Fields said. "I've got to damn near die to not play in that one."

This, of course, is a much different situation. The Bears (3-8) have lost seven of eight and may eventually land a top-5 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

If there's any risk that long-term damage might be done, Fields should stay affixed to the bench.

Game experience is important. It's obviously not THAT important.

"If we ever feel that a player's gonna go out there and harm himself, we're gonna err on the side of caution for sure," Eberflus said. "We're not gonna put a guy out there in harm's way and he doesn't feel good about it.

"So we want to do what's best for the organization but also what's best for the player."

Fields echoed those thoughts, adding: "Of course I'm not gonna sacrifice playing in this game for me risking that I might not be able to play later."

If Fields sits, the Bears would turn to Trevor Siemian. The Northwestern product has a 58.9% completion percentage and has thrown 41 TD passes and 27 interceptions in 34 NFL games.

"Your backup always has to be ready," Eberflus said. "Trevor has been outstanding in the meetings. Like I said the other day, he has great functional intelligence to be able to operate the offense."

Fields has 834 rushing yards, meaning he needs 135 to break Bobby Douglass' single-season mark for a Bears QB.

After playing the Jets, the Bears host the Packers on December 4 then have their bye week.

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