LAKE FOREST, Ill. — One of the first things head coach Matt Eberflus did after the Bears’ 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday was praise injured quarterback Justin Fields for his help both in-game and during the week.
With Fields out with a dislocated right thumb, undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent started and played well in the win. Bagent went 21-for-29 for 162 yards and one touchdown in the win.
Bagent praised Fields in the week leading up to the Raiders game for his help preparing him, and that support continued on Sunday as Fields played the role of assistant coach during the win over the Raiders.
“He was awesome. He was awesome,” quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko said Thursday. “Put the TV copy on and you can see those two on the bench and they didn’t miss a thing. Justin was coming up to me, ‘Hey, take a look at this.’ Going up to [offensive coordinator Luke Getsy], ‘Hey, we got this.’ He was an integral part of that win.”
While the Bears maintain that Fields is “on track” in his recovery, the third-year quarterback is “doubtful” to play Sunday when the Bears visit the Los Angeles Chargers on “Sunday Night Football.” With Fields still sidelined, Bagent will make his second career start in Los Angeles.
Fields is working hard with the Bears’ training staff to try and get back for the Week 9 trip to New Orleans. While rehab is Fields’ primary focus, the Bears’ starting quarterback has played a critical role during practice as the team preps for the Chargers.
“You can say whatever you want about him, but he is so much fun to be around,” Janocko said. “Everything he does is working to get back. It kills him that he’s not out there. It hurts that he’s not out there.
“At the same time, he has been above and beyond supportive — above and beyond what we could ever ask from him in that particular role, helping this team win. He cares about Tyson, and he also cares about the guys that are going out there playing that he’s not with. He takes an us mentality every day. To his rehab but also to how he’s helping the guys prepare. Out at practice, he’s grabbing guys — he’s got the script in his hand, and he’s grabbing guys, ‘Hey, do this. Hey, do that.’ Today, there was one [play] in practice where he saw it and was pointing it out, and you could see the throw being made and he’s already pointing it out. Like here it’s coming.”
Bagent has praised Fields as a leader by example since the rookie arrived in the spring. The Division II product knows he has a valuable resource in Fields — one he will tap into as much as possible while he’s steering the ship.
“He told me anything I need, don’t hesitate to ask him,” Bagetn said. “And I haven’t, and I think that’s gonna serve the team well.”
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