Report: Bears expected to start Andy Dalton in place of injured Justin Fields on Thanksgiving
With Justin Fields injured and a short week ahead of them, the Chicago Bears are reportedly turning to Andy Dalton.
The veteran quarterback is expected to get the start on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions while Fields continues to deal with a rib injury suffered on Sunday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Sources: #Bears QB Andy Dalton is expected to start on Thursday, with Justin Fields dealing with a rib injury. He spent the day undergoing further testing, and the turnaround is too quick.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 23, 2021
The 34-year-old Dalton started two games for the Bears before a knee injury opened the door for Fields, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, to take over as starting quarterback. After registering just one pass attempt between Weeks 3 and 10, Dalton was called back in under center last weekend to relieve the rookie, who exited the game with a rib injury.
Dalton performed well on short notice against the Baltimore Ravens, completing 11-of-23 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He looked on the verge of leading the Bears to an unlikely win against the short-handed Ravens, who were without Lamar Jackson, but a final touchdown drive spoiled those hopes.
While the hope might have been for Fields to return for the next game, the short week did few favors for the Bears, who have about 93 hours between the end of the Ravens game and the start of their early Thanksgiving game.
Per Rapoport, Fields' X-rays came back negative for any rib fractures and it's believed he didn't sustain a major injury, but the team was reportedly still evaluating him as of Monday. So it will be Dalton who gets the start against the 0-9-1 Lions.
Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.