The Chicago Bears are expected to have quarterback Justin Fields back on offense this weekend against the Detroit Lions.

The Bears starter has missed each of the last four weeks of the season with a thumb injury suffered in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears have floated by the last four weeks with a 2-2 record under rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent.

Time is currently ticking in Chicago for Justin Fields with the team currently in possession of the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft for the second consecutive season.

The Bears have seven games remaining on their 2023 schedule, and Fields will have to take advantage of each and every one of them if he wants to prove that he can be the Bears long-term quarterback going forward.

The Bears still have plenty of time to build around Fields in their short-term future with one year remaining on his rookie deal after 2023, plus a potential 5th-year option. However, with a loaded quarterback class entering the 2024 NFL Draft and the top selection in their grasp, the Bears could easily pivot to a quarterback under center.

The play and leadership of Fields over the next seven games will ultimately be the deciding factor for the future of the Chicago Bears franchise. Prior to his Week 6 injury, Fields largely had an up-and-down 2023 season.

In his last two full starts, Fields showed the Bears front office what he can be capable of when he's playing at his best. In Weeks 4-5 against the Denver Broncos and the Washington Commanders, the Bears offense totaled 28 and 40 points. In each of those two games, Fields threw for 280+ yards and 4 touchdowns.

Fields has reached the 200-yard passing mark in four of his six games in 2023, but was held to under 100 passing yards in each of the other two games (including Week 6 after he left the game in the third quarter).

The biggest thing Fields needs to showcase over the final seven games of the season isn’t that he can win games for the Bears. That actually would be counter intuitive to what the Bears current goal should be over the final weeks of the season. Instead, Fields needs to show improvements in handling pressure and avoiding turnovers.

In six games played in 2023, Fields has been sacked 24 times (compared to Bagent who was only sacked 5 times in five games played). Turnovers have been the other major concern for Fields this season after having 8 giveaways in those six games.

Realistically, the Bears front office will only be looking to tell whether or not Fields is continuing to make improvements and progressing forward as a quarterback in the NFL during the remainder of the season. The Bears would more than likely want to keep all their options open by the time the season ends in order to have a full evaluation going into the offseason. The only thing that can hamper that is Fields performing poorly over the final few weeks.

Fields will make his return against a tough opponent, and a division rival, in the Detroit Lions. The Bears were swept by the Lions in 2022, but kept things interesting in their first meeting in Week 10. Fields totaled 314 yards passing and rushing along with 4 total touchdowns and one interception in the 31-30 loss.

The second matchup between the two teams took place in Week 17 where the Lions manhandled the Bears 41-10. Fields went 7-21 passing with 75 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 2 turnovers and 132 rushing yards.

It'll be interesting to see how this game turns out for Fields coming off his injury, and all eyes will be watching. 

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