Justin Fields has a good chance to start vs Packers Sunday

LAKE FOREST – It appears that Justin Fields’ time out of the Bears’ lineup with a left shoulder injury will only be a single week.

For the second-straight day, Fields was a full participant in practice and wasn’t given a designation on the injury report. That means that the Bears’ No. 1 quarterback will be in line to start Sunday against the Packers at Soldier Field.

At his news conference on Friday, however, head coach Matt Eberflus stopped just short of saying that Fields would for sure be the starter on Sunday. At the same time, he was quite optimistic about the chances of the quarterback making his return this week.

“If it keeps going the way it is the last two days, it’s a green light,” said Eberflus. “That’s what we’re looking at.”

Fields didn’t start last week against the Jets as he was held out of the lineup after suffering a left shoulder dislocation and partially torn ligaments on the final drive of the Bears’ Week 11 loss to the Falcons.

That was the first game that Fields had missed during the 2022 season, his second in the NFL, after starting the first 11 games.

The only change for the game will be Fields’ backup quarterback as Nathan Peterman will step into that role with Trevor Siemian. He will have surgery to repair an oblique injury, go on injured reserve, and will miss the rest of the season.

Siemian made the start in place of Fields against the Jets last Sunday at Met Life Stadium in a 31-10 loss. Tim Boyle, who was signed off the Lions’ practice squad this week, will serve as the Bears’ third quarterback.