Chicago Bears place Justin Fields on the reserve/COVID-19 list, putting the rookie QB’s status for the season finale in doubt

The Chicago Bears placed rookie backmost Justin Fields connected the reserve/COVID-19 database Thursday, 4 days earlier helium was slated to commencement the play finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

Fields said successful November helium is vaccinated, truthful his placement connected the database apt is the effect of a affirmative test.

In caller rules released successful precocious December, the NFL mandates a five-day isolation play for players who trial positive, with a imaginable instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic they person been without a fever for 24 hours and symptoms are improving.

Players who are vaccinated tin instrumentality sooner by returning much than 1 antagonistic test, but specified speedy returns haven’t been the norm with the Bears.

Fields practiced successful afloat Wednesday arsenic helium was gearing up to marque his archetypal commencement successful 3 weeks. He had missed the erstwhile 2 games arsenic helium recovered from an ankle wounded and besides missed 2 games successful November and December with cracked ribs.

If helium doesn’t instrumentality for the finale, helium volition person missed 5 of the Bears’ last 7 games of the season.

In 12 games, including 10 starts, Fields has completed 159 of 270 passes for 1,870 yards with 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a passer standing of 73.2. He has been sacked 36 times and has fumbled 12 times (losing five) portion moving for 420 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Bears manager Matt Nagy said helium wanted Fields to marque 1 much commencement to effort to decorativeness his rookie play connected a precocious note. Fields said helium wanted to play for his teammates.

Fields is the 2nd Bears subordinate to spell connected the reserve/COVID-19 database this week aft the Bears placed practice-squad linebacker Charles Snowden connected it Wednesday.

The Bears had a COVID-19 outbreak successful December that included 19 players and each 3 coordinators, but the past of the players from that surge — choky extremity Jesper Horsted and wrong linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe — came disconnected the database Monday.