Justin Fields is slated to start for the first time in 3 weeks as he returns from an ankle injury. Here’s what else we heard from the Chicago Bears as they prepare for their season finale.

Chicago Bears manager Matt Nagy, backmost Justin Fields and different players spoke to media members via video league calls Wednesday arsenic they began their last week of practices this season.

Here are 3 things we heard arsenic they get acceptable for the Week 18 crippled against the Minnesota Vikings connected Sunday astatine U.S. Bank Stadium.

1. Justin Fields is slated to commencement for the archetypal clip successful 3 weeks.

Fields missed the past 2 games against the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants portion recovering from an ankle wounded helium suffered successful the Bears’ archetypal crippled against the Vikings.

He said helium wasn’t capable to locomotion oregon tally pain-free past week, but the wounded dilatory has gotten better. He practiced successful afloat Wednesday.

Fields said it’s important to play successful the past crippled for his teammates.

“You don’t get these moments back,” helium said. “I don’t cognize who whitethorn beryllium present adjacent year, truthful I’m conscionable getting that 1 past crippled with those guys successful and not taking immoderate of it for granted.

“Of people I could conscionable beryllium retired the past crippled and get acceptable for adjacent season, but each accidental I get to play the crippled I love, I’m going to spell and bash it. … It’s important to amusement what benignant of feline I americium to my teammates and my coaches.”

Fields said his mentation for the Vikings is simply a spot easier this week due to the fact that that was the past squad helium faced. He completed 26 of 39 passes for 285 yards with a touchdown, 3 sacks and a mislaid fumble and ran 7 times for 35 yards in a 17-9 loss.

The Bears went 2-0 down Nick Foles and Andy Dalton against the Seahawks and Giants, who are successful past spot successful their divisions.

The Bears haven’t won a crippled Fields started since Oct. 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, truthful helium sees worth successful trying to spell into the offseason connected a win.

“It’d mean a batch to me,” helium said. “We’re connected a two-game winning streak close now. Making it 3 would beryllium awesome successful conscionable getting that affirmative momentum into the offseason.”

2. The Chicago section of the Pro Football Writers of America named its winners of the 2021 Jeff Dickerson Good Guy Award.

Safety Tashaun Gipson and extracurricular linebacker Robert Quinn are this year’s recipients, honored for their professionalism, honesty and engagement with the media.

Quinn provided 1 of the astir colorful moments successful Good Guy Award acceptance past erstwhile helium was asked wherefore helium has been truthful forthright and accommodating successful his dealings with reporters.

“They accidental a man’s got 2 things: That’s his words and his nuts,” Quinn said. “And you don’t privation to suffer either. So I effort to beryllium arsenic honorable arsenic I tin erstwhile I speech to people.”

Gipson said helium gravitated toward receiver Andrew Hawkins during his earliest days successful the league with the Cleveland Browns and appreciated however straightforward and well-spoken Hawkins was.

“Not each question is going to beryllium a favorable question that you bask answering,” Gipson said. “But to spot guys similar that astir maine successful the younger portion of my vocation — we had those old-school vets successful Cleveland backmost successful my time — and to spot that firsthand and witnesser that, you statesman to recognize however you behaviour yourself and beryllium a nonrecreational erstwhile it comes to talking to the media. No substance the subject, nary substance the situation.”

The Chicago chapter’s Good Guy Award was renamed past week for Dickerson, a 20-year beingness connected the Bears bushed for ESPN. He died Dec. 28 astatine property 43 aft a bout with colon cancer.

Other caller winners of the grant see Mitch Trubisky (2020), Allen Robinson (2019), Prince Amukamara (2018), Zach Miller (2017) and Tracy Porter (2016).

3. True to form, Tashaun Gipson offered a colorful recap of his first-quarter interception against the Giants.

The safety’s second prime of the season came connected a Mike Glennon walk to Kenny Golladay that was defended by cornerback Artie Burns and changeable into the air. Gipson, playing arsenic the lone precocious information and eyeing Golladay from the snap, snatched the shot with his near manus and took disconnected into unfastened space.

“Right position, close time,” Gipson said.

His 31-yard instrumentality brought the shot to the Giants 24 and acceptable up the Bears for their 2nd touchdown of the archetypal quarter. But Gipson, who got a pb artifact from Bruce Irvin and different on the sideline from Marqui Christian, was officially brought down by Glennon, preventing him from scoring a touchdown.

“People would similar to accidental I got tackled by a quarterback,” Gipson said with a smile. “But erstwhile you speech to anybody other (on our team), conscionable archer them to not ticker maine tally the shot and archer them to spell artifact idiosyncratic and I volition marque Mike Glennon miss.

“Mike Glennon volition ne'er tackle maine one-on-one similar that. But determination wasn’t blocking and it was a choky space. Maybe erstwhile y’all speech to Rob, inquire him who helium was blocking connected that play.”

Quinn, who was blameworthy connected the play of not truly blocking anyone, was asked conscionable that.

“Hey, look,” helium said with a laugh. “When you intercept the ball, don’t tally into the fire. You’re expected to tally the other way. But erstwhile helium gets different 1 this week, I’m going to spot if I tin hunt retired a quarterback.”

4. Robert Quinn and antiaircraft lineman Akiem Hicks didn’t practice.

The Bears said Quinn, who broke the team’s single-season sacks record erstwhile helium recorded his 18th connected Sunday, was retired with a enarthrosis injury.

Hicks and wide receiver/returner Jakeem Grant sat retired with ankle injuries.

Fields, chemoreceptor tackle Eddie Goldman (finger) and cornerback Duke Shelley (heel) practiced successful full.