Andy Dalton seems to have gotten all positive news since he suffered a knee injury during Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. However, it is still fair to wonder if the Chicago Bears quarterback is going to keep his starting job.
There were fears that Dalton suffered a torn ACL with the way he came up lame, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that initial exams showed no ACL or MCL damage. Dalton is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, but the belief is that he suffered a bone bruise. That is obviously positive news.
Even if he avoided a serious injury, Dalton’s status for Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns is uncertain. If he’s forced to sit, Justin Fields would get his first career NFL start. The Bears were already planning to have Fields be more involved on Sunday before Dalton got hurt, and reports have indicated that the rookie is blowing teammates and coaches away in practice.
Fields went 6/13 with 60 yards, no touchdowns and an interception against the Bengals. Dalton was 9/11 with 56 yards and a score. Fields also added 31 yards rushing on 10 attempts, and he obviously adds that element to Chicago’s offense. Still, the Bears were previously committed to bringing him along slowly.
That could change now. If Fields starts against the Browns and plays well, fans will be irate if he’s then sent to the bench when Dalton returns. The situation may have suddenly gotten even more complicated for Matt Nagy.
