Report: Justin Fields could make several starts for Bears

Justin Fields will make his first career NFL start in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, and it sounds like he will have multiple chances to prove he is worthy of the job.

Andy Dalton will miss Week 3 after suffering a bone bruise in his knee. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dalton could miss an additional game or two after Sunday depending on how quickly he recovers.

Dalton has a bone bruise from his femur and tibia colliding. While he did not suffer any structural damage, the injury can be a painful one and the recovery rate varies.

There’s a wide-ranging belief that the Bears will slow-play Dalton’s injury if they have to. Head coach Matt Nagy very awkwardly committed to Dalton this week as the team’s starter when healthy, but it will be almost impossible for him to bench Fields if the rookie plays well.

If the Bears leave Dalton’s recovery up in the air, they can basically start Fields as long as they want and claim Dalton is still less than 100 percent health.