Justin Fields to start for Bears in Week 3 against Browns

Andy Dalton is dealing with a knee injury that will force him to sit out in Week 3, which means Justin Fields is preparing to make his first ever NFL start.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy announced on Wednesday that Fields will be the team’s starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. With speculation swirling about Dalton’s status, Nagy said he wanted to put an end to the uncertainty.

Bears' HC Matt Nagy made the announcement that Justin Fields is Chicago's starting QB with the idea to clear out any distractions and speculation about the issue. "We're ready to attack this thing moving forward," Nagy said.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 22, 2021

Dalton suffered a non-contact knee injury in Chicago’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week. There was initially concern that it may have been serious given the way he landed, but tests revealed the veteran only suffered a bone bruise. While that is much better than ligament damage, it can be very painful.

Of course, the obvious question now is whether Dalton will ever get his starting job back. Bears fans have been clamoring for weeks for Nagy to start Fields. If the former Ohio State star plays well, it will be almost impossible for the Bears to switch back to Dalton.