Whereas Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears are already out of playoff rivalry, their Week 18 recreation in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers nonetheless had postseason implications. The Bears might play spoilers to their rivals’ hopes to increase their marketing campaign past the common season.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t meant to be, because the Packers wrapped up the seventh and remaining spot within the 2023 Nationwide Soccer Convention playoffs. Regardless of the loss, Fields was the focal point amongst soccer followers for an alleged non-call that, of their opinion, ought to have been a Inexperienced Bay penalty.
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Bears followers slam recreation officers for non-penalized hit on Justin Fields
On first-and-10 from the Green Bay Packers’ 48-yard line, Fields discovered the hole on the precise finish for a six-yard run. Whereas he might have gotten extra yards, he slid to the bottom to finish the play. Nevertheless, security Jonathan Owens flew in to hit Fields, forcing the quarterback’s head to bounce off the bottom.
Sadly, the sport continued with out Owens getting a flag for pointless roughness. Whereas the officers let that play go, Bears followers could not, as certainly one of them commented on the clip shared by JPAFootball:
“they be letting Justin Fields DIE out there”
One other fan seconded that emotion by saying:
“No love for my boy Fields man just embarrassing”
Listed here are different reactions to Jonathan Owens getting a free cross after an inconsequential hit on Justin Fields.
Just a few performs later, Fields checked out as Bears trainers assessed him for a possible concussion. Nathan Peterman entered the sport, however the drive resulted in a punt.
After which, the Packers ran out the final six minutes in regulation to seal a 17-9 playoff-clinching victory.
Fields completed the sport with 11 completions for 148 passing yards and eight carries for 27 speeding yards. He accomplished his third NFL season with 2,414 passing yards, 630 speeding yards, 20 complete touchdowns (16 passing), and 9 interceptions.
The Bears’ 2023 season ends at 7-10, extending their postseason drought to a few years.
Will Justin Fields stay the Bears’ beginning quarterback subsequent season?
The Chicago Bears‘ offseason exercise, particularly across the 2024 NFL Draft, will decide Justin Fields’ destiny. Chicago has the highest total choice on this 12 months’s draft after the Carolina Panthers clinched the 2023 season’s worst file.
Nevertheless, the Bears personal that choose following final 12 months’s commerce that allowed Carolina to pick Bryce Younger at primary. There is a risk the Bears take a quarterback like USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye with the highest choose.
Buying and selling the primary choice in 2024 or saying a non-quarterback as their best choice signifies that the Bears nonetheless imagine in Fields’ functionality as a possible franchise quarterback.
