Fields limited while Gordon, Brisker are out with concussions

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Justin Fields' status didn't change over the past 48 hours. The Bears' second-year quarterback is still considered day-to-day with a left shoulder injury, head coach Matt Eberflus announced Wednesday.

Fields is cleared to practice. The Bears changed their practice schedule this week and will have a walkthrough Wednesday. Eberflus said Fields would be considered limited on the practice report estimation. The Bears will have a shortened practice on Thanksgiving Thursday.

The Bears have not decided whether or not Fields will play Sunday against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. That decision will start with the medical staff, then go to Fields, and then to the coaching staff. If each group signs off, Fields will play.

"Yeah, just how he’s feeling. What the medical staff is saying to him and us every single day, and obviously, we’ve got to put that out every day, and then how he’s feeling," Eberflus said when asked for the operation to determine Fields' status. "How he’s feeling when he’s moving, when he’s throwing, um, when he’s just going about his business of operating as a quarterback."

Thursday will be the most important day for the Bears to determine Fields' availability against the Jets. If he's moving well and at full speed, it would seem to signal he's on track to play.

Eberflus admitted that pain tolerance could factor into whether or not Fields plays. The hope is that Fields improves every day during the week and can go Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

"Just whatever is best for the Chicago Bears, and part of that is obviously we believe in the health of our players," Eberflus said about the conversations surrounding the plan for the injured Fields. "And that's an important thing, obviously, with the quarterback. We've had conversations with Dre, we've had conversations with the doctors, of course, with Ryan of where we're going, and we feel confident with where we are right now.

"He feels good today. We'll see where it is. Like I said, limited fashion for our walk-through. That's our designation is limited. So hopefully tomorrow it gets better. We'll progress from there."

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Eberflus would not disclose what Fields' injury is and wouldn't say whether or not the second-year quarterback would have to wear a harness if he is cleared to play.

If Fields is cleared to play, can move, and tolerate the pain, the Bears will play the second-year quarterback. It appears that the thought of sitting him if he's deemed healthy enough to play isn't in the equation.

"I would just say that if he’s ready to play, he’s going to play," Eberflus said when asked why they wouldn't rest Fields. "He feels that way, we feel that way. If he’s ready to go, feels good about it, he’s going to play the game. Really, the reason is because we’re trying to win. We want to win the game. There’s a lot of great things to getting the experience of playing a game, every single game we can. That’s an important part to this season.”

Fields suffered the injury on the first play of the Bears' final drive in the loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11.

As for the rest of the Bears' Wednesday injury report, rookie defensive backs Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker are in concussion protocol. Teven Jenkins was a full participant.

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