CHICAGO BEARS NEWS

Injured QB Justin Fields will likely miss his second straight game when Bears meet Chargers

Quarterback Justin Fields likely will miss his second consecutive game because of a dislocated right thumb when the Chicago Bears visit the Los Angeles Chargers this week

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Roschon Johnson - Could be back in action Week 8 Head coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that Johnson remains in concussion protocol, but the Bears are optimistic that the running back will play Week 8 against the Chargers, Brad Big...

Impact Eberflus suggested that Johnson has one hurdle to clear before exiting the protocol, so the 22-year-old rookie may only need to return to a full-contact practice and receive the green light to play from an independent neurologist before being deemed good to go for this weekend. While both Johnson and Khalil Herbert (ankle) have been sidelined for the Bears' past two games, D'Onta Foreman has emerged as Chicago's lead runner, carrying 31 times for 154 yards and adding four catches for 33 yards while finding the end zone three times between Weeks 6 and 7. Herbert will remain on injured reserve for at least another two weeks, but if Johnson is back in action this Sunday in Los Angeles, he could challenge Foreman for the No. 1 role out of the backfield. At the very least, Johnson should be able to unseat Darrynton Evans as the top change-of-pace complement to Foreman after Evans averaged just 3.5 yards on 23 carries and two yards on four targets over the past two games.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tyson Bagent - Named Week 8 starter Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that Bagent will remain the team's starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports...

Impact Per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com, Eberflus noted that there is "no change" in the status of No. 1 quarterback Justin Fields, who sat out the Week 7 win over the Raiders with a dislocated right thumb and is being classified as "doubtful" at the early stages of Week 8. Based on Eberflus' comments, Fields doesn't look as though he'll be available as even an emergency backup, leaving Nathan Peterman in the No. 2 role behind Bagent. The undrafted rookie out of Division II Shepherd managed the game effectively in the Bears' convincing 30-12 win over Las Vegas, completing 21 of 29 pass attempts for 162 yards and a touchdown while adding 24 yards on the ground and committing no turnovers. Because the Bears are likely to rely on a ground-heavy game plan once again Week 8 while limiting Bagent's opportunities to the throw downfield, the 23-year-old profiles as a low-end fantasy option in leagues that start two quarterbacks or have a QB flex spot available.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Justin Fields - On track to miss another start Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Fields (thumb) is being classified as "doubtful" for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Eberflus relayed that while Fields' condition is improving, there is "no change" in his status while the third-year signal-caller continues to recover from the dislocated right thumb he sustained in the Bears' Week 6 loss to the Vikings on Oct. 15. The Bears have already named Tyson Bagent as their Week 8 starter after the undrafted rookie out of Division II Shepherd completed 21 of 29 pass attempts for 162 yards and a touchdown to go with three carries for 24 yards in Chicago's 30-12 win over Las Vegas in Week 7. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Fields is regaining grip strength and is expected to require 2-to-3 weeks to make a full recovery from the injury, so it's still possible that he may be able to practice in some capacity Week 8. Fields will turn his focus to making a potential return to game action for the Bears' Nov. 5 matchup with the Saints in Week 9.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sportsbooks win big via Patriots upset; college bettors fall flat with USC loss

Sportsbooks won big in NFL Week 7, as the Patriots' shocking outright win over the Bills blew up parlays, Patrick Everson reports.

OCTOBER 23, 2023

NFL Week 7 highlights: Eagles run over Dolphins, Patriots upset Bills, Chiefs upend Chargers

Week 7 of the NFL season continued Sunday with 11 games taking place. Here are all of the highlights from Sunday's slate!

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Cairo Santos - Tallies six points in win Santos converted a 54-yard field goal in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact Santos missed one of his extra-point attempts, but he remains one of the more reliable kickers in the league. For fantasy, he has one game with more than seven points, and he lacks the consistent upside that many of the top kickers possess due to the Bears inconsistent offense.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Jaquan Brisker - Double-digit stops in win Brisker notched 10 tackles in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact Coming into this game, Brisker posted between four and seven tackles in each game. With the Bears having a positive game script, Brisker was able to take advantage of his opportunities to post his best game of the season. He still remains a high-floor IDP each week.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tremaine Edmunds - Another strong outing Edmunds tallied eight stops in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact Edmunds has recorded at least eight tackles in six of seven games, and he remains a high-floor IDP each week.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Jaylon Johnson - Huge fantasy day Johnson intercepted two passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and added three tackles in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact Johnson faced a pair of excellent wide receivers, but he had the fortune of going against the quarterback duo of Brian Hoyer and Aidan O'Connell. It also helped that the Bears played with a lead throughout, forcing the Raiders to throw the ball 45 times. On the season, he's averaging three tackles and now he has his first two picks of the season. He'll be a low-ceiling IDP in most games.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Cole Kmet - Shut out in victory Kmet was not targeted in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact After recording at least 38 yards in four of his first five games, Kmet has a total of nine yards over his last two games. His recent slump coincides with Justin Fields' thumb injury, and it's possible that Kmet doesn't regain his consistency until Fields is back in action.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tyler Scott - Best game of season Scott caught two passes for 19 yards in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact After being targeted five times over Chicago's first five games, Scott has seen four targets in each of his last two games. The recent bump in production along with an increased snap share since Week 5 are promising, but until Scott can post higher yardage totals, he's not yet a consistent fantasy option.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Velus Jones Jr. - Catches one pass in win Jones failed to gain a yard on his only reception in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact Jones has touched the ball six times for 27 yards on offense this season, and it appears that his greatest value to the team will be on special teams unless his role is changed.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Travis Homer - Makes return to lineup Homer failed to catch his lone target in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact Even with the Bears playing without Khalil Herbert (IR, ankle) and Roschon Johnson (concussion), Homer played behind Darrynton Evans for change-of-pace duties. It seems likely Homer will contribute on special teams more than he will on offense, as he's yet to have an offensive touch in six games played.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Darnell Mooney - Four grabs in victory Mooney caught four passes for 32 yards in the Bears' 30-12 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Impact Mooney was second among Chicago's wide receivers with four targets in a game the team controlled throughout. On the season, he has yet to surpass 53 yards in a game while finding the end zone once. Unless Mooney begins to see an uptick in targets, he'll likely continue to be a low-upside fantasy option.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

NFL Week 7 top viral moments: LeBron James, Taylor Swift celebrate National Tight Ends Day

There was plenty to buzz about on social media during an action-packed NFL slate. Check out the moments that had the internet talking here!

OCTOBER 22, 2023

Adams and Jacobs are still looking for their usual level of production as Raiders lose to Bears

With Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs held in check, Las Vegas was shut down by the Chicago Bears in an ugly 30-12 loss

OCTOBER 22, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Darrynton Evans - Big workload in Sunday's win Evans carried the ball 14 times for 48 yards and caught one of three targets for six yards in Sunday's 30-12 win over the Raiders.

Impact The 2020 third-round pick saw nearly as many touches as D'Onta Foreman (19), but the latter was far more productive, piling up 120 scrimmage yards and three total TDs. Evans' workload is encouraging, but his role in the Chicago backfield in Week 8 against the Chargers will likely be dependent on the health of Roschon Johnson (concussion).

OCTOBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

DJ Moore - Eight catches in win over Vegas Moore caught eight of nine targets for 54 yards in Sunday's 30-12 win over the Raiders.

Impact With undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent under center in place of Justin Fields (thumb), the Bears' passing game was limited to short, safe tosses, but Moore was still the team's top option through the air. The former Panther has exactly eight catches in three of the last four games, amassing a 29-466-4 line on 36 targets over that stretch, but if Fields isn't able to return in Week 8 against the Chargers, Moore will likely be more of a floor than a ceiling play.

OCTOBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

D'Onta Foreman - Three TDs in Week 7 win Foreman carried the ball 16 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns while catching three of five targets for 31 yards and a third TD in Sunday's 30-12 win over the Raiders.

Impact With Khalil Herbert (ankle) on IR and Roschon Johnson not yet cleared through the league's concussion protocol, Foreman was the lead back for the Bears and scored his first touchdowns of the season in his first three-TD performance since Week 8 of last year, when he was with the Panthers. The veteran back has had trouble even getting onto the field in Chicago and was a healthy scratch for four of the first five games, but after this performance, Foreman figures to have a significant role in Week 8 against the Chargers regardless of Johnson's availability.

OCTOBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tyson Bagent - Avoids mistakes in Week 7 win Bagent completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-12 win over the Raiders. He added 24 rushing yards on three carries.

Impact Making his first career NFL start, Bagent didn't take many chances downfield -- his longest completion went for only 17 yards -- but the undrafted rookie out of Division II Shepherd also didn't make any big mistakes and leaned on Chicago's running game to produce points. Justin Fields (thumb) could return as soon as Week 8 against the Chargers, but if he isn't ready to return, Bagent performed well enough Sunday to earn a second start.

OCTOBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE