When Bears head coach Matt Nagy was asked about quarterback Andy Dalton on Monday, he said that the veteran remained the No. 1 quarterback as long as he is healthy enough to play.
Dalton is set for a full practice on Wednesday, but he’s no longer the No. 1 quarterback in Chicago. Nagy told reporters at his Wednesday press conference that Justin Fields will start against the Raiders this week and will remain the starting quarterback going forward.
“He’s grown to this point. He’s earned it. He’s worked hard. And now he has this opportunity,” Nagy said, via Chris Emma of 670 The Score.
It was always a matter of when the first-round pick bypassed Dalton to become the team’s starter and Dalton’s knee injury allowed Fields two-plus games to show what he could do in the lineup. His first start was a nightmare, but things were better in last Sunday’s win over the Lions and Fields will get a chance to grow on the job.