Bears offense prepares for season finale without Justin Fields
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Chicago Bears are ready to put a wrap on the season after one last home game with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
CBS 2's Matt Zahn caught up with the team far from full strength for the last game of the season.
The Bears (3-13) held their first full practice of the week after doing a walkthrough on Wednesday.
Justin Fields was not out there as Nathan Peterman gets set to start Sunday's finale against the Minnesota Vikings (12-4). Peterman will make his first start since 2018 as Fields is out with a hip strain.
If the Bears lose their 10th straight game and the Houston Texans win, the Bears will get the first pick in the next NFL draft.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy wasn't ready to do a full evaluation of Fields' season, but he did talk about some positives going forward.
"As we go into next year, now he's had this experience, he's had his opportunities to get more comfortable with the communication, the system, hopefully get more comfortable with the people around him," Getsy said.
Fields didn't have a chance to get very comfortable with receiver Chase Claypool. The two only connected on seven passes over five games, and Claypool showed frustration on the sideline in Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, a game in which he had only one target.
"It was just a buildup of that game," Claypool said. "I just always believe we're in every game no matter what the score is. I don't want people to get comfortable with going three and out.
"I'll never try to get frustrated and say 'throw me the ball.' I need to make a play for this team. We're down. It's never about my states. I don't care about my stats."
Claypool said he doesn't feel like he needs to show anything in particular in this final game.
He's fine if people count him out, saying this game they'll come out strong and they'll come back even stronger next year.