Bears QB Justin Fields will start on Sunday in Detroit

Justin Fields is back.

According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Justin Fields’ thumb has improved enough that he will finally return to the starting lineup this week against the Detroit Lions.

Update: Head coach Matt Eberflus made it official and announced that Fields will start on Sunday in Detroit.

Fields has been out since sustaining a dislocated thumb injury early in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings. He proceeded to miss the next four games. Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent started in his place, and the Chicago Bears won two of the four games Fields missed.

Fields is set to return against a white-hot Detroit Lions team that has won six of their last seven and is 7-2 on the season.

There was hope that Fields could return as early as two weeks ago against the New Orleans Saints but his grip strength wasn’t where the team wanted to see it, and the short week heading into the Thursday night game against the Carolina Panthers certainly didn’t help his chances last week.

If Fields can stay healthy, it will give Ryan Poles seven more games to finish his evaluation of QB1 and see if he will indeed be the team’s quarterback of the present and future.