The Extra Point

Chicago quarterback Justin Fields recalled his younger years as a Falcons and Michael Vick fan, when he would go to games with his father.

There’s a possibility Fields joins Vick and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson as the third QB to rush for 1,000 yards in a season when the Bears host the Eagles on Sunday. He needs 95 yards to get to 1,000 and has had more than 95 twice this season.

“That would be crazy with Michael Vick, me growing up in Atlanta,” Fields said. “I remember I was 8, 9 years old. I had his cleats. So that would just be crazy, kind of just full circle. I mean, it would be awesome.

“And Lamar, everybody knows he’s a great quarterback, a dynamic playmaker. Having my name with those two guys would be great for sure.”

Fields, who returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday with an illness, needs 64 yards to break the team quarterback rushing record of 968, set by Bobby Douglass in a 14-game season in 1972.

The Bears have talked about cutting back on planned running plays by Fields, possibly a good move considering all the quarterbacks suffering injuries lately in the NFL.

They may have picked the wrong week to downplay Fields’ running with the Eagles and their league-high 49 sacks coming to Chicago. Then again, he might be scrambling more than he normally would while facing the league’s secondranked defense.

Fields’ scrambling on third downs is a big reason the Bears’ offense has risen to sixth in the league in third-down conversion rate at 45.1 percent.

“I think I’ve said this before but I really wasn’t even this good of a rusher in college,” the former Ohio State standout said. “I didn’t run this much in college. This rushing thing just kind of picked up this year.”