Fields will play Saturday for chemistry
Luke Getsy spent three seasons as Aaron Rodgers’ quarterbacks coach before joining the Bears as their offensive coordinator in 2022. At no point during that time did he witness Rodgers take a snap in a preseason game. Rodgers hasn’t played in the preseason since 2018 — and even then, he threw four passes.
“This is just a different situation,” he said.
This means Bears quarterback Justin Fields starting and playing limited snaps in the exhibition opener Saturday against the Titans.
Rodgers has played 18 seasons and counting; Fields has played 25 games. He has new receivers, running backs and offensive linemen with whom to jell.
“I think it kind of falls back into the chemistry thing, right?” Getsy said Thursday. “Getting that group, kind of for the first time. Having that experience for the first time.”
Previous Bears coaches have vacillated between playing starters in the preseason and sitting them. Mitch Trubisky didn’t throw a preseason pass in 2019; the next year, former coach Matt Nagy said he regretted that decision.
Getsy hinted that the controlled environment of the Bears’ two joint practices next week in Indianapolis could be more valuable than preseason game action, anyway.
“Your quarterback is still wearing a different-colored [non-contact] jersey, all that stuff,” he said. “But everything’s happening faster, and it’s a different opponent, so you get to play the game speed.”
Claypool out
One day after grabbing for his hamstring between rounds of trash talk with the Bears’ defensive backs, wide receiver Chase Claypool sat out practice. It’s unlikely he’ll play Saturday.
The Bears remain without defensive starters DeMarcus Walker, Tremaine Edmunds and Jaquan Brisker, guards Nate Davis and Lucas Patrick and rookie cornerback Terell Smith. Third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman didn’t practice Thursday, and neither did running back Travis Homer nor cornerback Josh Blackwell.
Without using Claypool’s name, Getsy said he thought the jawing between receivers and defensive backs was “awesome” — though he admitted the Bears’ offense crossed the line maybe once during camp.
“I think we were able to get back from that and then continue it,” he said. “I think all that’s important if you want to play a certain way that we want to play the game.
Gotta have that edge to you.”
This and that
Expect Ja’Tyre Carter to start for Davis on Saturday. Getsy said the Bears won’t move Teven Jenkins back to right guard from his new left-side post.
“It’s really important that we try to get guys where we believe they are going to play,” he said. “I think that was more important than taking that route.”
Rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott expressed his love for Gale Sayers when the Bears drafted him and reiterated it Thursday.
Scott’s dad introduced him to old football clips when he was a kid. He watched running backs — Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson and Sayers.
“I just loved how elusive he was, so kinda trying to take that style of being shifty and being able to make people think one thing and being able to move them without even touching them,” he said.