Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy continues to put off his starting quarterback decision for Sunday's home game against the Detroit Lions.
"The starter's gonna be a game-time decision," Nagy said. "Both (Andy Dalton and Justin Fields) were out there this week for practices. Andy is getting better each day. We're just gonna see where he's at on Sunday."
Dalton is officially listed as questionable for Sunday after being limited in practice all week. Dalton suffered a knee bruise in the Bears' Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He missed last week's embarrassing blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Fields, who struggled in his first start last week, suffered a right thumb injury but was a full participant in practice all week and does not have an injury designation.
"What's important is that they're both getting better, and for us, that's a positive," Nagy said. "That's all we can do is continue to see where they're at. Andy with him being limited and continuing to work through where he's at, and then see where he's at on Sunday.”
Nagy insisted several times that health will determine who starts Sunday. Asked whether there is a chance Dalton could be healthy enough to play but not be the starter, the coach declined to bite.
"That's all what we're working through," Nagy said.
Third-stringer Nick Foles is not in the mix to be the starter.
Given how last week went, with Nagy running a scheme that didn't fit Fields' skill set, the coach was asked if he had separate game plans for each QB.
"I'm not gonna get into that with scheme. We feel good with where we're at with the game plan…sss," he said, chuckling as he held the "s."
In most circumstances, we'd suggest that the coach was playing coy with his starting quarterback situation to keep the opponent preparing for two possibilities. That could be the case here. But Nagy has seemed so determined to keep Dalton as his starter he could simply be praying for good medical news come Sunday.