Bears give injury update on Andy Dalton heading into Week 3

An MRI scan confirmed Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton suffered a bone bruise during a Week 2 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

While Chicago Bears fans have been championing for Justin Fields to take over from Andy Dalton at quarterback, no one thought it would happen as soon as Week 2 — and as a result of a non-contact injury.

But once Dalton was out, Fields was in, and Bears fans rejoiced. His 6-for-13 passes for 60 yards and an interception was meager for a rookie mid-game start, but his his mobility and missed Allen Robinson connection motivated the fanbase.

However, it looks like Fields’ future on Soldier Field may be sidelined once again for the time being. An MRI scan reveals that Andy Dalton’s mysterious Week 2 injury is a bone bruise in his knee.

MRI confirms Andy Dalton suffers bone bruise in Week 2 injury

The reason Dalton initially reentered the game before re-aggravating the injury is because bone bruises are painful yet undetectable without an MRI or x-ray. Specifically, a bone bruise disrupts the internal blood supply of the bone without enough force to fracture it: it’s “an injury that almost broke the bone but came up just short,” according to Dr. Dev Mishra of Sideline Sports Doc.

Usually a result of a high-impact hit, Dalton could have injured himself coming down hard on the sideline, resulting in the bruise.

The tricky aspect of a bone bruise is that the recovery time varies greatly, taking anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Dalton will likely wear a brace or use crutches, which is common practice with bone bruises on lower extremities.

The diagnosis confirms a lacking fracture, but if Dalton heals along the usual recovery timeline, it will at least take a few weeks for the bruise to fully heal.

With an official Bears statement pending, Fields could lead the Chicago Bears for the next several games after all.