QB Justin Fields will play Saturday

The Bears plan to have Justin Fields play in Saturday’s exhibition game against the Bills, coach Matt Nagy said Thursday.

Fields practiced Thursday. Nagy said beforehand the Bears would be “cautious with the reps” because of a groin injury. Fields did not practice Wednesday, though he wore his helmet and spun a football in his hands during most of it. He threw a few passes at the start of practice and participated in a contest with his fellow quarterbacks at the end of it, tossing balls into trash cans in the end zone.

“Again, anything could happen,” Nagy said. “But I think [Wednesday] giving him the day off to help him was good and he feels good. ... We wanted to be able to sacrifice that day of practice to be able to get him right for Saturday.”

Nagy said that Fields’ injury was mild enough that he could have played Wednesday were it a game.

“He’s competitive,” Nagy said. “He wants to be out there. That’s the beauty of these guys but at the same time sometimes we gotta protect him from himself and make sure, and he understands it, he gets it.”

Andy Dalton will start and play at least halfway into the second quarter, Nagy said. Fields will take over from there and figures to play into the fourth quarter.

The rookie was electric in the Bears’ first exhibition game, going 14-for-20 for 142 yards and one touchdown. He ran five times for 33 yards and another touchdown.