Trevor Siemian Focused on Playing Even If He Doesn't

Trevor Siemian knows how the game is played, whether he's operating an offense with little practice time or just trying to keep prying reporters from discovering how much work he's getting in at Halas Hall to shield what the Bears plan to do at QB.

It's the tradition of the NFL to keep backup quarterbacks without many play reps in practice each week, if any. The starter needs those snaps.

"Every week you're ready to go," Siemian said. "You anticipate to play every week, truly. That's how you have to prepare to stay in it. It could happen the first snap. It could happen on Play 62.

"You just gotta be ready to roll whenever your number's called. No different than any other week."

It is different this week because of Justin Fields' left shoulder injury. So questioners wanted to know how many snaps Siemian was taking at practice, as a sign of whether the Bears really are serious about playing Fields after an injury. After all, coach Matt Eberflus wasn't telling.

"I don't really talk about the reps," Siemian said. "That's a better question for Flus."

He also had an answer about whether they were letting him try to run some of the QB running plays Fields normally gets.

"Yeah, I've had time to look at some old Wing-T film," he joked. "We'll see."

One of the most difficult aspects of play for any backup QB is being able to build a rapport with receivers he rarely gets to throw to in practice. It's going to be a concern if Siemian plays. 

It's already a problem for Justin Fields considering Chase Claypool just arrived while Byron Pringle and N'Keal Harry missed huge parts of the early season.

"It's as good as it can be for being a 2," Siemian said of his connection with receivers. "That's part of my job too, is staying back and watching guys run routes, reading their body languages, looking at coverages, staying engaged in the meetings. I feel good where that's at."

Siemian said he occasionally gets a play rep in practice when Fields is healthy.

"Here and there, spot reps," Siemian said. "That's how it is for a backup quarterback and that's kind of the understanding when you come in. You're the two, you got to be ready to play whether you get all the reps or none. The expectation is to play and play well."

Siemian can relate to what Fields is going through. He said his non-throwing shoulder has been separated twice.

"Uncomfortable," was how he described it.

Again, Siemian sidestepped comparisons with Fields' injury so as not to tip off what that Bears might be planning to do.

"If you're looking for a comparison, I couldn't draw that," Siemian said. "It's painful, but what are we Week 12? Things come up. They've come up in our room. They are going to come up in everybody's quarterback room. It's that time of year. It is what it is."

The Bears are finding it out the hard way this week.