Jaquan Brisker says Justin Fields is officiated differently than other QBs in the NFL

Bears rookie safety Jaquan Brisker has a message to NFL referees: Protect my quarterback.

Brisker and other Bears contended the Falcons often hit Justin Fields late during Chicago's 27-24 loss at Atlanta on Sunday.

"If that was a different quarterback, they would be throwing hella flags. A lot of flags," Brisker said. "I feel like the league has to look at that. It’s crazy how many times he gets hit in the head every single game, but he still gets up.” 

Fields, playing in his home state for the first time as an NFL quarterback, left the field on a cart while holding his left shoulder after the loss. The Falcons sacked him four times.

On the first play of the Bears’ final drive, Fields appeared to further aggravate his shoulder injury. On the next play, Fields picked up four yards on a designed QB keeper before sliding down and taking a late hit from the Falcons' Grady Jarrett. 

Brisker also compared Fields to other QBs, saying, “If that was Tom Brady, Jared Goff, or anybody like that, they throwing flags immediately.”

After the game, Fields said that his availability for Week 12 against the New York Jets will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. "The pain right now is pretty bad," Fields said.

Asked about Fields’ gutsy performance, Chicago offensive lineman Teven Jenkins said: “It sets the standard. Everybody around here preaches that we want to be the toughest team in the league. Seeing him always bounce back, it really does set the standard.”

That "standard" is important to establish a culture in the NFL, but without the protection that many other QBs get from the refs, it may cause Fields to miss games.