CHICAGO _ Mitch Trubisky will travel with the Bears to London on Thursday but Chase Daniel is expected to make his fifth career start Sunday against the Raiders in London.
Daniel replaced Trubisky on the first possession of the game in last Sunday's 16-6 victory against the Vikings and helped lead the team to its third consecutive win. Now, the 11-year veteran and career backup is preparing to make his third start with the team.
Trubisky injureded his left shoulder when he was sacked by Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter on a play that was negated by a penalty. ESPN reported he suffered a dislocation and partial tear of the labrum.
Coach Matt Nagy said Trubisky is unlikely to play in the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but is considered "day-to-day." With the off week coming after the trip to London, the Bears are optimistic Trubisky could be back as soon as the Week 7 game against the Saints on Oct. 20.
"We have the bye coming up here so we'll be able to see really how this goes for him," Nagy said. " ... It's crazy sometimes how things go with these byes and where they come and all that. We're in a good position right now knowing that Chase came in last week and we've been in this before so we're fully confident in that."
Daniel completed 22 of 30 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown against the Vikings. He is 2-2 in his career as a starter and the Bears went 1-1 when Trubisky was sidelined last season, beating the Lions on Thanksgiving and losing to the Giants the next week. The Bears signed Daniel to a two-year, $10 million contract because of his familiarity with Nagy's scheme and their belief that he can run things efficiently if needed. Daniel showed the ability to come in cold and produce against the Vikings.
"He sees things well, in general," offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said. "He has a tendency, if anything, to overthink things. It was almost _ not in any way a good thing, don't take this the wrong way _ but there was no time for him to think about anything. He had to just go. It was immediately, 'Go to the bullpen. You're in. Pitch.' That was good for his mentality. He sees things. The timing of this offense, he's been in for a long time. That helps."
Daniel has time to prepare for the Raiders even though the schedule is different this week with the team practicing at Halas Hall on Thursday and then departing for London. Daniel previously has been to London for games with the Chiefs and Saints, so he knows what to expect in terms of adjusting his body clock. A full week as the No. 1 really doesn't change a lot for him though.
"Nothing," Daniel said. "I mean, you get more reps. You actually get live reps, but for me, and I've said it before, I prepare every week like I'm the starter regardless of any circumstances. I think that's why we were able to come in and move the ball a little bit on offense. Obviously it'll be good to get some live reps with these guys but not much changes."
