INDIANAPOLIS — If you were hoping to see the Bears’ No. 1 quarterback in the preseason game No. 2 on Saturday, you’re going to be disappointed.

That’s because Justin Fields will be watching the game at Lucas Oil Stadium from the sidelines.

After the team’s second and final joint practice with the Colts in Westfield, Indiana, head coach Matt Eberflus announced that the team’s top signal-caller won’t take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night.

Fields, along with a few other select starters, are being held out of the second of three exhibition games for the team ahead of their season opener with the Packers on September 10. Ebeflus said the reason for holding him out was because of “the work we’ve done here, referring to Wednesday and Thursday’s workouts with the Colts

“The joint practices, that’s not something that we’ll always do. I can’t say that. But it’s something that we’re doing this year, and we thought it was best for our football team at this time,” said Eberflus, who said that he made the decision on the starters Wednesday night.

After the second preseason game, he said that the team will re-evaluate the playing time for Fields and the starters for the final exhibition game against the Bills at Soldier Field on Saturday, August 26.

Fields did play in the first preseason game and completed his three passes on two drives, a pair of which were short passes taken for long touchdowns by D.J. Moore and Khalil Herbert. Eberflus has watched Fields through training camp, both during the good and perhaps inconsistent parts of practice, and feels good about his direction as the regular season approaches.

“I think he’s right on pace,” said Eberflus of Fields’ progress during training camp. “He was 8-for-8 and had four touchdowns in 7-on-7, that was excellent. Rhythm, timing, he’s getting better there. Sometimes it’s a protection and breakdown, it’s never just Justin, it’s always everybody. It’s the other ten guys that need to operate.

“Are we running the routes correctly? Are we protecting the right way? Are we giving him time, and going those types of things that it takes to have an efficient passing game.”