Chicago Bears Injury Report: Two new starters injured originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The biggest Bears injury news of the day is that Justin Fields is still out for this week’s game due to a dislocated thumb. Head coach Matt Eberflus said the swelling in Fields’ thumb has reduced, opening a window for Fields to tape it up and start against the Raiders. But Eberflus still hasn’t closed the door on Fields also needing surgery and extended time off to recover.
In addition to QB1, the Bears have plenty of other updates on their first injury report of the week.
There were two new starters on Wednesday’s injury report. Pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue was limited with a back injury and right tackle Darnell Wright was limited with a shoulder injury. The Bears signed Ngakoue over the summer to bolster the pass rush on defense. Ngakoue has two sacks and four TFL this season. Wright, meanwhile, is the only player on the Bears’ offensive line this season. He is the only one on the OL to start every game at the same position so far. Wright struggled at times against premier rushers or missed assignments, as any rookie tackle would. But for the most part, Wright was solid in run blocking and pass protection.
The Bears are still missing two of their top running backs, Khalil Herbert and Rochon Johnson. Herbert (ankle) and Johnson (concussion) did not play against the Vikings, so Donta Foreman and Darlington Evans shoulder the load in the backfield. , and a few dribbles from Virus Jones also joined the mix. Johnson still has not cleared concussion protocol, while Herbert is on injured reserve. The Bears did have running back Travis Homer back in practice, which will primarily provide momentum for the team on special teams.
Other players on the injury report include Eddie Jackson, who was limited by a foot injury that has plagued him all year. Jackson originally hurt his foot in Week 2 against the Buccaneers — the same foot Lisfranc injured last season. He returned against the Vikings, but the injury struck and Jackson had to leave the game early. The Bears said the injury would not prevent Jackson from returning to the game if needed. Terrell Smith did not participate because he has mononucleosis. The team expects him to miss several weeks due to illness. Finally, backup inside lineman Dan Feeney was limited with a knee injury. Feeney has played two snaps on offense this year.
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