The Bears released their first injury report ahead of their Week 8 game against the Chargers, and the report includes some updates on key starters.
The biggest news is Jaquan Brisker is out with illness, Braxton Jones is back in practice for the first time since his neck injury in Week 2, and Darnell Wright ) is DNP with shoulder and toe injuries, and Roschon Johnson will be able to participate at full capacity as he recovers from his concussion. As expected, Justin Fields did not practice with a dislocated thumb on his pitching hand.
Blisk left the Raiders game early with what was assessed as a concussion, but he was cleared and did not enter the protocol. It’s unclear what illness he had. Johnson, meanwhile, still needs to pass a baseline test before being cleared for concussion protocol.
Now that Jones has returned to practice, they have 21 days to activate him from the injured reserve list. Before that happens, they want to see that Jones’ movement is unimpeded and that he’s healthy enough to compete. If the Bears don’t activate Jones within 21 days, they will need to shut him down for the remainder of the season.
While Jones is out, the Bears have moved Larry Borom to left tackle. Borom struggled to keep the pressure rate above 10% and made some costly penalties to relieve the pressure. Jones could give the team an extra boost if he can return to the field, but with Wright’s injury, the Bears may still need Borrom to start. However, Wright missed a practice last week but was still able to play against the Raiders.
Elsewhere on the front line, right back Nate Davis is ruled out for practice with an ankle injury. Like Fields, this was expected as head coach Matt Eberflus said Davis would miss the entire week. Last week, the Bears moved Tevin Jenkins from left guard to right guard to replace Davis, then placed Cody Whitehair at LG to replace Jenkins. It’s a winning combination that creates good lanes in the run game and provides good protection for Tyson Bargent.
Eddie Jackson was limited in practice after being DNP last Thursday and Friday. In Week 6, Jackson re-aggravated a foot injury that caused him to miss three games earlier in the year. A foot injury ruled him out of last week’s win.
Finally, the Bears opened a 21-day practice window for defensive lineman Khalid Kareem. He has yet to play in a game this season. Additionally, reserve offensive lineman Dan Feeney was limited with a knee injury. Backup cornerback Terrell Smith will miss more time with mononucleosis.
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