The first injury report for Week 7 is out and the Chicago Bears have some names on the list that you really wish weren’t on it:
#Bears Wednesday Injury Report:
DNP: Cooper Sr. (hamstring), Mack (ankle)
Limited: Amukamara (hamstring), Kush (neck), Robinson II (groin)— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) October 17, 2018
Star pass-rusher Khalil Mack did not practice as he works toward recovering from the ankle injury he suffered in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Dolphins. Mack’s non-participation in practice was not unexpected, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still disappointing. Head Coach Matt Nagy told reporters earlier in the day that the team would be cautious with Mack, and the Bears did exactly that. Because nothing says exercising caution like suggesting it would be in the best interests of all parties to take it easy and actually going through with it.
Joining Mack as a non-participant in practice was cornerback Marcus Cooper Sr., whose hamstring is serious enough to have kept him out of the last three games.
Cornerback Prince Amukamara was limited in practice as he deals with a hamstring issue of his own. Amukamara’s hamstring injury flared up again in Week 6 against the Dolphins, causing him to be limited to just 52 of the defense’s 78 snaps. The Bears could have used a healthy Amukamara as they struggled to defend the Dolphins’ short-passing attack, which didn’t get much going when they targeted Amukamara’s side of the field.
Wide receiver Allen Robinson’s name popped up on the injury report for the first time in 2018. Robinson (groin) was limited in practice, but it might behoove the Bears to proceed with caution here, too. Because not only has Robinson been a productive member of the Bears offense, he has also been an iron man of sorts. Robinson has played on 91.2 percent of the offense’s total snaps. Only quarterback Mitch Trubisky and starting offensive lineman Charles Leno Jr., Cody Whitehair, Bobby Massie, and Kyle Long have played more snaps than Robinson’s 311.
Speaking of the offensive line, Eric Kush was limited in practice because of a neck injury. Kush was limited a week ago with the same ailment, but started on Sunday against Miami. However, it’s worth noting that James Daniels out-snapped him 39-31. We’ll continue to monitor this and all the other injury developments.