NEWSLETTER
If you’re wondering why Khalil Mack wasn’t himself on Sunday, here’s your answer:
#Bears star pass-rusher Khalil Mack got rolled up on yesterday and injured his ankle during the loss to the #Dolphins, I’m told. The injury may have kept other players on the sidelines, but Mack gutted it out into overtime and stayed on the field. More info later in the week.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 15, 2018
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the ankle injury Mack suffered in the first half was serious enough to possibly keep other players off the field. And yet, Mack played 62 snaps and was on the field for nearly 80 percent of the defense’s total plays in the loss to the Dolphins. It’s a gutsy effort from a heckuva performer, but one that has us leery heading into an important Week 7 matchup against the Patriots.
When asked about Mack’s ankle injury on Monday, Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy suggested the situation would need to be monitored as the week goes on:
Coach Nagy says Khalil Mack will have his ankle further evaluated this week.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 15, 2018
The Bears pass-rush suffered without Mack’s dominant presence hassling the quarterback, though we now know his efforts were hindered due to an ankle issue. And because Mack was clearly impacted by the injury, Chicago’s trainers and coaches would probably be wise to ease up on his usage at practice this week (perhaps they should have eased up during the game, too …).
Not only would it be the smart thing to do, but it would be in line with what has been the team’s mentality when dealing with injuries. So don’t be surprised if Mack shows up on the injury report as someone who was limited (or didn’t participate at all) in practice later in the week. All that matters from here is that the Bears get him to a point where he’s as healthy as possible by the time Tom Brady and friends roll into town.
