FINALLY, Eddie Jackson has returned to practice … albeit in a limited capacity.
The Chicago Bears released their Thursday injury report, which showed the Pro Bowl safety as a limited participant in practice. Jackson missed the last two games of the regular season while nursing an ankle injury suffered in a Week 15 win against the Green Bay Packers. Participating in practice is the first step toward being active for Sunday’s playoff game against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Good news appeared to be on the horizon when Head Coach Matt Nagy said Jackson would test his ankle in Wednesday’s practice, but Jackson popped up on the injury report as a non-participant. Nagy explained the decision to hold Jackson out of action, but suggested he could still practice on Thursday. And since Jackson did practice for the first time since suffering the ankle injury, we’re over the moon about it (even if he was limited).
We’ll continue to monitor the situation as more news comes across the wire. Because while Deon Bush was an able fill-in while Jackson was gone, it will be nice to see another positive progress report so we can pencil the Pro Bowler back into the starting lineup.
As for the rest of the injury report, here it is:
#Bears Thursday Injury Report:
DNP: Lynch (elbow), Long (non-injury/resting veteran)
LIMITED: Jackson (ankle)
FULL: Gabriel (ribs), Miller (shoulder), Robinson II (ribs)— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) January 3, 2019
Right guard Kyle Long was given a veteran’s rest day and did not practice, but that’s cool. Remember, Long is only days removed from playing his first game since suffering a foot injury that put him on injured reserve for eight weeks. The Bears played it conservatively before Long suffered this injury to ensure his health as he recovered from an offseason that featured multiple surgeries. So with that in mind, it makes sense that they’re staying the course.
Outside linebacker Aaron Lynch also sat out of practice, but he is still dealing with an elbow injury he suffered against the Packers in Week 15. Lynch missed the last two games of the regular season and did not travel with the team for either of its final two road games. Based on his inability to practice, I have my doubts that he will play on Sunday against the Eagles.
On the other side of the coin, things are looking good for some of Mitch Trubisky’s favorite targets. Wide receivers Allen Robinson II (ribs), Anthony Miller (shoulder), and Taylor Gabriel (ribs) were full participants in practice for the second consecutive day. This bodes well for their playing status on Sunday. Robinson led the team in targets, receiving yards, and receptions of 20+ yards, Miller led the team in touchdown catches (7), and Gabriel caught the highest percentage of passes among the team’s wide receivers. Surely, Trubisky will enjoy having those players back in the mix.
Good news coming out of injury reports has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2018 regular season. Here’s to some more positive developments coming out within the next few days.