The Chicago Bears came away from the 2018 season relatively healthy, though there will be at least one offseason surgery of note.
Ryan Pace confirms WR Anthony Miller will have offseason shoulder surgery.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 14, 2019
Bears GM Ryan Pace announced rookie wide receiver will have surgery to repair his left shoulder, which suffered multiple dislocations this year. It is the only scheduled surgery for a Bears player this offseason.
Miller first suffered the injury in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals and it caused him to miss the team’s next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was back for Chicago’s Week 6 loss at Miami, but didn’t miss a game for the rest of the year due to the injury. Unfortunately, Miller suffered an injury to the same shoulder on a carry in the first quarter of the team’s Week 17 win against the Minnesota Vikings. The injury did not keep him out of the Bears’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Wild-Card Sunday, but it limited his snaps and ultimately kept him off kick return duties.
When Miller arrived in Chicago, his confidence and toughness were among the things that stood out about the Memphis product. It was certainly on display during a rookie season where he caught 33 passes for 423 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite the injured shoulder, Miller was still able to build a foundation of a strong rapport with quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who posted a 116.4 passer rating and threw six touchdowns (and just one interception) when targeting the second-round receiver. Those are notable nuggets worth storing away this winter as we think about what the offense will look like next season.
The only other injury of note was the one that will keep Khalil Mack out of the Pro Bowl. Pace told reporters that Mack suffered a sprained knee during the loss to the Eagles, but it’s not something the team is concerned about. It’s time for Mack, Miller, and the rest of the Bears to rest easy, recover, and recuperate.