Chicago Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy addressed the media via a video conference at Halas Hall on Sunday afternoon. There’s plenty to dig into from Nagy’s time, and we’ll get to all of in the next few posts.
First, some important injury updates.
Akiem Hicks and Allen Robinson
Whew dot gif:
Allen Robinson (ankle) and Akiem Hicks (quad) were both held out of practice again today to remain cautious. Coach Nagy says there is "no concern" with their injuries.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 23, 2020
That sound you heard was a collective sigh of relief from Bears fans after reading there is “no concern” regarding injuries to receiver Allen Robinson and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. Robinson and Hicks are two of the team’s most important players, so it would make sense to sit them in an August practice even if there was minimal concern. Chicago’s team opens its season three weeks from today, so making sure those two players are in tip-top form should be a high priority.
That Nagy is unbothered by their current injury status makes me feel better about the entire situation. Moving on.
Eddy Piñeiro
The Bears are bringing another kicker to camp:
#Bears HC Matt Nagy says PK Eddy Pineiro "has a little bit of a groin that he's dealing with." Adds that Cairo Santos will be joining team as second kicker in camp.
— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) August 23, 2020
Nagy confirmed place-kicker Eddy Piñeiro has a groin issue he is dealing with, hence, the need to bring in another kicker. Having a second kicker has its perks. Not only does it provide a break-in-case-of-emergency option, but it also nudges Piñeiro. And even if the goal wasn’t to give the Bears’ incumbent kicker a little push, I don’t think it will hurt. But judging by Nagy’s tone and the context in which he talked about bringing in Santos, the move sounds like it’s more of an insurance fall-back plan and less of a ploy to push Piñeiro.
If there is one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s always good to have a contingency plan.
Jason Spriggs and Lachavious Simmons
The Bears didn’t make a splash move to upgrade the starting lineup of offensive linemen. But the team added competition for reserve roles via free agent signings and the draft.
However, two depth pieces have been out of action in recent days:
Nagy did not have an update on the right knee injury suffered by OT Jason Spriggs on Saturday. Also, said rookie OT Lachavious Simmons remains out with an unspecified injury that he deemed minor.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 23, 2020
Jason Spriggs suffered a knee injury on Saturday, and did not see the field on Sunday. The Bears signed Spriggs as a free agent this spring after he spent the last four years with the Packers. Spriggs was a Packers second-round pick in 2016, but never played to his potential. Even still, he seems to have an edge for the swing tackle job.
Lachavious Simmons was one of two seventh-rounders the Bears used to pluck offensive linemen late in the 2020 NFL Draft. Nagy couldn’t offer up specifics regarding Simmons’ injury, as the details slipped his mind and he didn’t have the information in front of him. I think Simmons can make the roster as a reserve lineman, but it would be nice to hear that he’s making progress by stacking good practices before making that conclusion.