NEWSLETTER
Seeing Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack on the injury report for a second consecutive day gives me heartburn.
And it has nothing to do with the leftover chili I had for lunch, either.
But at least Head Coach Matt Nagy delivered news that had me breathing a sigh of relief by way of progress reports for both players.
For starters, Mack sitting out back-to-back practices is a precautionary measure. Moreover, Nagy expressed confidence that Mack will play on Sunday. That breeze you felt was a giant exhale from Bears backers who are less worried today about who starts in place of an elite pass-rusher on Sunday. It’s possible that Nagy could hold Mack from practicing for a third straight day to give the star defender additional time off. After all, it’s that time of the year when key veterans tend to need (and receive) more rest. But even seeing Mack as limited would make everyone feel just a bit better. Until then, we’ll continue to hold our breath.
As for Hicks, he was upgraded to limited participation at Thursday’s practice. That represents a step toward playing on Sunday against the Lions. Hicks missed the Bears’ loss to the Packers on Sunday Night Football because of a hamstring injury he suffered in the team’s last game before the bye. Chicago missed Hicks’ presence, particularly in defending the run. It sure would be nice to have Hicks back in the middle in time to slow down Lions running back D’Andre Swift.
As for the rest of the injury report:
#Bears Thursday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/sUH82cTKgx
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) December 3, 2020
More good news regarding left tackle Charles Leno Jr. (toe) who joined Hicks as being upgraded on the injury report. On the other side of the line, Germain Ifedi remains limited because of a calf issue. All things considered, things are trending in the right direction on the injury report. Now, if only that could translate to it being the case on the field, too.
