NEWSLETTER
Playing on Monday Night Football this week tweaks the Bears’ practice schedule. So, instead of getting practice participation report and injury updates Wednesday through Friday, everything kicks back a day.
Don’t feel too bad. My body is re-adjusting to this week, too.
With that being said, here is the week’s first injury report:
#Bears Thursday injury report: pic.twitter.com/IwWg5vgbR8
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) November 4, 2021
Jackson Didn’t Practice
Safety Eddie Jackson was atop the list of non-participants in the first practice of Steelers Week. Jackson went down with a hamstring injury on the Bears’ second defensive snap last week, was seen walking gingerly to the sideline, and never came back into the game. And while Bears fans (present company included) bemoan Jackson’s tackling struggles, it was apparent how much the team was missing its top safety. After Jackson left the game with the hamstring issue, the Niners were schematically attacking Chicago’s secondary through the air in an aggressive manner. Jackson’s tackling might be an issue, but he still does plenty of positive things from a coverage standpoint that allows him to impact the game subtly.
DeAndre Houston-Carson was in on 96 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps last week, which hints at him being the next-man-up in the starting safety role. Teez Tabor also chipped in with 18 snaps, putting him in the mix in what was Houston-Carson’s rotational safety role. Should Jackson remain out, we’ll likely see what Tabor – a second-round cornerback in the 2017 NFL Draft – can do at his new position.
No Mack Update
Khall Mack missed his first game since 2018 on Sunday. And when asked about Mack’s status, Head Coach Matt Nagy said there was no update and that Mack was a in the same situation as he was last week. This would mean Mack is day-to-day with a foot injury that could keep him out up of three games. That the Bears didn’t put him on IR to keep him off his feet for three weeks suggests the team believes Mack could be back in a few weeks. Otherwise, they would have put him on IR and put the additional roster spot to use. But that isn’t the case in this situation just yet.
Assuming Mack doesn’t play on Monday, the Bears could have Mack off his feet for 27 days if he returns for the team’s Week 11 matchup against the Ravens. And if the team wanted to take a more cautious route, they could do so by holding him out until the Thanksgiving game against the Lions. Doing this would give Mack 31 days to rest his foot issue. Finally, should the team decide on taking the safest route, resting Mack for the next three games could put him back in time for a game against the Cardinals on Dec. 5. That would give Mack an additional 10 days of rest and a total of 41 days between games. Rest up, big guy.
No Hicks on the Injury Report
Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks has spent time on the injury report in four of the last five weeks. That’s not how any of us would’ve drawn up the start of what might be Hicks’ final season with the Bears. But a bothersome groin injury the last three weeks has limited Hicks’ practice participation. But things appear to be trending in the right direction. For starters, Hicks put together back-to-back full practices last week ahead of the Bears’ game against the 49ers. And this week, Hicks doesn’t even appear on the injury report at all. Splendid news, indeed!
Hey, It Wasn’t All Bad
David Montgomery’s practice window opened today, starting the clock on a 21-day window in which the Bears will monitor and evaluate the running back before deciding whether or not to activate him. And for what it’s worth, this is what Montgomery looked like in his return:
David Montgomery returned to practice today. He was moving well. pic.twitter.com/rIQ1e0Yn4E
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) November 4, 2021
David Montgomery in some individual drills at practice this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/NR6WFm5iHu
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) November 4, 2021
Last week, we saw offensive lineman Larry Borom’s practice window open, initiating the first steps in his return from IR. And days later, the rookie from Mizzou was starting at right tackle. Part of me thinks it is a lot to ask of Montgomery to jump into the fire so quickly after a knee injury that was serious enough to knock him out for three weeks. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t want to stifle Montgomery in his comeback attempts either. We’ve seen him work his way back into the lineup quicker than one might otherwise expect. With that in mind, we’ll keep an eye on his situation as his practice week evolves.
