If you’ve felt as if every other push notification you’re getting in recent days has been about COVID getting another tentacle onto the sports world, you are not alone.
But if it’s any consolation, at least this injury report update features mostly good news:
#Bears Friday injury report: pic.twitter.com/bw9pgPDmIh
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) December 17, 2021
It’s a wave of full participation for Bears players who were previously put on the sidelines due to an illness.
Of the eight Bears players who were non-participants in Thursday’s practice due to illness, seven were full participants. Among them were starters at tight end (Coke Kmet), running back (David Montgomery), right guard (James Daniels), and left tackle (Teven Jenkins). The NFC’s reigning Special Teams Player of the Week (Jakeem Grant Sr.), as well as Bears reserve RB (Khalil Herbert) and TE (Jesper Horsted) were also back in the fold. Only DL Khyiris Tonga (shoulder) remained out of action on that front.
Injuries also kept CB Xavier Crawford (concussion) and Marquise Goodwin (foot) off the practice field. Meanwhile, linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and tight end Jimmy Graham (knee) remained as limited participants in practice. All things considered, this is overwhelmingly good news when you think about the waves of news that has been crashing to our shores.
Of course, it wasn’t all good news:
#Bears roster moves:
We have placed QB Andy Dalton and DB Duke Shelley on Reserve/COVID-19.— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) December 17, 2021
QB2 Andy Dalton, who wasn’t practicing due to an injury to his non-throwing hand, lands in COVID protools. Joining him on the Reserve/COVID-19 list is cornerback Duke Shelley. The Bears were probably hoping to activate Shelley for Monday’s game against the Vikings. Sliding Shelley into the nickel corner role would’ve given Chicago three healthy corners. Instead, Shelley – whose 21-day practice window opened this week to get the ball rolling on an activation from IR – will have to go through COVID protocols before returning to the playing field.
Ideally, the last injury/practice participation report of the week brings us clarity going into game day. But the way things are going now, I don’t think we’ll get any clarity until inactive players are announced 90 minutes before Monday’s game. Until then, we’ll be playing the waiting game.