NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears weren’t in a position to take a hit in the depth department at receiver this summer, but were dealt a blow when N’Keal Harry left Saturday’s practice with an ankle injury.
Unfortunately, the early returns regarding the injury aren’t looking too good. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the ankle injury “appears severe” for the moment:
Ugh. A double-whammy for the Bears and Harry. An ankle injury taking Harry out of practice (and thus, keeping him from taking some much-needed reps with Justin Fields to aid in building their rapport) is one thing. But news of a “severe” ankle injury further complicates Harry’s comeback tour and the state of the Bears’ receivers room. Chicago swung a deal with New England for Harry back in June, which was the type of trade first-year GM Ryan Poles needed to make to create further competition among the receivers. Potentially losing one with considerable talent and a first-round pedigree could be a tough blow.
And yet, it sounds like the Bears/Harry have some sort of hope that a second opinion will give some better news. Perhaps a “severe” ankle injury isn’t of the season-ending variety. Maybe this is just another minor setback that leads to a big comeback later in the year. Until there is a definitive ruling, I’m willing to keep open that window of hope. But this isn’t the news anyone was hoping for at this point of the summer.
UPDATE: NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport hears the initial diagnosis is a high-ankle sprain:
Whatever it turns out officially being, it is a tough bit of news for Harry. Rap Sheet estimates it is a 6-week injury. And if that is the case, it puts the Bears in somewhat of a bind. Should they use an IR stash on a player who has yet to live up to their first-round billing who they just traded for in June? Or should they wait it out in a year where unearthing potential long-term fits should be a priority? We’ll see what comes of this update.
