NEWSLETTER
Last week was beautiful because the Chicago Bears injury report didn’t have any injuries to report.
And then the Bears went on to beat the Patriots on Monday Night Football.
Life was grand.
But the wholly positive vibes are being put on hold for the moment. That’s because a pair of Chicago’s starting offensive linemen — right tackle Larry Borom and center Lucas Patrick — are on the first injury report of the week. And I am already hot and bothered about it.
I’m concerned about Borom. The second-year player from Missouri played all of the snaps on Monday Night Football. So seeing his name pop up as a DNP because of a concussion is troubling. Head injuries are nothing to take lightly, so I hope everything is above boardhere. And more importantly, I hope Borom will be healthy enough to eventually return to the playing field.
Borom has been something of a revelation at right tackle. He has played all 417 of the team’s offensive snaps and is doing a swell job of holding down the fort at a relatively new position. Think about it. Since joining Chicago as a Day 3 pick in 2021, Borom has taken snaps as a left tackle, at guard, and now at right tackle. Settling into your third position in two years and playing well enough to merit further consideration as a starter in future years is nothing to sneeze at, my friends.
As for Patrick, the Bears reportedly plan on sending him to IR because of the toe injury he suffered 10 plays into the team’s win on MNF. Just when you thought the Bears were settling on an offensive line with Patrick playing the position he signed on to play as a free agent, Patrick — who missed significant time this summer with a broken thumb — is set to miss at least the next four games. What a bummer for him and an offense that needed a shakeup in the interior of that line.
Even with the short turnaround, the Bears still have time to sort through the line issues. Sam Mustipher figures to re-claim his spot at center while Patrick is injured. Meanwhile, what happens at right tackle is a bit more of a mystery. If push comes to shove and Borom can’t play, Riley Reiff probably takes over as a starter. But I wonder if Alex Leatherwood will receive consideration. Could rookie Ja’Tyre Carter work his way into the lineup? I hope it doesn’t come to it because I want to see a healthy Borom. I’m curious to see how he bounces back from a rough matchup against Patriots stud pass-rusher Matthew Judon. But he’ll need to be healthy first.
Here’s hoping for upgrades later in the week. But I know better than to hold my breath.
