NEWSLETTER
The ever-changing look of the Chicago Bears’ offensive line could soon have a different combination starting in the trenches.
Cody Whitehair, who is currently on injured reserve, has been designated for a return to the active roster:
Whitehair went down with a knee injury during Chicago’s Week 4 loss to the New York Giants. The knee issue limited him to 27 snaps in that loss and led him to miss each of the Bears’ next four games. Since then, we’ve seen Lucas Patrick and Michael Schofield spend time as a starter in Whitehair’s place. But it is possible we’ll see Whitehair back in the starting mix.
Head Coach Matt Eberflus threw out the idea of Whitehair returning to the lineup as soon as Sunday:
OK, so that wasn’t as firm as an answer as we would’ve liked regarding the possibility of Whitehair’s return coming this week. But that Eberflus puts it out there (1) dangles the carrot that serves as something for the player to shoot for and (2) makes it seem plausible that a return four weeks after injury is plausible. At minimum, this is an excellent bit of new for the Bears and an offensive line that needs all hands on deck.
As for where Whitehair could conceivably play upon return, I have questions about the various possibilities. A return to left guard would make sense. But we probably shouldn’t rule out him playing at center if Sam Mustipher’s struggles continue. Whitehair has extensive starting experience at center, which happens to be a position that he was playing when he was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2018. Plus, Whitehair has experience snapping it to Justin Fields. So I suppose the Bears could line up with Michael Schofield at left guard and Whitehair at center in the near future. If the powers that be who make the lineup think that interior OL trio is better than what the alternative is, then they should give it a shot. But we’ve got a few days ’til game day, which gives us ample time to sort things out.
