These are some trying times for the Chicago Bears.
They’re mired in a lengthy losing streak. Looking ahead, their schedule doesn’t appear to be getting any easier. And now, they’re dealing with a growing pile of injuries. An ensuing roster shuffle follows, with the first moves coming today as receiver Darnell Mooney and safety Eddie Jackson going on injured reserve:
These transactions come days after the Bears’ loss to the Jets was painful both in the won-loss column and on the injury report. But, really, mostly on the injury report. Mooney, who was the team’s leading receiver last year, suffered an ankle injury that will likely require season-ending surgical repair. Jackson was in the midst of a renaissance season in which he was the NFC’s leading vote-getter in Pro Bowl voting after Monday’s first wave of counting. So it’s not just that the Bears are losing a pair of key players, they’re also losing leaders.
In a corresponding move, rookie safety A.J. Thomas is getting a promotion from the practice squad to the active roster. Thomas will join DeAndre Houston-Carson and Elijah Hicks as the only healthy safeties on the active roster. At least until Jaquan Brisker (concussion) and Dane Cruikshank (hamstring) recover from their respective injuries or when Adrian Colbert officially joins the roster.