After the bye week, the Chicago Bears are back to work at Halas Hall, and Matt Eberflus opened his press conference today with some important injury updates.
Matt Eberflus Provides Bears Injury Updates
According to Matt Eberflus, the Bears will have three players return to practice today, and a few aren’t quite ready to return from their respective ailments.
- 21-day practice windows have been opened for OL Larry Borom and RB Travis Homer.
- According to Eberflus, S Jaquan Brisker and CB Kyler Gordon will not practice today and are “day-to-day.”
- CB Tyrique Stevenson, CB Terrell Smith, DL Zacch Pickens, and LS Scott Daly will return to practice today.
More From Matt Eberflus’ Wednesday Press Conference
- Eberflus was asked what the approach would be for the Bears this week, trying to gameplan for the Commanders with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ status up in the air for Sunday’s matchup. Eberflus sounds like he’s preparing for Daniels and will have a plan for Mariota if the rookie can’t go on Sunday.
- “It’s a similar offense … different types of players in terms of who they are quarterback-wise. But our plan will be our plan, and we’ll adjust and have contingency plans for that, for who’s in there, but we’re going to stick with what we’re doing.”
- Eberflus on what Mariota brings: “Just the experience factor. I thought he did a really nice job if you look at his rating last week. Efficient and effective; during the course of that whole game … did an outstanding job.”
- Eberflus on the benefits of Caleb Williams’ ability to connect with everyone around him: “The continuity in terms of communicating with the receivers, with the line, and being on the same page and just really focusing on the detail. That started about a month ago, where we started to really focus on the details. The guys understood the offense, and we adjusted it a little bit as we went. Of course, we’re still doing that; we’re still finding our winning way and the best way for that particular week to win that particular game.”
- Eberflus’ timeline makes it clear again that something changed in the building following the loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3. He credited Williams’ communication skills as a driving force behind the change.
- Eberflus was asked about Williams’s pre-draft process and how the fact that Williams lived alone in an apartment near his high school in D.C. may have influenced their decision or their opinion of his maturity level. Williams said that that phase of his life accelerated his maturity, and his maturity and experiences have made him a more mature young man and quarterback in his rookie season.
- When asked what the Commanders do best on offense, regardless of who starts at quarterback, Eberflus said that the Bears’ defense must be prepared for their no-huddle and tempo offense. “You just have to be able to get lined up, communicate, making sure you’re right, and it’s got to be about what you’re doing, first, and then being able to execute a multitude of things at that speed.”