Ahead of the highly anticipated matchup against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, the Chicago Bears released an encouraging injury report on Friday.
The Bears need all the help they can get, especially since they are 2-10 in the first game following a bye week over the previous 12 seasons.
“I think a lot of them stayed local and they just wanted to get their bodies right, wanted to get sleep back in order,” head coach Ben Johnson said regarding the team during the bye week. “So they should be feeling fresh right now. We had a couple extra route sessions, but that’s as much conditioning as it is just being on the same page, hooking up.”
Now, with the recently released injury report, Bears fans should be feeling better heading into Week 5’s matchup.
Bears Release an Encouraging Injury Report
Let’s start with the good news, and there’s a lot of it.
The Bears have multiple players in full participation, including Austin Booker, Jaquan Brisker, T.J. Edwards, Travis Homer, Jonah Jackson, Kyle Monangai, and Cairo Santos.
The big names on this list are Booker and Edwards, who both have yet to take the field this season.
Three key players were limited in practice on Friday and still have a good shot at playing on Monday: cornerback Kyler Gordon, tight end Colston Loveland, and right tackle Darnell Wright.
Gordon, like Booker and Edwards, hasn’t played a snap this season due to a lingering hamstring injury. He did say he plans to play on Monday, and commented on his excitement about getting back on the field with the team.
“I’ve been annoyed not playing. But like, mood been good just attacking rehab, but definitely excited to be out and that’s all I been looking forward to is playing with my guys and helping out the team.”
Loveland, who missed his first game last week with a hip injury, hopes to get more involved on offense and make his presence felt.
Finally, the bye week came at the perfect time for Wright, who suffered an elbow injury during the win against the Las Vegas Raiders. It dramatically shifted things on the offensive line, with the Bears putting Theo Benedet at right tackle for Wright, then moving Benedet to left tackle after benching Braxton Jones.
Second-round pick, rookie Ozzy Trapilo, filled in at right tackle after the switch. If Wright isn’t available on Monday, expect Trapilo to man down the right tackle spot.
One Concern
Luckily, there’s not a whole lot to be worried about, with Grady Jarrett being the only player who did not practice on Friday.
Jarrett, whom the Bears signed this offseason to a three-year, $43.5 million deal, hasn’t been quite what the Bears were hoping for.
Appearing in three games with the team, Jarrett has only four total tackles, three pressures, and the lowest grade by PFF on the Bears’ defense with a 55.7 overall grade. The 32-year-old veteran needs to step up his game.
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