Final Bears injury report for Week 2 vs Buccaneers
The Chicago Bears are looking to be only one man down this weekend as they prepare to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Defensive back Josh Blackwell has officially been listed as Doubtful for Sunday's match up. Blackwell was slated to start for Chicago in Week 2 in place of injured cornerback Kyler Gordon. The rest […]
The Chicago Bears are looking to be only one man down this weekend as they prepare to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Defensive back Josh Blackwell has officially been listed as Doubtful for Sunday's match up. Blackwell was slated to start for Chicago in Week 2 in place of injured cornerback Kyler Gordon.
The rest of the roster looks to be fully intact going into the weekend. Special teams linebacker Dylan Cole was limited in practice on Wednesday but was a full participant to finish out the week and will not have an official injury designation.
Here is the Bears' final injury report ahead of Sunday's game:
Blackwell was limited in practice on Wednesday with a hamstring injury and did not participate the remainder of the week. This information doesn't bode well for his availability on Sunday, putting the Bears yet another man down in the secondary.
On Thursday, the Bears placed Gordon on the Injured Reserve resulting from a hand injury he suffered against the Packers, thus knocking him out for at least four games. Blackwell entered the game in Week 1 after Gordon went down and was set to take over duties at the nickel position prior to his injury.
The Bears will now have to rely on 2023 fifth-round pick Terell Smith or recently elevated from the practice squad Greg Stroman Jr. if they wish to implement a traditional nickel cornerback. The alternative would mean pivoting into a 4-3 base on defense by utilizing linebackers Jack Sanborn or Noah Sewell in the lineup.
On the positive side, Cole is expected to make his Bears debut on Sunday after an eventful few days to start his season last week. On Saturday, prior to the game against the Packers, Cole's contract was terminated. However, by Monday, he was brought back on the active 53-man roster and returned to practice. Now, he'll get the chance to finally take the field for the first time this season.
Featured image via: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
