Bears dealing with concerning injuries that are testing the depth on both sides of the ball heading into first week of preseason
The Chicago Bears had a grueling week of practice last week at training camp and are now dealing with multiple injuries on both sides of the ball involving starting-caliber players.
The Chicago Bears face a mounting injury crisis at two critical position groups as the first preseason game approaches later this week. Safety and wide receiver have both been hit hard over the past week of training camp, leaving Chicago scrambling to adjust its depth chart on both sides of the ball.
Chicago Bears’ secondary is getting ravaged yet again
The safety situation has been widely documented. Coby Bryant, the starting safety the Bears signed in free agency, went down last Monday and will reportedly miss 8 to 10 weeks, although the team is still evaluating the full extent of his injury. Elijah Hicks remains on the PUP list, and veteran free agent signing Cam Lewis also went down on Saturday. Lewis had been rotating in at both nickel and safety throughout camp.
Those losses don’t account for the roster shakeup caused by other injured players getting placed on injured reserve or outright waived. The Bears have brought in reinforcements, including safety Xavier Woods, who is already mixing in with the first-team defense alongside rookie Dillon Thieneman, the team’s first-round pick. Cornerback Kyler Gordon remains out at the nickel position as well, compounding the secondary’s depth concerns, which was a major issue for this team last year.
“It’s the nature of football,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen told reporters on Sunday. “It really is. I’ve said this before, the game that we play is a game of attrition. The more guys that you can get ready to go out there and preform, and preform at a winning level, the better you team is going to be.”
Luther Burden III’s groin injury adds to the pain
Then the wide receiver room took its own hits late in the week. Luther Burden III, who has been an absolute stud throughout training camp and projected to be in the running for the No. 1 receiver role in Ben Johnson’s offense, went down with a groin injury and left Saturday’s practice limping. Burden is reportedly expected to miss up to a month, which would put his return close to the start of the regular season.
It’s an unfortunate reality for Burden, who missed time at training camp last year with a quad injury. The coaching staff had been extremely impressed with his work ethic and the way he’s grasped his opportunity mentally this offseason.
Burden wasn’t the only receiver to go down. Rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas also left practice on Sunday with a knee injury. Thankfully, Thomas will only be day-to-day and the injury is just considered a soreness. Thomas was a player the Bears had a clear vision for, and his speed made him someone fans were eager to see in the team’s first preseason game this coming weekend.
Jahdae Walker steps into larger role with the 1st-team offense
One player to watch over the next couple of weeks is wide receiver Jahdae Walker, who received extended first-team reps with Burden and Thomas sidelined on Sunday. Walker, the former undrafted free agent from last year, is a player this team really likes. He put in strong work building his connection with quarterback Caleb Williams and also developed a solid rapport with Tyson Bagent while working with the second-team offense.
Walker was already set up to have an exciting preseason, but now with his role expanding even further, how much work he actually gets in the preseason games will depend on how the depth chart above him shakes out with Burden and Thomas sidelined.
The primary preseason names to watch at wide receiver are Scotty Miller and Kaden Davis, both of whom should see significant action with the roster thinned out. Miller brings plenty of speed and veteran experience to the table while Davis continues shining with insane plays he’s made throughout camp.
Injuries are piling up for the Bears heading into the first week of the preseason, but you shouldn’t be too concerned, for now. Training camp has featured some intense practices over the past week, and it’s better to get a feel for your depth options now than during the regular season.
