Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy pauses as he speaks during a news conference after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, in Chicago. The Eagles won 16-15. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bears Suffer Two Brutal Setbacks Right Before Chargers Game
Luck hasn’t been on the Chicago Bears’ side this season. It seems like too many things go wrong for them at the worst possible times. It was the pick-six against Tampa Bay. Then it was the fumble return TDs against Denver and Minnesota. That doesn’t even cover the ridiculous amount of health problems they’ve had across the entire roster. Justin Fields is out with a dislocated thumb. Braxton Jones still hasn’t returned from a neck injury. Eddie Jackson has missed multiple games with a lingering foot problem. It’s one headache after another.
True to form, their misfortunes continued over the past 48 hours. It started with news that safety Jaquan Brisker would miss the game on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. While exact details are unknown, he contracted an illness early in the week and hasn’t recovered enough to play. His loss on the eve of playing Justin Herbert isn’t great. Well, the football gods decided to pour salt in the wound. Reports have now surfaced that center Lucas Patrick was downgraded to questionable for the game with a back injury.
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Darnell Wright injury update: Bears handed another setback ahead of make-or-break season for Justin Fields
Justin Fields is heading into a season that could set him up for the next decade. If things go perfectly, Aaron Rodgers’ exit will have paved the door for another divisional hegemon to take over. That hegemon could be Justin Fields. However, training camp serves as the first under-the-radar test for every franchise’s durability.
The Bears’ offensive line is struggling on this front as rookie offensive tackle Darnell Wright left practice with an ankle injury, according to 670 the Score via Bears Wire. The timeline for a return is unknown at this time.
Justin Fields’ offensive line teetering on failure in one category already
This is not the only setback for the position group as left guard Teven Jenkins is also staring down a guarantee of missing opening weekend. Not only will he be missing the first game, but he will also be missing the first month of action, pinpointing a return around Week 5.
There’s a chance for the Bears to roll into a titanic matchup against Green Bay down two linemen. With a game of this magnitude kicking off the year, Bears fans will be disappointed to roll into the game already damaged. If both players miss the start of the regular season, two of the five linemen will be out of action, placing the health of the line at 60 percent.
Who might start for the Chicago Bears’ offensive line in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers?
As it stands, the Bears’ offensive line in Week 1, assuming both players miss the opening game, will be Braxton Jones, Cody Whitehair and Nate Davis. The backups taking over will most likely be Alex Leatherwood and Aviante Collins.
Braxton Jones is coming off a decent year in which he played more than 1000 snaps and managed to maintain a 75.4 PFF rating. Cody Whitehair played about 660 snaps and earned a 65.9 rating. Nate Davis played 682 snaps and earned a 70.6 rating.
Backup Alex Leatherwood is coming off a year that saw him play 32 snaps and earn a 60.1 rating. Aviante Collins is a complete unknown, playing just three snaps last season, earning a 59.1 rating that could be taken with a grain of salt.
Will Justin Fields get at least four of his five starting linemen for the showdown against Jordan Love?
