The Bears’ injury list kept getting longer on Day 8 of training camp, and the damage touched both sides of the ball.
Chicago entered practice already short-handed, with Kyler Gordon, Elijah Hicks and Coby Bryant unavailable. Running back Kyle Monangai is still coming back from a soft-tissue injury. Then the day took another turn, as four more players were added to the mix: edge rusher Montez Sweat, projected starting left tackle Braxton Jones, and defensive backs Dallis Flowers and Gervarrius Owens.
Jones and Sweat both left practice and did not return. The good news for Chicago is that Jones’ injury is not expected to be serious. That’s a welcome break for a team already dealing with Ozzy Trapilo being out, and it leaves Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr. in line to handle the left tackle spot until there’s more clarity on Jones.
Sweat’s situation is less clear, but him walking off under his own power offers at least a little hope. The Bears can’t really afford to lose their top pass rusher, especially after he already missed time in camp because of an illness. If he has to miss any time, Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker would be next up at edge rusher.
The secondary took a hit too, and this one feels heavier because of the numbers. Flowers and Owens aren’t starters, but losing more depth pieces only makes life harder for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive backs coach Al Harris. With so many bodies already missing, the Bears may need to rethink how they’re handling that group.
If those injuries end up being as serious as the early reports suggest, general manager Ryan Poles could be forced back into the market for more defensive backs. Chicago already has a starting nickel and safety to replace, so the margin for error is getting thin in a hurry.
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Bears Need This Dayo Odeyingbo Change To Finally Pay Off
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There is still some careful management built into the plan, though, because Odeyingbo is coming back from an Achilles injury. Chicago wants to use him in specific situations rather than asking him to carry a heavy load right away, which makes this camp adjustment feel less like a simple position switch and more like a test of whether the Bears can finally unlock the disruptive player they expected to get. [Read more 🡒]