The Bears opened Week 5 with a practice report that looked rough on paper, especially up front. Chicago listed 12 players on the injury report Wednesday, and seven of them did not practice.
The biggest names were all along the offensive line: Jonah Jackson, Joe Thuney, and Darnell Wright. Jackson was out with an ankle injury, Thuney was listed with a pectoral issue, and Wright was dealing with an ankle injury as well. Given how important that group is, seeing all three sit on the first report naturally stands out.
Still, the expectation is that this is more about managing bodies than sounding a major alarm. Thuney has usually had at least one rest day each week, and Wednesday may have simply been his scheduled break.
Wright has also been nicked up at different points this season, so the hope is that he’ll be fine. As for Jackson, Thuney, and Wright as a group, it’s very unlikely all three are headed for the same outcome from this first report.
Caleb Williams was also among the players who did not practice, but that wasn’t a surprise. Bears head coach Ben Johnson has already ruled him out for Week 5, and Williams won’t practice this week. Johnson indicated next week could be the first chance for Williams to get back on the practice field.
The running back room was hit again, too. Kyle Monangai showed up with thumb and toe injuries, while D’Andre Swift was listed with hip and knee issues.
Both have dealt with multiple injuries that have cost them practices at times this season. Monangai’s finger had been a concern entering the week, though Johnson said it shouldn’t affect him this week.
Through four games, Monangai and Swift have each rushed for more than 300 yards.
Grady Jarrett was another player who didn’t practice, but his absence was described as a normal veteran rest day. That’s been part of his routine since last year with the Bears.
There was at least some good news on defense. Kyler Gordon and Cam Lewis both logged full participation. Gordon still appears to be about two weeks away from returning, while Lewis seems close to coming back after missing Chicago’s 23-12 Week 4 win over the New York Jets.
The report wasn’t the cleanest way to start the week, but the Bears will get another chance Thursday to calm things down if the offensive line and running backs get on the practice field.
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Green Bays rushing game has been a problem, and its third-down offense has not been much better, which opens the door for Chicago to force longer drives and tougher decisions. The Packers have leaned on a quicker passing game to compensate for offensive line concerns, but that also gives the Bears a clear roadmap: pressure the timing, stay disciplined underneath, and make Green Bay prove it can sustain an attack the hard way. [Read more 🡒]