Matt Eberflus Provides Best Possible News On Bears Injury Front
Training camp and the preseason serve plenty of purposes for a football team. It’s a great way for veterans to knock off the rust from the previous year, and it’s ideal for getting young players up to speed on their respective systems. More than anything, it’s about preparing the mind and body for the tough grind to come over the next four months. However, the primary goal for the Chicago Bears was to keep everybody as healthy as possible. Head coach Matt Eberflus and the coaching staff didn’t accomplish that.
The roster was hit with multiple setbacks almost since camp began. Offensively alone, they’ve seen five projected starters miss significant time with health problems. Defensively, it wasn’t much better. DeMarcus Walker, Jaquan Brisker, and Tremaine Edmunds missed most of the preseason. Jack Sanborn has also missed lots of time. It left people wondering how healthy this team would be when Green Bay came to town in two weeks. Mercifully, Eberflus had an answer to that question, and it was a positive one.
Matt Eberflus should have a mostly healthy roster opening day.
Only Teven Jenkins is expected to miss the game and likely a few more after that with a calf injury. Lucas Patrick, Nate Davis, and Darnell Wright appear to have returned to practice. The same goes for every starter on defense. That gives the team two weeks to get up to speed and prepare for the Packers. It figures to be a tough one. Green Bay’s roster remains strong despite the exit of Aaron Rodgers. If the Bears want to finally pull off an upset, this game will likely be won in the trenches.
On paper, the Bears are much stronger there than last year. Braxton Jones has improved at left tackle. Davis and Wright should be a significant upgrade on the right side. Yannick Ngakoue gives them a proven edge rusher, while Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens offer much-needed depth along the interior. Whether it’s enough to overcome a proven veteran Packers group is uncertain. Yet the simple fact everybody is healthy is the first step in getting this season started off right.