When training camp began, the
Chicago Bears already had questions about their wide receiver position. Many felt it was the worst in the NFL in terms of star power and depth. The last thing they could afford was a rash of injuries to strike. Sadly, that seems to be the team's misfortune. Word came out of Saturday's padded practice that two key losses were suffered. Head coach
Matt Eberflus quickly confirmed both.
N'Keal Harry, the former 1st round pick Chicago acquired via trade from New England, went down with an apparent ankle injury that required the help of teammates and trainers to leave the field. Then to make matters even worse, it was revealed free agent addition Byron Pringle suffered a quad injury. His status for the rest of camp is now in question, with Eberflus making it seem like the team is targeting his return for the regular season opener next month.
To top it all off, rookie Velus Jones is also considered day-to-day with a minor injury of his own.
Chicago Bears have serious problems now.
There is no getting around it. Three of the projected top five receivers on their depth chart are out with injuries. Two of them sound relatively serious. Right now, it appears to be Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown, followed by a wide gap from everybody else. GM Ryan Poles has his work cut out for him. If Harry and Pringle are out for a considerable time, the team may have no choice but to look for help at wide receiver.
Veteran free agents still available include Will Fuller, T.Y. Hilton, Cole Beasley, and Emmanuel Sanders, among others. This development is good news for those already on the roster. Names like Dazz Newsome, Tajae Sharpe, David Moore, and Dante Pettis are battling for roster spots. They now have a window of opportunity to make a positive impression on the coaching staff. Details on the injuries should surface in the next 24-48 hours.
This reinforces how active the Bears will likely be at wide receiver next off-season if nothing else.
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