Eddie Goldman Injury Leaves Status For Sunday Uncertain

The Chicago Bears defense was outstanding in the opener against Green Bay. As great as their pass rush was sacking Aaron Rodgers five times, their run defense was equally dominant. It allowed just 47 yards total on the evening. A big focal point of that success was nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who was almost impossible for the Packers to move, making life miserable for their running backs. The defensive tackle has truly become one of the best in the NFL at his position.

Unfortunately, he was a no-show at Thursday's practice. When asked why head coach Matt Nagy revealed he had suffered an oblique injury in Wednesday's practice. He went on to say the team believes he's okay but aren't yet certain what his status will be for Sunday. The fact that the team moved quickly to re-sign defensive end Abdullah Anderson to their practice squad after waiving him the day before was of interesting timing.

It at least raises the concern that Goldman might not be able to go in Denver against the Broncos.

Eddie Goldman would be an ill-timed loss this week

Goldman would be a tough loss for the Bears. He is a vital component to their run defense and they're about to face a team that runs the ball pretty well in Denver. They have Pro Bowl running back Phillip Lindsay and underrated backup Royce Freeman. With Goldman out this would put reserve Nick Williams and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols in the spotlight for filling that void. Both aren't terrible. It's just unlikely they can do that particular job as well as Goldman can.

Nagy has a tendency to take a cautious approach with injured players. So it will be interesting to see what happens in the next 24 hours. If Goldman is able to practice, even on a limited basis that might offer some encouraging signs that he might be able to go. If not, one has to wager that the Bears will play the long game and hold him out.