The Chicago Bears have been dealing with their own issues leading up to Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Their entire secondary is decimated by injuries. Jaylon Johnson is on IR. Now, both Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) and Kyler Gordon (groin/calf) were declared out. One can understand why fans felt an immediate sense of dread, especially with the prospect of Lamar Jackson returning from his hamstring injury this week. He practiced in full on Friday, offering an indication that the two-time MVP is ready to go.
However, there has been one final twist in that situation. Jackson didn't work with the starting offense in that practice. He ran the scout team. That is a strong indication he won't play on Sunday, with Baltimore preferring to hold him out until next Thursday when they play the Miami Dolphins. That means the Bears would see backup Tyler Huntley, who was just elevated from the practice squad. If so, it would be a massive sigh of relief for the Bears.
If you wanted further indications that this is the trending direction, Las Vegas had held the betting line at -6.5 in favor of Baltimore all week. It just dropped to -3.5.
Missing Lamar Jackson would be such a break for the Bears.
Their injury fortunes have been all over the place this season. On the one hand, they have yet to field a totally healthy roster all year. Johnson was hurt even before training camp. Conversely, it seems like all of their opponents have suffered as well. CeeDee Lamb went down in the Dallas game. Terry McLaurin didn't play in Washington. Joe Burrow is on IR and won't play next week in Cincinnati. Now Lamar Jackson, too. Pretty crazy.
Huntley beat the Bears in 2021, but hasn't been great since then. In his last 19 appearances, he has thrown for 2,096 yards, eight touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 76.1 passer rating. The only saving grace is his mobility, adding 492 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Here is the truth. Huntley has cleared 20 points only once in his NFL career. If Chicago clears that mark, there is a strong probability they will win this game.
