2 min read • January 05, 2021
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Quarterbacks - The Bears’ quarterback room has been impacted by injuries in a major way this year, and the Trubisky/Foles dynamic has been affected by this. Trubisky was benched for Foles early in the year, and later injured his shoulder, then Foles hurt his hip and Trubisky was put back in. We’ve speculated that the team has used injuries as pretense for maneuvering their starter at quarterback, but it appears Mitch Trubisky is fully planted at starter heading into the playoffs.
Running Backs - David Montgomery suffered a groin strain in training camp, but he made it back for Week 1. He has had a good campaign, eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing, though missing Weeks 10 and 11 with a concussion is worth noting. He has had his best weeks to close out the regular season, however, and much of the Bears’ offensive success rests on him.
Tarik Cohen has been out since Week 3, when his season ended with an ACL tear. The electric offensive weapon has surely been missed in this offense, as they’ve moved forward with Cordarelle Patterson as a RB/WR hybrid, though he has been contending with knee issues of his own at the end of the season.
Wide Receivers - Wideout Darnell Mooney injured his ankle in Week 17 in the midst of a breakout performance, and is in danger of missing the first round of the playoffs. He’s emerged as a fantastic option in the pass game, and Mitchell Trubisky would certainly miss him.
Offensive Lineman - Chicago’s offensive line has been wracked with injuries this year. Their interior has been hit the worst, and starting left guard James Daniels is out for the year with a pectoral injury. Center Cody Whitehair also missed time with a calf injury and COVID, and has since shifted to guard while Sam Mustipher is starting in the middle, though he missed Weeks 9 and 10 with a knee injury. Right tackle Bobby Massie has been on injured reserve since Week 9 with a knee injury, but has just been activated for his practice window, and could very well return for the playoffs. German Ifedi has been filling in on the right side, but swing tackle Jason Spriggs has missed time throughout the year with knee and thumb injuries as well as COVID.
Linebackers - Roquan Smith injured his elbow in Week 17 and while he was initially listed as questionable to return, was out for the rest of the contest. He is a central point in this defense at linebacker, and will have to hope the elbow injury is not severe enough to hold him out of the playoffs.
Khalil Mack has not missed a game but has dealt with knee, back and shoulder issues all year, and one has to wonder if his dip in production is a result of playing hurt. He has not had sacks in back-to-back games since early November, and their pass rush needs his talent.
Defensive Lineman - Akiem Hicks missed Week 12 with a hamstring injury, and left the next game early with the same problem. He has not had issues since, and will continue to be a big part of the Bears’ defensive front.
Roy Robertson-Harris has become an important part of Chicago’s defensive line rotation, but his 2020 campaign was cut short by a shoulder injury in Week 8, and he has been on injured reserve ever since.
Cornerbacks - Buster Skrine and Jaylon Johnson are Chicago’s top corners behind Kyle Fuller, and both are contending with injuries at the end of the year. Skrine missed Week 17 with a concussion, and it is unclear if he will clear protocol in time for the playoffs. Johnson had shoulder issues at Utah with surgeries on both sides. His left shoulder was operated on twice, and he had a torn labrum on the right side. It appears this recent injury was to his right side, and he has not practiced since.
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