Are the Bears Getting Back to Full Strength at the Right Time?
After weeks of battling injuries and inconsistency, the Bears are starting to look whole again. The bye week provided a much-needed opportunity to get key players practicing and healthy again. Every week so far, it has seemed like the injury report only grows larger and larger. While getting any player back from injury is important, Chicago is set to get some major reinforcements back for their Week Six matchup with the Washington Commanders.
Starting with the offensive side of the ball, which has stayed much healthier than the defensive side, Chicago has seen a few positive signs with the injury report. Guard Jonah Jackson was a full participant after starting the week with a limited practice. Staying on the offensive line, Darnell Wright returned to practice after missing the Week Four matchup against the Raiders. These two getting healthy is crucial as the Bears hope to see the offensive line gel and become a strength of the team. This season has been a mixture of encouraging and inconsistency, so a fully healthy unit may help to finally stabilize the line.
Another player who missed Week Four, tight end Colston Loveland, also returned to practice. While Loveland may not have had the strongest start to the season, his return adds to the passing options for this offense. His return also presents an opportunity for his role to grow. One of the things that first-year head coach Ben Johnson has mentioned in the past few weeks is his hope to get his rookies more involved in the offense. This may finally provide him with the chance to live up to his high expectations by becoming a true threat in the passing game.
On the other hand, the defense is set to look pretty different this week. For starters, the Bears are set to get two key starters back soon. The first is Kyler Gordon, who is crucial for the injury-plagued secondary. It has been able to hold up through the first few weeks, but the lack of bodies has also been clear. Gordon's return brings some much-needed stability for a team that is still feeling the effects of losing their star cornerback, Jaylon Johnson. The other key return is linebacker T.J. Edwards, who has only played in one game this season. His presence in the middle of the field has certainly been missed, as some of the major weaknesses of the season have been in areas where he can help. His tackling ability and the hope that his presence can help the pass rush may be what the team needs to start to turn the season around.
One of the more under-the-radar returns is Austin Booker. Booker has the least experience of any of the players mentioned returning, but his presence can potentially raise the team's ceiling the most. The former fifth-round pick was the star of the preseason. His performance led many fans to wonder if he could challenge for serious playing time. However, this was derailed as he suffered an injury before the season. If he can play at a similar level, then he may be the spark the pass rush needs. Chicago has only recorded five sacks, so they need all the help they can get.
A team's health plays a major role in making or breaking a season. With the Bears' roster finally nearing full strength, they have a chance to live up to the preseason hype. Health alone may not be able to fix all of the team's issues, but it gives them a foundation to start from. The return of the key players brings balance back to a team that severely needs it. There is still serious work to be done, but with the healthier roster and momentum growing, optimism may be back for a fanbase that has suffered these last few years.
