The past week has been a rough one for the pessimistic Chicago Bears fans. Most of this is due to the ongoing ordeal of the offensive line. Second round pick Teven Jenkins remains out with “back tightness.” This has left many to wonder if the injury is more severe than the team is letting on. Fellow rookie Larry Borom is still out with a concussion. James Daniels hasn’t returned from his quad injury. As a result, the line has predictably struggled in practice. Right when the Bears seemed to finally get better at quarterback too.
Why can’t we have nice things? Jokes aside, the one piece of good news in all of this is it’s happening with a month still to go before the regular season begins. This gives the Bears enough time to hopefully get guys back healthy and practicing before their big primetime showdown on opening night in L.A. To that end, Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog delivered a welcome update. It appears reinforcements could be on the way.
“The Bears believe Germain Ifedi is close to returning but a hip flexor injury is tricky for a tackle. OL coach Juan Castillo trusts Ifedi immensely and they see no reason to rush him back onto the field.”
It is easy to forget Jenkins wasn’t the only starting tackle out this whole time.
Ifedi suffered his hip flexor at the start of camp during conditioning tests. Since then he landed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list and remained unmentioned. This seems to indicate he’s on the mend and nearing activation. The timing couldn’t be better. Chicago has had to lean on former 7th round pick Lachavious Simmons and former Spring League standout Tyrone Wheatley Jr. to handle the blocking at right tackle. With predictable results.
Ifedi may not be anything special but he proved last season that he is plenty competent. Not surprising since he played right tackle for years in Seattle. His return should provide a little more stability on the edges. He and Daniels still haven’t played a single snap in practice together. Something that must be corrected soon.
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Chicago Bears don’t need elite from their offensive line
Right now they’re looking for passable. Something that won’t get their quarterbacks killed. Andy Dalton is a sharp veteran. He knows how to navigate less-than-ideal blocking. He did it for years in Cincinnati and even last season in Dallas. The Bears allowed 36 sacks last season. It probably would’ve been more if Mitch Trubisky weren’t as mobile as he is. That has to get better if Matt Nagy is going to implement the kind of passing attack he’s desperate for.
Ifedi is a key part of that. His return will stabilize one edge. Then it becomes a matter of figuring out who the left tackle will be. Most presumed that job would go to Jenkins after the departure of Charles Leno Jr. However, coaches have made it clear Borom is somebody to watch. He’s been emerging fast in practice. Enough to where they genuinely feel he is capable of being a starter right away.
It may come down to who gets back from their injury first.
Another reminder that the entire offensive line situation remains fluid. All one can do is hope Juan Castillo finds the right combination to give this team success. They have to score more points this year. The defense isn’t what it was three years ago. With one of the hardest schedules in the NFL, the Chicago Bears need everybody on offense to pull more weight.
