Nate Davis has drawn the ire of Chicago Bears fans all summer. The right guard was signed last off-season to a lucrative free agent contract in hopes he could help fortify the offensive line. Instead, he missed most of training camp with various issues and then missed six games with injuries. Things didn’t get any better this year. He missed OTAs, minicamps, and most of training camp with an undisclosed injury, forcing the Bears to lean on backups like Ryan Bates and Matt Pryor. Many people are ready to wash their hands of Davis at this point.
Perhaps the most frustrating part in all of this is having no knowledge of what the guard is supposedly dealing with. The Bears haven’t offered any information on the source of the injury. They aren’t required to until the regular season. It could be a knee, an ankle, a calf, and so on. Having no clarity has led to rampant speculation that Davis might even be faking an ailment to get out of practice. At last, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provided relief with an update in his latest column.
I wouldn’t go there quite yet. We’re still a long way from the start of the season on Sept. 8. That’s 25 days, and the first thing Davis needs to do is get back on the practice field and stay there. He participated in a good portion of Tuesday’s practice, including some team drills. The practice was in shells and we’ll have to see how he responds. He has been dealing with a groin injury.
The Bears want to get to the first game with the best possible line on the field. The more time Davis misses, the more difficult it will be for him to claim the starting right guard job. That being said, there’s also no reason whatsoever for the team to feel like it has to make a decision soon, and if Davis can stay on the field the rest of this week, he’ll have an opportunity to lock down the job.
This would explain the slow Nate Davis recovery.
Groin injuries are tricky in athletics. They take a long time to heal and can be easy to re-injure if players try to rush back too quickly. It would explain why the Bears have tried ramping him up slowly. A setback occurred last week, making some think he’d miss even more time. Thankfully, it appears the problem is finally calming down. Davis practiced in full pads on Wednesday and didn’t appear to leave at any point due to a setback. One can only hope this is a sign he’s in the clear.
The Bears need him at his best if they’re going to take a step forward on offense. Caleb Williams is a rookie quarterback. His success depends almost entirely on his protection. Most of the problems in training camp have reportedly come from the interior. Nate Davis not being there is one reason for that. This season feels like do-or-die for him. The Bears already seem like they’re losing patience with him. His contract forbids outright cutting him, but that won’t be the case in 2025. Either he plays well or will be looking for a new job next spring.
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