Luck hasn’t been on the Chicago Bears’ side this season. It seems like too many things go wrong for them at the worst possible times. It was the pick-six against Tampa Bay. Then it was the fumble return TDs against Denver and Minnesota. That doesn’t even cover the ridiculous amount of health problems they’ve had across the entire roster. Justin Fields is out with a dislocated thumb. Braxton Jones still hasn’t returned from a neck injury. Eddie Jackson has missed multiple games with a lingering foot problem. It’s one headache after another.
True to form, their misfortunes continued over the past 48 hours. It started with news that safety Jaquan Brisker would miss the game on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. While exact details are unknown, he contracted an illness early in the week and hasn’t recovered enough to play. His loss on the eve of playing Justin Herbert isn’t great. Well, the football gods decided to pour salt in the wound. Reports have now surfaced that center Lucas Patrick was downgraded to questionable for the game with a back injury.
The Chicago Bears must battle through adversity again.
That has become the reality of this season. Injuries. Locker room tension. Erratic play. They’ve seen it all, and the year isn’t even halfway over yet. Brisker has been a vital part of the Bears’ resurging pass defense over the past few weeks. While his production won’t show it, his versatility to play all over the field gives them advantages in several situations. His loss will sap them of flexibility. As for Patrick, he finally seemed to give them some stability at center. If he’s out, that means the Bears either must move Cody Whitehair back to the middle or gamble on former 6th round pick Doug Kramer.
Neither option is appetizing. Whitehair still struggles with snapping the ball consistently. Kramer hasn’t played an NFL regular season game yet in his career. Asking him to debut in primetime against a strong Chargers defensive line could be bad. Alas, the Chicago Bears have few options. Given the short notice, it’s likely Whitehair will shift to the middle, with Ja’Tyre Carter taking over at left guard. Elijah Hicks or Quindell Johnson will replace Brisker at safety.
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