As the Chicago Bears begin to report to Halas Hall, injuries sideline key defenders. Kyler Gordon headlines a list of players starting camp on the PUP list.
Chicago Bears rookies and quarterbacks have officially reported to Halas Hall on Saturday. The Bears shared photos on social media of Caleb Williams and teammates arriving at the team facility.
Football is back.
The team also announced a series of moves on Saturday ahead of the first training camp practice that will be held next Wednesday.
The Bears have placed defensive back Kyler Gordon, linebackers Keyshaun Elliott and Noah Sewell, offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive lineman Shemar Turner on the physically unable to perform list. Veteran linebacker T.J. Edwards will begin camp on non-football injury list.
According to ESPN's Ian Rapoport, Edwards' "stay on NFI should be short, as he's dealing with a minor muscle strain."
That's an encouraging sign for Edwards, who played in just 10 regular-season games last season because of series of injuries. Against the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round, Edwards sustained a season-ending fractured fibula just 12 snaps into the game.
Although it's only July 25 and the Bears have exactly 50 days to prepare for the Week 1 road matchup against the Carolina Panthers, Gordon's injury news isn't ideal. The Bears' nickel cornerback missed 14 games last season because of soft-tissue injuries. He also missed time during the offseason program because of a soft-tissue injury.
Head coach Ben Johnson was asked about the importance of Gordon's availability during OTAs.
“We spoke last year and neither one of us were really happy with how it went just from a perspective of being available to get to know each other," Johnson said. "I think he only played in three games when I look back at it. So this spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going the right direction and we're still working through that. We're still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he is a good player when he is out there, but trust level's a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room. You can only develop that trust by being available.”
That trust is already being tested and the Bears haven't even hit the practice field yet. Depending on the severity of Gordon's injury, that will also force players like veteran defensive back Josh Blackwell, safety Cam Lewis and rookie Malik Muhammad to likely step in place as the slot corner until Gordon can return to practice.
It's not surprising that Trapilo started on PUP, considering he is still recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon that he sustained in the playoff game against the Packers. General manager Ryan Poles said during the NFL Scouting Combine that Trapilo will "miss most of the year, but we expect him to come back and heal from that."
Turner is also recovering from torn ACL he sustained against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 26.
Bears veterans will report to Halas Hall next Tuesday, and soon enough, Johnson's team will be preparing for the Week 1 preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 15.
