Bear Digest

Former Bears DB Might Play with Two Lions Starters Out

The Lions will be without left tackle Taylor Decker and cornerback Carlton Davis III when they face the Bears on Thanksgiving.
Gene Chamberlain|
Lions left tackle Taylor Decker is among their injured players and won't face the Bears on Thursday.
Lions left tackle Taylor Decker is among their injured players and won't face the Bears on Thursday. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears will not face two Detroit Lions starters, and it's possible they could face one of their own former starters as a result of one injury.

Starting cornerback Carlton Davis III and starting left tackle Taylor Decker have been ruled out for the game. Davis has a knee injury and a thumb injury and Decker has a knee injury.

The only other Lions on the injury report are running back David Montgomery with a shoulder injury and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown with a knee injury.

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Both Montgomery and St. Brown would have gone through full practices Wednesday if the Lions had practice and are expected to play.

The Lions have 6-foot-9, 330-pound veteran Dan Skipper on their bench to play tackle for Decker. He started three games this year, has allowed a sack and five pressure in 138 snaps. They also have second-year player Colby Sorsdal.

Among the potential players the Lions have available to replace Davis is former Bears cornerback Kindle Vidor. They might replace Davis with Khalil Dorsey, as well.

Last week, Vildor filled in for injured Terrion Arnold. Arnold is healthy now. The Colts targeted Vildor successfully several times in the 24-6 Lions win.

When Davis went out last week, Khalil Dorsey came in to replace him but that was with Vildor also already playing.

The Lions haven't said for certain what they'll do at cornerback.

Vildor was with the Titans and then Eagles last year and was cut and signed by the Lions, who had him in the lineup against the Bears at Soldier Field in a 28-13 Bears win.

Vildor started 22 games for the Bears from 2020-22 after being drafted by them in the fifth round out of Georgia Southern in 2020. He was with Tennessee and the Eagles and Lions and with Detroit last year had two starts and five games played.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.