Bear Digest

Abdul Carter's foot injury could shake up Chicago Bears' 2025 NFL Draft strategy

Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter faced a surprising setback during his 2025 NFL Combine medical exam, potentially shaking up the Bears’ first-round draft strategy.
Bryan Perez|
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Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, a potential first-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, narrowly avoided the devastating medical news at the NFL Scouting Combine that every prospect dreads.

Carter's medical exam revealed a stress reaction in his foot, leaving uncertainty about whether he’d need surgery and a rehab timeline that could jeopardize his NFL offseason workout program.

However, further scans showed that surgery isn't required.

“I couldn’t be more confident that this will be a non-factor where he’s drafted,” Carter’s agent Drew Rosenhaus from the NFL Combine. “He will put on a show at his pro day.”

NFL teams could still be wary of Abdul Carter's injury, and that's good news for the Chicago Bears

Look, it's never good when a potential first-overall pick gets anything less than a clean bill of health at the Combine. But for a Chicago Bears team in need of a dominant pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, Abdul Carter’s setback might have just boosted their chances of landing the Nittany Lion superstar.

Don’t be fooled by Carter’s “no surgery needed” update. NFL teams will still have concerns about the injury and its potential to resurface early in his career. As a result, teams picking in the top five might hesitate and opt for a lesser prospect with a cleaner medical record.

That’s where Bears GM Ryan Poles can pounce. If Carter slips past the top five, Chicago is in a prime position to make a move, offering the No. 10 pick and a stash of Day 2 capital (including two early second-rounders) to trade up and snag the dynamic pass rusher.

Before the 2025 NFL Combine, the idea of Abdul Carter slipping within the Bears’ reach seemed like a long shot. Now, it’s a real possibility.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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