Bears to Debut former Raiders Lineman?
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The likelihood of lineman Alex Leatherwood making his first Bears start increased Wednesday as a result of injuries.
Right tackle Riley Reiff missed practice with a back injury. It had been reported as a shoulder injury by the team at Sunday's game but it was a back injury.
Backup right tackle Larry Borom has both ankle and knee injuries. His had been reported by coach Matt Eberflus on Monday as an ankle injury.
That leaves Leatherwood, who has been working at both guard and tackle as a swing player behind starters since returning from lengthy stay on the non-football illness list.
The 17th pick of the 2021 draft by the Raiders, he was waived at the end of training camp and claimed by the Bears but hasn't been in a game yet.
"I believe that 'Wood' has done a really good job of progressing," Eberflus said. "(Line coach Chris Morgan) has done a really good job as coach. (Assistant) Austin King's done an awesome job as well."
If Leatherwood starts, it would be the ninth different offensive line combination to start this season.
"Those guys have had a lot of combinations during the course of this year and those guys have functioned at a really high rate in the run game, getting better in the pass game in terms of pass-pro.
"Leatherwood's no different. I think he's gonna be right there with 'em if he has the opportunity to play. Riley is a day-to-day thing as well, and if he has the opportunity I think he'll play well."
It's not often a team can come up with a mid-first rounder one year after the draft. Is one man's bust another's treasure?
"We are excited and intrigued to see where it goes because he's a heck of a athlete at that position, and we'll see where it goes from there," Eberflus said.
The rest of the injury news remained depressing for the Bears.
Quarterback Trevor Siemian missed practice with his oblique strain from pregame on Sunday, and Justin Fields practiced on a limited basis.
Both Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon are still in the concussion protocol after injuries suffered on Nov. 20.
Wide receiver Dante Pettis is still ill after Eberflus had said he was throwing up in the locker room before Sunday's game.
Wide receiver Chase Claypool's injury is a knee and it's considered day-to-day or minor. He was limited in Wednesday's practice, as was cornerback Kindle Vildor, who has an ankle injury.
For the Packers, quarterback Aaron Rodgers (thumb, ribs), safety Darnell Mooney (foot), guard/tackle Elgton Jenkins (knee) and tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) didn't practice. Linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (knee), running back A.J. Dillon (quad), wide receiver Romeo Doubs (ankle) and running back Aaron Jones (shin, glute) were limited.
Bears Offensive Line Starting Changes
| Week | LT | LG | C | RG | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Week 1 | B. Jones | C. Whitehair | S. Mustipher | T. Jenkins | L. Borom |
Week 3 | B. Jones | C. Whitehair | S. Mustipher | L. Patrick | L. Borom |
Week 5 | B. Jones | L. Patrick | S. Mustipher | T. Jenkins | L. Borom |
Week 7 | B. Jones | M. Schofield | L. Patrick | T. Jenkins | L. Borom |
Week 8 | B. Jones | M. Schofield | S. Mustipher | T. Jenkins | R. Reiff |
Week 9 | B. Jones | C. Whitehair | S. Mustipher | T. Jenkins | R. Reiff |
Week 10 | B. Jones | C. Whitehair | S. Mustipher | M. Schofield | R. Reiff |
Week 13 | B. Jones? | C. Whitehair? | S. Mustipher? | T. Jenkins? | A. Leatherwood? |
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