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Robert Quinn, Akiem Hicks Miss Practice

The Bears were without several players at practice on Wednesday due to injuries and also found out they'll be facing quarterback Kirk Cousins because he has been pulled off the Vikings' reserve/COVID-19 list.

Robert Quinn admits he wouldn't mind more sacks.

If he gets them Sunday, he'll have to fight through a shoulder injury to sack Kirk Cousins. 

Quinn missed Wednesday's practice with a shoulder injury and was one of only three Bears listed as missing practice due to injury. The others were Akeim Hicks and Jakeem Grant due to ankle injuries.

Quinn has 18 sacks and set the Bears record, plus 100 1/2 career sacks now, but another big mark ahead for him would be getting two sacks against the Vikings Sunday because he would hit 20 and would also break his own personal best of 19 sacks. 

"It would be kind of cool," Quinn said. "That was 8 years ago."

The 19-sack season was his third in the NFL coming out of North Carolina as a first-round draft pick, and he was only 23 years old. 

"I guess I can show people I still have a little bit left in the tank," Quinn said. "It's cool being 8 years from that year. Its humbling, but you have to get it first before I start talking about it."

Quinn had some injury issues last year, though not enough to cause him to miss more than one game. Still, he had only two sacks last year and was the source of constant offseason criticism from Bears fans after GM Ryan Pace paid him a five-year, $70 million deal.

"I never had doubts," Quinn said. "Those are my expectations of myself. Like anyone else, you have to be consistent on doing it and that starts with being available out there on the field."

Quinn did miss one game this year, the loss to Tampa Bay. So his 18 sacks have come in 15 games.

So getting to 19 1/2 or 20 sacks would have a little more kick to it since no one could say he needed 17 games to do it.

The Bears did have other players who were unavailable but not on the injury list. That's because their escape from the grasp of COVID-19 lasted all of two days.

On Monday they removed their final two players from the COVID-19 list when tight end Jesper Horsted and linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe were activated.

On Wednesday, they had another player go on the list. Practice squad linebacker Charles Snowden was the player. 

As a result, they signed former Packers defensive back Stanford Samuels to their practice squad. Samuels appeared in two games with three tackles last year in Green Bay.

They also placed Horsted on season-ending injured reserve.

The Vikings did get quarterback Cousins back Wednesday from the reserve/COVID-19 list and he will start against the Bears. 

Guard Ezra Cleveland, tackle Christian Darrisaw, end Tashawn Bower and linebacker Eric Kendricks are among seven Vikings still on the COVID-19 list 

Also, defensive tackle Michael Pierce (illness), and cornerback Kris Boyd (ribs) missed practice on Wednesday due to injuries.

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