Bear Digest

Darnell Wright illness leaves Bears facing question at tackle

The Bears updated their injury report and said Darnell Wright didn't make the trip with the team on Saturday to California, and he has been listed as questionable.
Gene Chamberlain|
Darnell Wright joined the list of Bears who are ill and it could mean a start for Theo Benedet at either left or right tackle.
Darnell Wright joined the list of Bears who are ill and it could mean a start for Theo Benedet at either left or right tackle. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears will enter a showdown for seeding in the NFC playoffs against San Francisco likely to be without one of their best offensive linemen.

Right tackle Darnell Wright did not make the trip with the team and is considered questionable on the injury report now because of illness, the Bears announced on Saturday.

Illness has been running rampant at Halas Hall all week.

It's unclear whether this means moving Ozzy Trapilo back to right tackle, where he started out playing this year, or Theo Benedet would move there. Benedet was at right tackle for one start with Wright injured and then moved to left tackle, where he started six straight games before being replaced by Trapilo. Trapilo has started the last five games at left tackle.

The right tackle will be responsible blocking top 49ers edge rusher Bryce Huff most of the game. Huff has four sacks.

Illness also has hit their secondary and they may have communicated something about their active player list for Sunday with their elevation report on Saturday.

In a move to further bolster the offensive line, the Bears activated rookie guard Luke Newman from injured reserve. He had a foot injury earlier this season. They had to then waive defensive tackle Jonathan Ford from the 53-man roster.

They also announced Saturday the elevation of defensive back Dallis Flowers and wide receiver JP Richardson from the practice squad for the game.

Flowers is a cornerback and the Bears come into the game with concerns at cornerback as a result of Nahshon Wright's hamstring injury and illness. Wright is questionable for the game. Also, slot cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson is questionable with a knee injury and backup slot cornerback Josh Blackwell is out with illness. Slot backup Nick McCloud is out with illness and cornerback Josh Blackwell is questionable with illness, as well, and didn't practice all week.

So Flowers could be needed.

Wide receiver Devin Duvernay is also ill but is listed questionable and wide receiver Rome Odunze is out with a foot injury so it's possible JP Richardson could see the first action of his career. The undrafted rookie had four preseason catches for 28 yards.

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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.