The Case of the Missing Bears COVID-19 Tests

Like any other team, the Chicago Bears have had nothing but distractions due to battling the COVID-19 situation.

They battle through it.

However, on Wednesday they had something entirely different when they had to move practice back from early afternoon to early evening because their COVID-19 tests never made it to the testing facility. A courier never got them to the lab.

"The way it was explained to me was a courier issue," coach Matt Nagy said. "And I'm not sure (of) that company or process but the NFL did confirm to us that it was nothing on our end.

"It is disruptive, it's disappointing, frustrating, but then again it's been 2020 and we just gotta have that mentality of being able to adjust and move on."

The Bears had three other situations like this involving positive tests or more than one positive test. One involved multiple false positives, and the other two positives. They had to push back practice in each case, the last one coming last Thursday prior to the Houston game.

Nagy said they went through Zoom team meetings and pushed back practice as they've done in the past. He said the second set of test came back entirely negative.

"Obviously it's a very important week with where we're at right now so you've gotta balance, too, making sure you're getting the correct practice in and then mentally, physically, and you also have to, No. 1, you have to put your players' safety and health as the No. 1 thing above all of this," Nagy said. "As hard as that can be sometimes for what you want to get all into the X's and O's of practice, we know. We know it's No. 1, and that's the players' families and their own health and everybody else's. And that's what we did."

Allen Robinson called it nothing more than what every team deals with this season.

"When you look across the league and some teams like the Steelers, you know how they've had their schedule modified by many weeks, you know to their disadvantage," Robinson said. "So again I mean it's something that unfortunately we have to get used to now."

It isn't the only distraction the Bears are dealing with this week.

A report by TMZ about the assault charge against defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. following an alleged October 17 domestic violence incident is hanging over the Bears, as well.

Edwards is still being allowed to practice and play. He maintains his innocence, but there is more going on than the report about a physical violence incident and police reports.

"Clearly we take these matters very seriously," Nagy said. "The authorities were involved that evening and we were immediately aware. We've been in lock-step with the NFL on this the entire way. As it relates to the NFL and to our own club protocol regarding the COVID, that was dealt with internally with Mario. That's where that's at.

"It's something we take very seriously and it's not something that I'm going to be adding to because of the legal situation."

The incident is said to have occurred in Charlotte, N.C. at the team hotel the night before the game, and there are rules against having guests normally—and especially during the pandemic.

"That's stuff that again for us as a team we have our own rules and things that we have for us and regards to his situation, and really anybody's, especially with him with the legal situation," Nagy added.

The other issues facing the team involve injuries, but there are fewer this week.

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson suffered a shoulder injury Sunday and is day to day according to Nagy. He missed Wednesday's practice. Cornerback Buster Skrine remains in the COVID-19 protocol and safety Deon Bush missed with a foot injury.

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