Both sides of the Week 18 Injury Report look great for the Bears

The Bears haven't been on the right side of the war of attrition going into many games this season. Their Week 16 matchup against Green Bay, where Micah Parsons, Zach Tom, and Evan Williams were all MIA after suffering injuries the previous week against Denver, is the only game that comes to mind where that was clearly the case.

However, they are definitely the more fortunate team when it comes to the Week 18 tilt against the Lions.

#DETvsCHI injury report presented by Henry Ford Health pic.twitter.com/TIsIKjZ1zK
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 2, 2026

Detroit will be without their All-Pro right tackle, Penei Sewell, who is dealing with an ankle injury. Their offensive line hasn't played well even with the four-time Pro Bowler in the lineup, and it's safe to say they will be much less structurally sound without him.

Meanwhile, two of their other starting linemen, Christian Mahogany and Taylor Decker, are listed as questionable. However, the latter indicated that he will play, since it might be the final game of his career. Regardless, this might be a good bounce-back opportunity for the Bears' disappointing pass-rush.

The Lions are also missing two starters on the defensive side of the ball in defensive tackle Alim McNeill and linebacker Alex Anzalone. This will also be the first game that the latter has missed this year, and he has been one of their most impactful defensive players this season.

Amon-Ra St. Brown is another name to keep an eye on, as he is questionable with a knee/ankle injury. Recent reports indicate that he is trending towards being active for Detroit, but it's fair to wonder whether he could be on a snap count in a meaningless game for them. That would be a huge win for Chicago, as he is a key cog in their offensive attack.

Ben Johnson on Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown:

"You could go on and on about that player. He brings so many unique qualities to the table... Strong, quick, fantastic hands. One of the most tremendous work ethics I've ever been around. Extremely tough. Willing to do whatever it takes."
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) January 2, 2026

Meanwhile, the Bears actually got great news on their injury report with Rome Odunze returning to practice today.

#Bears Injury Report pic.twitter.com/0vVm9KbjmV
— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) January 2, 2026

While they probably will (and definitely should) let Odunze get another week of rest to ensure that he's full-go for the playoffs, it's definitely a positive development.

Besides Odunze, this is actually the cleanest the Bears' injury report has looked in weeks. In fact, it might be the best it has looked all season, as TJ Edwards and Kyler Gordon were mainstays on the injury report even back in Week One. Defensive end Joe Tryon-Shroyinka, who suffered a concussion last week against San Francisco, is the only player who has been ruled out.

It was great to see Luther Burden III end the week with two straight full practices after a late-game injury scare last week, and it was also good to see Jonah Jackson get a full practice in after being listed as DNP with an illness yesterday. Neither of them have injury designations going into Week 18.

The two other key question marks on the report are regarding Ozzy Trapilo, who practiced in limited fashion all week with a quad/knee injury, and Jaquan Brisker, who popped up on the injury report today with an illness (are you noticing a theme?). They're both important pieces, and will hopefully be able to fight through their respective injuries with the two-seed well within reach.

Overall, the Bears are definitely in good shape with the playoffs right around the corner. The Lions desperately wish they could say the same (on both fronts).

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