Bear Digest

Plenty of concern for both Bears and Packers on first injury report

The Bears' receiver situation looked no better while Green Bay had nine players who were designated unable to practice on Tuesday.
Gene Chamberlain|
Luther Burden III stiff-arms Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine (24) during the Bears' 28-21 loss at Green Bay.
Luther Burden III stiff-arms Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine (24) during the Bears' 28-21 loss at Green Bay. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The first Bears injury report for their huge game against Green Bay Saturday night failed to create much optimism about the availability of two top Caleb Williams pass targets.

Neither Luther Burden (ankle) nor Rome Odunze could practice, but they had an additional problem on offense as tight end Cole Kmet was limited in practice due to the ankle/knee hit he absorbed in the second half on a catch along the sidelines against Cleveland.

This injury report wasn’t from a practice. It was a projection of what they would have done because they held only a walk-through on Tuesday.

Defensive tackle Andrew Billings would have missed practice due to illness and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (hamstring)  also would have been out.

Running back Travis Homer (ankle) would have been limited.

The window for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds’ return has opened after he was put on injured reserve and he would have gone through a limited practice.

The return of Edmunds can be big as he often is partrolling the middle deeper on passing downs due to his long reach and speed. The Bears didn’t have Edmunds in the first game between the teams and the Packers were able to come up with three longer touchdown plays. Edmunds ranks top five among off-ball NFL linebackers in passer rating against  and is tied for fifth in the league interceptions with four.

If the injury problem at receiver continues, it will mean leaning on wide receiver DJ Moore and also relying more on tight end Colston Loveland, possibly even as a slot receiver. They could also use return man Devin Duvernay as a target.

Burden has looked more and more dangerous in recent games and had six catches for 84 yards against Cleveland even though he only played 26 of a possible 66 plays from scrimmage. He has 23 receptions over his past six games after he had 13 receptions in his first seven games.

The Packers’ injury report had to be regarded as less promising when they had nine players who would not have practiced, including tackle Zach Tom (back, knee), wide receiver Christian Watson (chest/shoulder), safety Evan Williams (knee), defensive end Lukas Van Ness (foot), wide receiver Dontayvian Wicks (ankle), running back Josh Jacobs (knee, ankle), running back Marshawn Lloyd (hamstring/ankle) and, of course, edge rusher Micah Parsons (knee). Parsons will go on IR.

Quarterback Jordan Love (shoulder) and wide receiver Matthew Golden (wrist) were full participants.

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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.