Bear Digest

Short work week weighs against injured Bears and Packers in rematch

Green Bay is dealing with several key injured players going out besides Micah Parsons, while the Bears probably need to be more careful in their pregame warmups for this rematch.
Gene Chamberlain|
C.J. Gardner-Johnson gives chase to Green Bay receiver Christian Watson at Lambeau Field. Watson was one of several Packers injured Sunday.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson gives chase to Green Bay receiver Christian Watson at Lambeau Field. Watson was one of several Packers injured Sunday. | Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The injury reports this week for the Bears' rematch with the Packers promise to be every bit as interesting as the hype for what could be a Saturday night game to decide the NFC North.

For the Packers, Sunday's game proved even worse for their health than a pregame warmup can be for a team, and based on the last two Bears pregame warmups those can exact a very heavy toll.

Beyond the expected, devastating loss of Micah Parsons for the year with a torn ACL, Green Bay suffered several other injuries of note on offense and defense. All of them could impact how the game is played, and early projections of those being less severe must be tempered by the fact it's a short work week.

Wide receiver Christian Watson went with a chest/shoulder injury and left the game before going to the hospital. He returned home with the team.

Both right tackle Zach Tom and safety Evan Williams went out with knee injuries. Wide receiver Jayden Reed and linebacker Quay Walker also suffered injuries. Reed's occurred in the final minute and wasn't mentioned during coach Matt LaFleur's postgame press conference, according to Green Bay Packers On SI. Nor was Walker's.

Tom has been largely responsible for blocking Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat, while Watson caught two touchdown passes when Green Bay found him in favorable matchups against Bears defenders in the Week 14 28-21 Packers win.

Reed, the leading Packers receiver in 2023-24, hasn't played much this season due to a broken collarbone but reporters at the game said it appeared the injury was unrelated to his previous injury.

While there have been reports after the game that several of these injuries were not of the season-ending variety, like Parsons' appears to be, the recovery time for any injuries is shortened this week.

Two Bears receiver injuries

The Bears did not escape without injury Sunday, but not all of their health situation is bad. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is eligible to have his window opened so he can return from IR following his groin injury. He hasn't played since Nov. 16. If he is healthy enough to play Sunday night, perhaps the Bears should consider holding him out of pregame warmups based on what's happened the last two weeks.

Rome Odunze's aggravated a foot stress fracture, suffered in pregame warmups Sunday, is their main injury issue. They thought he would play after missing the first Packers game, and for now his appearance in the rematch appears in jeopardy unless Ben Johnson mentions something different than what he said after the game.

“Pregame reaggravated the foot, so we'll find out more tomorrow just the extent of that,” Johnson said.

This happened after DB Kyler Gordon aggravated a groin injury in pregame warmups the previous week and was a last-second scratch, like Odunze.

Receiver Luther Burden picked up the slack in the last two games with Odunze out, but during the second half of an 84-yard effort Sunday he came up limping after a short catch along the sidelines. Johnson had no update after the game beyond mentioning and ankle.

They also had tight end Cole Kmet leave the game but he returned shortly after taking a low hit along the sidelines, and then finished by playing the rest of the game.

The only other reported injury was reserve linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga (hamstring).

If Burden's injury forces him to miss time, it can be a severe blow to the Bears' chances. Burden had a career-high six receptions against the Browns and is one of their chief speed threats at receiver, especially if Odunze is out. He has been in Caleb Williams' line of sight more and more, with 14 receptions over the last three games.

More Chicago Bears News

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

X: BearsOnSI

Published
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.