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Zavion Thomas Injury Situation Not Serious for More Than One Reason

According to a report, Zavion Thomas' injury is not serious and missed time sure can't keep him from doing something he has already shown coaches he can do well.
Gene Chamberlain|
Zavion Thomas has impressed coaches with a desire to learn rather than simply repeat what they say.
Zavion Thomas has impressed coaches with a desire to learn rather than simply repeat what they say. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

The injury and ESPN report saying Luther Burden will miss all of training camp and preseason is troubling enough for the Bears but in the long term it's not damaging if he is back for the regular season.

The really tough injury is the one in Sunday's practice to Zavion Thomas. He replaced Burden immediately with starters and his speed had been apparent throughout campm, even if he made rookie mistakes at times.

Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported it wasn't a serious injury but the exact nature of it remains unknown, as does the exactly nature of the injury. Any time away for a rookie is a potential problem. They're trying to develop and learn the offense or defense while competing in camp. and time away can lead to what Burden or Colston Loveland went through last year. Neither was ready to contribute immediately to start the season but then did once they worked into the mix.

Missed practice time for Thomas might not be as great a factor because of something Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said.

"I think that Zavion is a little bit more mature than most rookies that I've dealt with in the returner position," Hightower said. "It doesn't mean that he won't make rookie mistakes. It doesn't mean any of that. It just means the way he carries himself. I think it's a lot easier for him to adjust and adapt than most rookies I've had so far."

When asked to explain how he sees the maturity level, Hightower gave a specific example and it suggests something positive in relation to Thomas' role on offense.

“When you talk about maturity, you talk about how a guy studies, what type of routines he has on and off the field, what type of questions he asks in the meeting room," Hightower said. "Are they kiss-butt questions, or are they thought-out questions that really are in detail that are beyond just a rookie-level question, a situational-type question, and ‘Coach, what would I do if I was in this situation?’

"And in the reverse, ‘If I was on the cover team and I was covering this, what would you tell me to do as a cover player? What is the weaknesses and the strengths of the position I'm in right here, and how can I take advantage of the person, or the opposition I'm going against?’ Most rookies just want to know what their job is and make sure they're lined up in the right place. This kid is trying to help the team in more ways than just his job. So that's how he's more mature.”

The kiss-butt question defined

Hightower caused some media laughter when asked his definition of a "kiss-butt question."

“Question you know the answer to," Hightower said. "Question you know the answer to that's already in the playbook, that I already said in the meeting.

"I was born at night, but not last night."

Beyond Hightower's A-level improv comedy, this could be a major help for the Bears on offense. If Thomas' quest for learning is as thorough on offense, it could help demolish one obstacle many rookie receivers have, and that's simply understanding their routes and how to attack defenses.

When Thomas was drafted, coaches and Bears personnel said he'll need time to figure out the receiver role within the offense and they couldn't predict how that would go if he was battling for playing time with veteran free agent acquisition Kalif Raymond.

“So this is a tough system, so it’s going to be a challenge for him to break through with Kalif," GM Ryan Poles said on draft day. "But again, we're going to open that competition up, for all of these guys coming in. I think you feel really good about the return, and the ability that he has and then he'll be in with the rest of the guys to learn the offense. And how does he do that? How fast does that come along? You all have talked to our receivers. It's a challenging system.

"So maybe that role starts small and it grows over time, but I don't want to put a cap on it. If he comes in and downloads fast and is up and running, then we'll see what happens.”

Applying learning to offense

If Thomas is already showing elite maturity and learning levels for a rookie in special teams, it stands to reason he can apply this to the offensive side.

When Poles drafted Thomas and also tight end Sam Roush, there were questions everywhere about why they would turn to offense with the need for defensive ends and defensive tackles still high.

The answer should be apparent now after Burden went down Saturday and then Thomas on Sunday. You can never have too much depth at key positions.

The one good thing about Thomas' injury is no one needs to worry about whether he'll continue to learn while out. Health is not required in the team meeting rooms and asking legitimate questions of coaches is not a privilege reserved for those who practice.

Thomas can continue to progress as an injured player and be ready when he returns.

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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.

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