The Chicago Bears’ bye week came at the perfect time to get some injured starters healthy and ready for Sunday’s NFC showdown against the New Orleans Saints.
While the Bears look like they’ll get back quarterback Mitch Trubisky, receiver Taylor Gabriel and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols, another player that has had a chance to rest up is kicker Eddy Pineiro.
Pineiro has played through a pinched nerve in his right kicking leg since Sept. 23 against the Washington Redskins, but the bye week gave him time to heal up.
“I feel a lot better,” Pineiro said Wednesday, via the Chicago Tribune.
Another good sign that he’s feeling better is that he’ll handle kickoff duties Sunday, where punter Pat O’Donnell was filling in as Pineiro dealt with his aching knee.
“Hoping so,” special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said Thursday, via the Sun-Times. “We’re working on it and we’ll see where that’s at.”
Pineiro will head to Soldier Field on Friday to kick in the fall weather. So far this season, Pineiro is a perfect 4-for-4 with field goals at Soldier Field. But as the fall settles in, it can certainly get windy on the lakefront, and Pineiro will benefit from the additional practice.
