Just when you think things can’t get worse for the Chicago Bears.
The Bears are coming off a 35-point blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, dealing with a mini COVID-19 outbreak and now their star pass rusher has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Mack has been battling a foot injury since Week 3, where he hasn’t practiced but has played in the previous four games. The Bears are giving him time to rest this week.
And according to Rapoport, the Bears are discussing placing him on injured reserve to give him three weeks — technically four, with the bye week — to recover.
If the #Bears place Khalil Mack on IR, he’s out three games but four weeks, as Chicago has a bye in Week 10. That extra time may help. Somehow, Mack has been playing on his foot, but it’s been a struggle every week to get on the field. https://t.co/HHgbyFkZ3d
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 27, 2021
Regardless of how you look at it, it’s a devastating blow for the Bears defense, especially given the pass rush has been their biggest strength. Mack has been among the NFL’s leading pass rushers this season, and his loss is massive.
It doesn’t help that the Bears are already down two outside linebackers as Robert Quinn remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list and Jeremiah Attaochu is done for the year with a torn pec.
That leaves last year’s fifth-rounder Trevis Gipson and undrafted rookie Sam Kamara as the team’s only outside linebackers currently on the roster. The Bears did protect another undrafted rookie in Charles Snowden, who will likely be activated this week against the 49ers.
