Who’s next?
Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman opted out of the 2020 season because of health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday. It’s a major blow to the Bears’ defense, but not a lethal one, if it’s the only one. And therein lies the bigger issue — will he be the only one?
We’ll see about that. Goldman’s decision to opt out could be part of an opening wave. The Goldman news broke after Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower became the most high-profile NFL player to opt out of the 2020 season — and the ninth player overall at the time. Goldman is unlikely to be the last, just the latest. According to NFL.com, 21 players have opted out, including six Patriots players. So stay tuned.
And even if Goldman is the only Bears player to decide against playing the 2020 season before the Aug. 3 deadline, the story is far from over. Operating without a “bubble” has already proven problematic in baseball. The NFL doesn’t figure to be immune from a similar impact. The Marlins’ COVID-19 outbreak obviously has heightened the concerns of NFL players. The opt-out rush is on.
And then there’s the injury factor. With no on-field work in the offseason, an abbreviated training camp with a needed “ramp-up” to actual practices and no preseason games, injuries are more likely if the NFL ever begins playing full-speed, regular-season games. NFL rosters are fluid throughout the season in the best of times. In the worst of times, there’s no telling what the landscape will look like once games are being played. That’s if we get there in the first place.
As for Goldman, the Bears will feel his absence even with depth and versatility being a strength of the defensive line. He just has skills — size, strength, quickness — and an instinct for the position that are impossible for another Bears player to replicate.
At 26, Goldman has been an impact player in all five seasons with the Bears. He’s yet to make the Pro Bowl because of low sack totals — though he was an alternate last season. But his impact in the run game is evident to the naked eye — a rare event for a run-stopping nose tackle.
“I think he is a premier nose tackle in the NFL,” Bears defensive line coach Jay Rodgers said last month. “I don’t think there’s as many players that are as good as him at the position he does. There’s a big difference when he’s not in the game, and when he is in the game. I think that data would probably show you the same thing.”
Indeed it does. When Goldman missed the season finale against the Vikings because of a concussion, the Bears allowed 174 rushing yards on 26 carries (6.7 avg.). Against the Vikings with Goldman in Week 4, the Bears allowed 40 rushing yards on 16 carries (2.5 avg.)
But even if that’s a small sample size, in general the Bears have been better against the run with Goldman. When he missed 10 games because of injuries in 2016, the Bears ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing defense. While missing just three games over the past three seasons, the Bears have ranked 11th (2017), first (2018) and ninth (2019).
“We can’t play good run defense without him playing good,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said of Goldman in 2018.
Even on a top-10 defense, the impact of Goldman’s absence bears watching. Last year, Akiem Hicks’ injury took a lot of the bite out of the Bears’ defense. Goldman isn’t quite Hicks, but relative to the position he plays, not just one guy out of 11.
John Jenkins is a capable defensive tackle. Bilal Nichols, Roy Robertson-Harris and Hicks are versatile players. The Bears can fill the hole. But will it be the only one?
