Pro Bowl defensive lineman Akiem Hicks was close to playing Sunday before sitting out for the first time in a Bears uniform.
“He went out there and just felt OK,” coach Matt Nagy said. “So we just felt like at that point in time, let’s not do it.
“Our guys stepped up, we had some guys that really stepped up yesterday on that defensive line.”
The thought process was similar with former Pro Bowl player Kyle Long, he said. The right guard first appeared on the injury report Thursday with a hip injury.
“With Kyle, it’s just one of those things where he was feeling some pain, and we just felt, like, ‘You what, right now, where you’re at — again, we have depth,’” Nagy said. “’So, let’s see where you’re at, and then game time, he just wasn’t — same as Hicks — he just wasn’t feeling it, so we felt we were O.K., you know? …
“I can’t state enough how appreciative I am of our coaches, that when this stuff happens, when we make these decisions, sometimes spur of the moment, these guys all handle it the right way. The next guy up handles it the right way.”
