The Bears will be without injured linebacker Roquan Smith — who is on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle — but are expected to have cornerback Prince Amukamara and defensive end Akiem Hicks for Sunday’s game against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Amukamara, who missed the Cowboys game with a hamstring injury, practiced fully all week and is expected to start. Hicks, who has been on injured reserve after suffering a dislocated left elbow against the Raiders on Oct. 6 in London, is expected to be taken off IR on Saturday and play against the Packers. Smith suffered his injury in the first quarter against the Cowboys on Dec. 5 at Soldier Field.
Coach Matt Nagy said he, general manager Ryan Pace, team trainers and Hicks himself will have a hand in the decision to play Hicks after missing eight games. “Just deciding, is this the way we want to go?,” Nagy said. “Is this what we want to do? I like what I’ve seen all week from him. That’s a good thing. We want to get him out there — that’s the deal.”
Second-year cornerback Kevin Toliver ably filled in for Amukamara against the Cowboys and Dak Prescott. But Amukamara’s experience figures to be needed against Rodgers, who can outsmart anyone.
“It’s big,” Nagy said, “because with some of the things they do schematically — the wide receivers they have — Prince brings a lot of experience. Having that experience against such a quality quarterback in Aaron, that’s huge.”
Injury report
Right tackle Bobby Massie will miss his third consecutive game with an ankle injury. As expected, linebacker Danny Trevathan (elbow), wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (concussion) and tight end Ben Braunecker (concussion) also are out.
Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (foot) and wide receiver Javon Wims (knee) are questionable, but Nagy said both were “arrow-up.”
Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who suffered a head injury when he landed hard in practice Thursday, was limited Friday but is expected to play against the Packers. “That was all a precautionary thing,” Nagy said.
Super-sub
Veteran Cornelius Lucas has done an admirable job in place of Massie at right tackle in victories over the Lions and Cowboys — two of the Bears’ best offensive performances.
In fact, the Bears are 3-0 when Lucas starts. He was a last-minute replacement for Massie against the Redskins on Sept. 23 at FedEx Field, when the Bears won 31-15.
“He just does his job,” Nagy said. “You go back to Washington … It was up to the minute and all of a sudden Cornelius is going up against their best pass rusher in Ryan Kerrigan the whole game. He’s a big guy, long-levered arms, has experience. I know he’s not under-appreciated by us — but maybe [by] others out there. For him to do what he’s doing … it’s been huge for us.”
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