Eberflus provides injury updates, reflects on 2023 blockbuster trade |
CHICAGO - As head coach Matt Eberflus and the Chicago Bears prepare for their matchup this coming Sunday against the Carolina Panthers (Noon / FOX), they have a few players that popped up on the injury report, including kick returner/punt returner DeAndre Carter and guard Teven Jenkins.
“We have Teven Jenkins still working through that rib. So, (he was out Wednesday) and DeAndre Carter is also working through a rib too,” Eberflus said. “So, we’re working through that with those two guys. (Linebacker) Jacob Martin, we’re going to keep on IR at this time.” Carter and Jenkins were two of four players who did not practice on Wednesday. The other two were defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, who continues to deal with a groin injury and defensive back Terrell Smith, who is still dealing with a hip injury. Tight end Cole Kmet (knee) and edge rusher Montez Sweat (ankle) were limited. With Jenkins questionable, the Bears will consider different offensive line combinations. When he exited with injury against the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, Nate Davis came in at right guard, and Matt Pryor was moved to left guard. If Jenkins cannot play against the Panthers, Eberflus said it is possible that will be the case again. “We’re going to look at all combinations,” Eberflus said. “So, that certainly is one of them, as we saw last week. But we’re going to look at all the combinations and do what’s best for us. But, we’re hopeful that he comes back, and we’ll see where it goes, and again, it’s a day-to-day thing.” Sunday will be the second time Chicago has done against the Carolina Panthers since their blockbuster trade in March of 2023 that sent the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Panthers in exchange for the No. 9 overall pick (that was subsequently traded), wide receiver DJ Moore and a plethora of other picks including the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft that the Bears used to draft rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Eberflus says it is remarkable how that trade came together, but the goal is for the Bears to continue to get better. “It’s really remarkable when you think about it how it all fell together like that. A lot of that’s luck, a lot of that you can’t predict. But, it’s also putting yourself in position,” Eberflus said. “(General manager) Ryan Poles and his staff did a great job with that, and there are a couple of players that we could have been going for at the time, but I’m sure glad we got DJ. So, it worked out well and again, we just got to keep working and getting better as a football team.” The chemistry between Williams and Moore was on display against Los Angeles when Moore scored his first touchdown of the year. However, the game was a little shaky earlier when they failed to connect on a sure touchdown right before the half. When that happened, Eberflus saw Williams and Moore work out what went wrong on that play, leading to the touchdown. He was proud of their communication in that moment and how they connected later in the game. “The continuity’s getting better. You can see that on the sideline,” Eberflus said. “I was really proud of (DJ and Caleb), the way they worked together during the game (and) it paid off (with) a good touchdown grab there in the back of the end zone, and again, that’s always going to be a work in progress with all the skill sets.” After going against young quarterbacks in the first three weeks of the second, when the Bears face Carolina, it will be the second week in a row that Chicago faces a veteran quarterback. Carolina’s offense has looked notably better under quarterback Andy Dalton. The three-time Pro-Bowler, who spent the 2021 season with the Bears, has been in the league since 2011. With all of that experience, Eberflus acknowledged the need for the defense to be incredibly disciplined. “It’s important that we do a great job with our disguise and our contours and making sure we’re where we’re supposed to be when we’re supposed to be there and playing fast, and that, to me, is more important,” Eberflus said. “But, whenever you play an experienced quarterback, it’s always a big challenge because of what they’ve seen, what they’ve done and Andy is no different.”
