Following their Week 2 defeat, the Chicago Bears enter Week 3 nursing similar injuries as the week before.
Wide receivers Keenan Allen (heel) and Rome Odunze (knee) remain Bears fans’ top worries, especially with the offensive production through two weeks.
Chicago Bears’ Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, Teven Jenkins Injury Update
With Allen out all last week due to his heel, the Bears don’t seem to have a firm grasp on when he should be back on the field.
Eberflus met with the media on Wednesday, but there wasn’t much clarification on the injury outside of it still being present.
“Keenan is still working through his heel situation,” Eberflus said. “We’re trying to get him back on the grass as fast as possible. That’s where he is.”
The vet Keenan Allen coaching up the rookie Caleb Williams 🐻 pic.twitter.com/aNolpgZfLw
— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2024
So, for the second straight week, Allen begins his week with no practice. And on Friday, the team officially ruled him “OUT” for Week 3.
Against a winless Colts team that has allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for a league-leading 78.3% completion, Caleb Williams likely wants as many weapons around him as possible to bounce back after last game’s dud.
Along with Allen’s heel injury, the Bears remain cautious with Odunze and his knee injury.
While he only practiced once last week, Odunze was in 94% of Chicago’s offensive snaps on Sunday night, showing that his MCL sprain is a non-serious injury.
As Odunze said before Sunday’s game, the name of the game is caution and listening to his body. With him missing Wednesday’s practice, it could be more on the side of caution than rehabilitation.
Lastly, coach Eberflus mentioned starting left guard Teven Jenkins was added to the team’s injury report, as he was a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice.
“Teven Jenkins had a deep thigh bruise during the game, so he’s not going to practice today to get strength back into that and to get that thing healed up,” Eberflus said.
With how poorly the offensive line played in Week 2, Jenkins’ health will be a situation to monitor closely.
The Bears can’t afford to lose any starting offensive linemen. However, with something as minor as a thigh bruise, Jenkins’ status for Week 3 doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy.
Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts Injury Report
Bears
- WR Keenan Allen (OUT)
- FB Khari Blasingame (OUT)
- OT Teven Jenkins (Full)
- DT Zacch Pickens (OUT)
- OT Kiran Amegadjie (Full)
- DT Andrew Billings (Full)
- G Nate Davis (Questionable)
- RB Travis Homer (OUT)
- WR Rome Odunze (Full)
- DE Montez Sweat (Full)
- DE DeMarcus Walker (Full)
Colts
- K Matt Gay (Full)
- DE Laiatu Latu (Questionable)
- S Julian Blackmon (Full)
- WR Josh Downs (Full)
- CB Kenny Moore II (Full)
- S Rodney Thomas II (Full)
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. (Questionable)
- T Braden Smith (DNP)