Bears Place Gould On IR, Two Others
By Tooch
The Chicago Bears’ playoff hopes took a huge kick to the groin on Tuesday when the team put kicker Robbie Gould on injured reserve with a calf muscle injury. Gould injured his calf before Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Gould will be replaced on the roster by 39-year-old kicker Olindo Mare. According to the Chicago Tribune, Mare beat out Neil Rackers and Billy Cundiff for the job.
To make matters worse, the Bears also placed special team contributors Craig Steltz and Sherrick McManis on IR with chest and knee injuries, respectively. Steltz has also seen time at safety in the past few weeks due to minor injuries to starters Major Wright and Chris Conte.
Oh wait, there’s more. The team also waived former Pro Bowl center/guard Andre Gurode and signed wide receiver Joe Anderson from the practice squad.
The most important news of all, obviously, is Gould’s season-ending injury. Gould has been one of the most important players on the Bears’ roster and one of the most successful kickers in league history. Can the team really make the playoffs without him? Let’s hear your thoughts, Bears fans.