Alshon Jeffery Expected OUT for Bears vs Cardinals
Chicago Bears top wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is expected to be OUT for the Bears matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport:
#Bears WR Alshon Jeffery (hamstring, calf) will be out today vs. #AZCardinals, source said. The hope is a return next week to full health.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 20, 2015
No official word from the Bears yet, but Rapoport is usually spot on with this stuff.
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Jeffery’s absence really hurts the Bears offense which already went into the season a bit undermanned with top draft choice Kevin White on the PUP list with a stress fracture. Jeffery was hobbled by injuries throughout camp and his calf problem seems to have made its way up to his hamstring.
Jeffery gutted it out against the Packers in Week 1, grabbing five catches for 78 yards as Jay Cutler‘s top target. With Jeffery expected to be out against the Cardinals, it puts wide receivers Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson the top wide receivers in the Bears passing attack. It also puts tight end Martellus Bennett as a big target to replace the 6’3″ Jeffery, especially on third downs and in the red zone. You can also expect to see running back Matt Forte get more reps in the passing game.
The Cardinals have a tough defense, especially against the run. They limited the New Orleans Saints to a paltry 54 yards in Week 1. You can expect the Cardinals to load up the box against the Bears offense and dare Jay Cutler and the Bears passing attack to try to beat them.
Jeffery is in a contract year, so you know that he wants to be out there performing but he also wants to be performing at a top level. He was clearly limited in Week 1 and the fear with these soft tissue injuries is that they’ll continue to linger if they’re not properly healed. Let’s hope that Jeffery is back to full health next week to take on the Legion of Boom for the Bears’ trip to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.
For you Fantasy Players out there:
- Downgrade Jay Cutler (if you had him anyway)
- Upgrade Martellus Bennett, Eddie Royal and Matt Forte with more targets for each
- Scoop up Marquess Wilson as a deep sleeper if you’re desperate
- Deep, deep sleeper for DFS players is tight end Zach Miller who could help out in the red zone