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A Look at the Medical Side of the Chicago Bears 2016 Season

By Bryan Dietzler

Oct 20, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman (50) and outside linebacker Willie Young (97) celebrate a goal line stand on fourth down during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers/The Post-Crescent via USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman (50) and outside linebacker Willie Young (97) celebrate a goal line stand on fourth down during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers/The Post-Crescent via USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 27, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Chicago Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman (91) gets help off the field after an apparent injury during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Chicago Bears defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-21. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Chicago Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman (91) gets help off the field after an apparent injury during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Chicago Bears defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-21. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Remember back in the old days when the teams had tiny medical staffs?  There would be the one or two guys that would run out onto the field when someone got hurt.  If the guy was too big, one of the assistant coaches would have to help haul him to the sidelines.  That was the old NFL.

These days, NFL teams have many medical people on staff to help with injuries and player care.  There are doctors, nurses, trainers and nutritionists all with the goal of helping to keep the players healthy and the team winning games.  But did the Bears staff do their job last year?

Depending on who you listen to or read, the medical and training staffs have a direct effect on the health of their players.  The better the athlete is conditioned, with the help of the trainers, the better they will be able to not only avoid injuries but recover from them quickly.  The training staff needs to be in tune with the players and be able to know what works best for them and how to treat them.

The training staff, along with the strength and conditioning people, can help prevent some of the injuries that players suffer from but not all of them.  Some soft tissue injuries can be prevented but things like muscle tears and broken bones cannot be prevented.  A training staff can give the players proper methods for stretching themselves out and eating the right things to stay healthy.  The strength and conditioning help the players bulk up to resist some of the injuries that can take a player down.

Several fans blamed the Bears strength and conditioning staff, along with their training staff, for the multitude of injuries suffered in 2016.  Is it really their fault?  You can bet that they had a hand in some of it but sometimes freak things happen.  There are times when many players can get injured in a 16 game season.  But with such an unusual amount of injuries, you had to think something wasn’t right with the Bears training, strength and conditioning, medical and nutrition programs.

It doesn’t appear as if the team has done a lot of major re-tooling to their medical, training and strength and conditioning staffs so far this off-season.  At least nothing has been reported through the media yet.  Maybe further changes are coming?  We should keep our eyes open for any.

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