Can the Chicago Bears change the injury bug that has decimated the team the last couple of seasons?
Leonard Floyd. Eddie Goldman. Danny Trevathan. Kyle Fuller. Zach Miller. Cameron Meredith. Kevin White. Kyle Long.
No, that’s not a list of best-selling Chicago Bears’ jerseys, that is just a small sample size of some of the key players that have missed significant time due to injuries the past couple of seasons in Chicago.
It was concerning to see so many soft tissue and muscle tears. That usually points to over training or a lack of a proper plan.
It’s hard to win football games when several of your starters are missing time with injuries, and it’s certainly more difficult to do so when the depth on the team is paper-thin thanks to the rebuilding process that has been taking place under GM Ryan Pace.
The Bears had 16 players hit Injured Reserve last season. In 2016, that number was 21. In fact, the Bears’ set records with how injured the team was in 2016.
With the 2018 Bears ready to take a step forward and compete for a playoff spot, the one thing that must change this season is the health of the roster.
Pace addressed the team’s injury concerns at the end of the season, according to Brad Biggs:
"It’s something that’s occurred three consecutive years and something we’ve looked at closely. We did a lot to address it last year, whether schedule changes, tracking data, a lot of tweaks. But it wasn’t enough. With parity in our league, injuries play a big factor in our results. It’s something we have to get on top of, and that’s my job. There’s going to be studies into why are these teams the healthiest, why are these teams not, and are there some commonalties? But we have to get that fixed because it’s affecting our results."
How much were the injuries attributed to bad luck and how much was on the training staff?
“It was likely a mixture of both. It was concerning to see so many soft tissue and muscle tears. That usually points to over training or a lack of a proper plan,” says Ross Read, a Senior Trainer at FitPro West in Chicago who has also covered the Bears for 312 Sports and other outlets.
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Does that mean that John Fox’s coaching staff was behind the times, not just in the game plan for the offense but in the game plan in the weight room as well?
“I believe the training staff and head coach were stuck in the past, fitness has evolved to a point where we focus more on smart lifts as opposed to big lifts,” Read continued. “We also focus on recovery and building strength incrementally as opposed to loading too much on a person. The Bears seemed to have failed in this area in the past.”
With a new coaching staff in Matt Nagy, the Chicago Bears are also changing the training staff structure as well. Andre Tucker has been hired as the team’s head athletic trainer and Jason Loscalzo will serve as strength coach. These will be the two men that will be in charge of lessening the injury load that has faced the team. How can they do that? For starters, by evolving the way the team trains.
“Andre is large proponent of building explosive power which is very important for any NFL player. Most importantly, he treats every player individually,” says Read. “Not having every guy on the same program means you play to their strengths in the weight room while also working on their deficiencies.”
For years, the idea of training camp was beating up the body and seeing who survived two-a-days and pushing the body to the extreme on a daily basis. But now? Trainers understand the importance of rest and recuperation. That’s something that Tucker knows and stresses with all his players: proper rest and recovery will strengthen the body, not weaken it.
Customizing training programs for individuals and making sure the body has enough time to fully recuperate seems like common sense in this modern era but it may be something that some teams still neglect. The Bears spent much of the time in training camp over the last few seasons playing in the late morning and early afternoon. The Bears had mostly consistent practice times, but John Fox was known to move practices around from time to time. This season, Nagy has the Bears practicing early in the morning and at the exact same time every day.
Chicago Bears
The benefits of this are obvious, according to Read. “Of course it’s beneficial to the player. These guys want to go out there and get practice done while they’re physically fresh first thing in the morning and the temperature isn’t at its peak like in the afternoon.” Warmer temperatures mean more dehydration. More dehydration means more strain on the body, and thus, a higher risk for injuries.
“The body responds best when it’s on a consistent schedule, messing around with different eating, practice and lifting times can really throw off a player’s performance, ability to recover adequately and mess with their psyche,” according to Read. “The body needs a routine and performs best when you stick to it.”
With a new training staff in place with new philosophies, hopefully the Bears roster is more flexible, well-rested and in better shape. If the Bears drop their soft tissue injuries this season, the overall health of the team should increase dramatically. A less rigid body is also better adept to absorb blows and, in theory, could decrease the amount of non-soft tissue injuries as well.
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While Roquan Smith will lead the headlines for the Bears’ rookie class and Allen Robinson will grab all the attention of the Bears’ new free agent acquisitions, the argument could be made that Tucker and Loscalzo are the more important additions to the team this season.
If the Bears want to compete this season, they have to stay healthy. They can add as many new pieces to the offense they want, but if they aren’t on the field, it doesn’t matter. Tucker and Loscalzo won’t be getting headlines this season, but their role in the team’s success this year cannot be understated.