It's almost that time.
Chicago Bears.
Green Bay Packers.
Episode I of 2026.
In the first of two matchups between the teams, the Bears currently have the edge in a few areas. The Packers look lost, their offensive line is arguably the worst in football, and Chicago is still favored even without Caleb Williams.
As we get set for game day, we are here to catch you up on some of the more notable news you might have missed over the course of the week.
- Latest on Kyle Monangai's injury
- D'Andre Swift's fumbling mishaps
- Will Kyler Gordon be on the field in Week 5?
- The return of Ozzy Trapilo
- Tyson Bagent ready to go for Packers week
- Latest on Caleb Williams' hamstring injury
Latest on Kyle Monangai's injury
After Kyle Monangai appeared to have what looked like a serious thumb injury late in the game against the Jets, head coach Ben Johnson actually told the media that his thumb wasn't an issue, surprisingly enough.
Johnson alluded to the 30 carries being more of an issue than the thumb, which is positive news. That should indicate that Monangai is good to go for Week 5, but as of Thursday, Monangai was still not practicing.
The bigger concern is his turf toe injury that ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler shared could take a week or two to recovery from if he takes time off. Fowler said Monangai is going to try to play through it.
It was finally confirmed by Ben Johnson that Monangai was ruled out for the game and is considered week-to-week,
D'Andre Swift's fumbling mishaps
Running back D'Andre Swift fumbled in back-to-back games, but it hasn't been an issue for him over the course of his career. The media asked Ben Johnson about Swift's recent struggles, but he didn't seem concerned.
"We cannot allow that to happen ... there's too many times where the ball is getting away from our body. And he knows that. He takes a lot of pride in that ... we just got to tighten that up and he'll be just fine."
With Monangai coming off 30 carries, I don't think we'll see Swift's opportunities decrease against Green Bay. I'd expect a full-go from Swift with plenty of Monangai sprinkled in.
Also noteworthy: Swift was back at practice as of Thursday after missing Wednesday.
Will Kyler Gordon be on the field in Week 5?
Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon practiced in full last week, so fans are expecting to see him back out on the field very soon. He still needs to be activated off the PUP, though.
When asked about whether Gordon will play, on Wednesday, he more or less gave a non-answer.
"We'll let this thing play out ... we'll make a decision at the end of the week ... we've got a lot of things in flux right now with the roster this week."
Gordon was practicing in full, this week, again.
The return of Ozzy Trapilo
We continue to hear the same exact things from Johnson for a couple of weeks now, and although that can get fans a little anxious, Ozzy Trapilo will be back out on the field soon enough.
Johnson continued to say "he's close" when referring to Trapilo's return, and Sunday against the Packers seemed like a possibility. But, we'll see.
Tyson Bagent ready to go for Packers week
For fans wondering about Tyson Bagent and the game plan against Green Bay, Ben Johnson told the media his starting quarterback has "the green light" to take more shots down field.
It sounds like we could be seeing more of Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, and maybe, even Colston Loveland down the seam.
Bagent played a mostly-positive game against the Jets, outside of some erratic decisions here and there, but in his second-straight start, we should see more consistency.
Latest on Caleb Williams' hamstring injury
There isn't a lot to catch up on when it comes to Caleb Williams' injury situation. But, in case you missed the news earlier in the week, head coach Ben Johnson acknowledged Williams would not practice this week -- which would ultimately prove true. Williams did not practice at all this week.
Read more: Bears legendary coach and TE Mike Ditka passed away at the age of 86
So, he continues to rehab off the field in hopes that he can rejoin practice, in limited fashion, at some point in the near future.
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