Well, Chicago Bears fans almost had heart attacks after a concerning update came through the notification line.
The Bears announced that they have placed edge rusher Montez Sweat on Active/Non-Football Illness and defensive back Elijah Hicks on Active/Physically Unable to Perform. Hicks becomes the sixth player to join that list in the last few days, as he is dealing with a shin injury.
As for Sweat, it looked bad when it first came through, but he is dealing with a simple illness. The Bears expect him to be back on the field in the next few days.
Bears almost scared fans to death with Montez Sweat news
The Bears can't afford to lose Sweat at all, as he is arguably the most important player on the defensive side of the ball. He is the only consistent pass rusher they have, so he is needed at all times.
While it's not ideal for Sweat to miss the beginning of camp, it's better for it to happen now than later. He already knows defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's system, so it's not the end of the world for him to miss some time.
As for the Hicks injury, he will miss some time, but the hope is that he will be back before the start of the season. There is a problem with him being gone for the time being.
Depth in the secondary is starting to look bad. Kyler Gordon is already on head coach Ben Johnson's bad side with his soft-tissue injury. The fewer players there are in the secondary, the more it could start looking like last year, and outside help will have to be added.
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The good news is that Sweat is at least not in bad shape. Just a few days off his feet and hopefully he will be back soon enough.
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