Final Chicago Bears injury report for Week 16 solves the Kiran Amegadjie problem

The Chicago Bears may be able to avoid the Kiran Amegadjie problem the team faced during their Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Despite being selected by the Bears in the third-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Amegadjie's first-career start proved that there is a gap between where his development is currently at and being a capable offensive tackle at the NFL level.

It seems the Bears will avoid the concern of Amegadjie being the starting left tackle on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. While Braxton Jones is officially listed as questionable, the Bears' starting left tackle was a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday.

There has been plenty of conjecture over the past week regarding how important the final three games of the season are for Caleb Williams. In nearly any other scenario, there would be no question, Williams should start the final three games for the Bears despite the team no longer being in playoff contention. The reason why there would be substance to the idea of Tyson Bagent starting over Williams is that the Vikings' loss last Monday proved that the offensive line may not be able to protect the rookie quarterback.

Final Chicago Bears injury report for Week 16

While Roschon Johnson hasn't officially cleared concussion protocol, Johnson told reporters on Friday that he does expect to play on Sunday. The fact Johnson spoke with reporters on Friday was a sign that the Bears also believe Johnson will be clear to play against the Lions. For a Bears' offense that has struggled on short-yardage plays as well goal-line scenarios, Johnson returning should be a much-needed boost for the offense.

While Poles' roster mistakes over the last three seasons have been the main topic of conversation since the firing of Matt Eberflus, veteran offensive lineman Ryan Bates seems to be falling into the category of a mistake. Bates has struggled to be available this season and when he has been on the field, he's struggled. Not an ideal outcome for a veteran lineman Poles has coveted since taking the job.