The Chicago Bears host the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field on Sunday as the Bears hope to go on their first winning streak of the season after defeating the Los Angeles Rams at home last Sunday.
The one notable change when monitoring the Bears' injury report this week is that for the first time this season, Keenan Allen was not listed. Allen has been dealing with a heel injury since the final week of the preseason but played in last Sunday's game after missing the games against the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. The hope, with Allen not listed on the injury report, is that the Bears' offense will begin to show some more potency moving forward.
Full Inactives List for Chicago Bears
Player | Position |
|---|---|
Zacch Pickens | Defensive tackle |
Terell Smith | Cornerback |
Velus Jones Jr. | Wide Receiver |
Khari Blasingame | Fullback |
Dominique Robinson | Defensive end |
Key Absences and Their Impact
Offensive Impact
- Teven Jenkins was listed as questionable for the game but as expected on Friday, the starting left guard is active for Sunday's game. The hope is that the Bears' offensive line can begin to find some stability. With Jenkins active, the Bears are rolling with the same offensive line they had last week in Braxton Jones, Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, Matt Pryor, and Darnell Wright. It's an offensive line that is far from perfect, but it showed some improvement in keeping Caleb Williams upright last week.
Defensive Impact
- Yet another inactive for Zacch Pickens as the second-year defensive tackle has set to make his yet to be active for any game this season. It's likely that Pickens' groin injury was the primary reason why the team acquired Chris Williams prior to the start of the season. Williams has struggled to find success in the rotation of the Bears' defensive linemen, increasing the importance of Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter Sr.
Special Teams Impact
- Despite being questionable for the game, DeAndre Carter is active. To that end, it's no surprise to see Velus Jones Jr. inactive.