The Chicago Bears are heading into the Week 5 game against the Carolina Panthers relatively healthy, and signs point toward Teven Jenkins's being able to play through the rib injury he has been dealing with.
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While speaking with reporters at Halas Hall on Friday, Matt Eberflus mentioned it would be a matter of pain tolerance for whether Jenkins and wide receiver DeAndre Carter would play on Sunday. Considering both players were limited in practicing on Thursday and Friday, that would point toward each player being active on Sunday.
Assuming Jenkins does play on Sunday, the Bears will likely utilize the same starting offensive line they had last week against the Los Angeles Rams. A starting offensive line that featured Braxton Jones, Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, Matt Pryor, and Darnell Wright from left to right.
Final Chicago Bears injury report for Week 5
As for Carter, Keenan Allen's return has phased him out of the offensive picture. There have been times when the Bears have implemented four wide-receiver sets this season, but Carter, with Allen back, is the fourth wide receiver as opposed to being the slot receiver as he was during the early weeks of the season.
Given Chris Williams' ineffectiveness since being acquired at the end of preseason, Zacch Pickens's lingering groin injury has depleted the depth of the Bears' interior defensive line. Considering Pickens has been dealing with this injury since the beginning of the season, it is curious that the Bears haven't moved to pace the second-year defensive tackle on injured reserve.
The other injury is Terell Smith, who will miss his second consecutive game due to a hip injury. Smith has proven to be a valuable depth piece for the Bears in the secondary but beyond talent, depth is probably strongest for the Bears in the secondary.