Latest Indianapolis Colts injury is a major break for Chicago Bears

Jordan Campbell

Indianapolis Colts v Green Bay Packers / Stacy Revere/GettyImages

The Chicago Bears will remain in the AFC South for Week 3 as they have their second-consecutive road game on the season, this time against the Indianapolis.

After a competitive game against the Houston Texans to open the 2024 season, the Colts took a step backward against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Colts' offense struggled to repeat the explosive performance that they had against the Texans, despite the defense being able to hold the Packers under 20 points.

DeForest Buckner is one of the anchors of the Colts' defense. Buckner suffered an ankle injury during the Colts' loss to the Packers on Sunday, and on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network cast doubt on Buckner's availability against the Bears.

#Colts DL DeForest Buckner, one of the NFL’s most durable players, suffered an ankle sprain that is expected to make him a long-shot for next week against the #Bears, sources say. X-Rays were negative, MRI is coming. The belief is the sprain is not a severe one. pic.twitter.com/CTltJfNFQ8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2024

Latest Colts' injury news is great for the Chicago Bears.

The prevailing takeaway from the Chicago Bears' first two games of the 2024 season is that the unit struggles against elite defensive linemen. While the Bears' offensive line struggled against the Tennessee Titans, there was a reason to believe there could be improvement against the Texans. Instead, the Bears' offensive line regressed to an extent that many are beginning to wonder if it will be the reason Caleb Williams' development will be stunted during his rookie season.

If Buckner is unable to play for the Colts on Sunday, that is a major break for the Bears. The goal is that Buckner's absence will open things up in the running game. Despite jumping out in free agency last March and signing D'Andre Swift, Swift has been a non-factor on offense for the Bears through the first two games. If the Bears can get Swift going in the running game, that would be an encouraging first step in unlocking things for Williams and the passing game.

Jordan Campbell

For nearly 15 years, Jordan has been a workhorse across the FanSided network - including being the inaugural site expert for Cubbies Crib, as well as a stop at Da Windy City as the site expert. In addition to returning to be a Co-Site Expert at Cubbies Crib, Jordan was previously the Site Expert at Bear Goggles On. In the years since, Jordan has joined FanSided's full-time team, serving as a staff writer for the MLB division. Jordan's work can be seen across the MLB division, including a consistent presence on our Cubs, Twins, Astros, and Tigers sites. Since 2010, Jordan has dedicated his craft to providing insightful commentary on all things Chicago sports, and he has enjoyed his venture into all things Major League Baseball.