Bears Regain 2 Starters as Another Playmaker Nears Return

Getty Bears running back Khalil Herbert, #24, is expected to return from injured reserve in Week 16 with he is eligible.

The Chicago Bears are getting back two of their rookie defensive starters for the final stretch of the 2022 regular season, while another one of their playmakers could be back as soon as his return window opens in Week 16.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed that rookie strong safety Jaquan Brisker and rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon “will be cleared off of [concussion] protocol” during his December 12 press conference at Halas Hall with reporters. Neither rookie played in either of the Bears’ final two games before the bye week, but both now have a good chance of returning to the lineup for Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Those guys are off of protocol, Brisker and Gordon,” Eberflus said Monday. “They should be all squared away. It’s important for us to be able to ramp those guys up. They’ve been working with strength staff and doing those types of things and running on the side, but we’ve got to make sure we ramp them up the right way coming in Wednesday and then the rest of the week.”

The Bears (3-10) will host the Eagles (12-1) — the top team in the NFC — at home for Week 15 at 1 p.m. on Sunday, December 18.

Return of Brisker & Gordon Should Boost Bears Defense

Brisker had been playing at an All-Rookie level for the Bears before sustaining a concussion in Week 11’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He has recorded 73 total tackles over 11 starts with a team-high three sacks, five tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble. According to Pro Football Focus, he is also the fifth-highest-graded rookie defender among those who have played at least 50% of their team’s defensive snaps and has allowed just 197 receiving yards on 339 coverage snaps.

With free safety Eddie Jackson out for the remainder of the year, it will be invaluable for the Bears to have Brisker back in the mix to close out his impressive rookie campaign.

Meanwhile, Gordon hasn’t been quite as effective as his fellow second-round pick, giving up 50 receptions for 615 yards and three touchdowns on 337 coverage snaps, but he has shown signs of growth throughout the season. If the Bears are hoping he can still develop into a quality starter alongside Jaylon Johnson, it will be important to get him starting reps against their final four opponents, three of which are among the top-five offenses in the NFL through the first 14 weeks.

“He’s done a lot of good things, and he’s done them with various skill sets that he has,” Eberflus said of Gordon. “Really, [what we need to see is] just consistency. He’s had games where he’s tackled really well and then games where he’s had opportunities and wished he’d done better. So, I would just say to really [be] more consistent over the last four games.”

Herbert Also Expected to Return in Coming Weeks

Eberflus also mentioned on Monday that the Bears are still expecting running back Khalil Herbert to return before the end of the 2022 season. Herbert suffered a hip injury during Week 10’s loss to the Detroit Lions and was placed on injured reserve two days later on November 15. By NFL rules, he is required to miss at least four games (not weeks) before being eligible for re-activation, so Herbert will still need to miss the upcoming game against the Eagles before having a shot at playing again.

Fortunately, it sounds like Herbert could be back as soon as his activation window opens ahead of their home game against the Buffalo Bills (10-3) on Christmas Eve.

“We anticipate him being back,” Eberflus said. “We’re excited about getting him back next week. He’s been working. In fact, I just talked to him out here in the hallway a little bit ago and he’s getting ready to go. He’s been hitting his max speeds and his jumps look good and his power in his legs looks great, so we’re excited about that.”

Herbert blew past all of his career-high rushing marks through his first 10 games of action for the Bears in 2022, racking up 643 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 108 carries. He also helped put himself on the map with a career-best outing in the win over Houston earlier in the season, rushing 20 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns while David Montgomery was out with an ankle injury. Even if Herbert stays the second-option back in the rotation, the Bears are a better offense when he is available.