Getty Head coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears takes the field prior to a game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field on November 24, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
Dazz Newsome will have to pump the breaks on his fast start with the Chicago Bears after the sixth-round rookie wide receiver sustained a significant injury earlier this week that is expected to keep him sidelined for a few months.
Bears head coach Matt Nagy announced Wednesday that Newsome would be “out for a little while” after landing hard on his shoulder during Tuesday’s voluntary OTA practice. Shortly after, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Newsome had broken his collarbone — a “clean break” — and was scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday.
#Bears rookie WR Dazz Newsome broke his collarbone in practice Tuesday and will undergo surgery Thursday, per source. It’s a clean break, so the sixth-round pick from North Carolina is looking at an eight-week recovery and should be ready right around the start of training camp.
“Unfortunately, yesterday in practice, he had a ball that he went up to get and he just landed hard on his shoulder, and so he ended up injuring his shoulder (and) he’ll be out for a little while,” Nagy told reporters Wednesday. “It’s unfortunate, but the kid’s tough as heck. He bounced right back up until we went in and looked at it (and) we saw that it wasn’t too good.”
Newsome’s recovery timeline is anticipated to be eight weeks, meaning the young pass-catcher could be healthy in time for the Bears’ training camp this summer.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on Bears Newsletter!
Can Newsome Recover Without Losing a Step?
The Bears selected Newsome with hopes that he could add more firepower to their receiving game in 2021. He caught 126 passes for 1,702 yards and 16 touchdowns in his final two seasons alone at North Carolina, delivering his best outing as a junior in 2019 when he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. And in Chicago, where Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney are the only two wideouts with secured roles, there could be a golden opportunity for him to bring that production to the NFL level.
A collarbone injury is no joke, though.
Newsome could optimistically get back on the field at or near the start of the Bears’ training camp in July, but injuries can be unpredictable, while NFL training staffs are understandably cautious with their young, drafted players. Even if Newsome clears the necessary protocols for camp, the Bears could opt to hold him back or give preference to their veteran pass-catchers while he grows more naturally into their system.
At the same time, Nagy and the rest of his offensive coaching staff are surely eager to see how Newsome contends with the likes of Anthony Miller, Javon Wims and Riley Ridley in a competitive practice environment. The Bears have struggled to get consistent production from most of their returning group of wideouts and are searching for answers both short and long term at the position.
I’m excited to see how the #Bears utilize Dazz Newsome in his rookie year.
Not only is he electric in the open field, but he has very good ball skills and can stretch the field vertically. There should be a solid role for him in 2021.
Likelihood of Anthony Miller Trade Shrinks
Newsome might bounce back from his collarbone injury without much trouble, but either way, the uncertainty should help Miller’s overall standing with the Bears after the team was originally looked to trade him away earlier this offseason.
Miller, a 2018 second-round pick, has been largely inconsistent in his first three seasons with the Bears, averaging about 520 receiving yards per season but struggling to make himself a regular contributor in the offense. In 2020, he played just 55% of Chicago’s offense snaps and finished with a fifth-most 49 receptions behind Robinson and Mooney as well as David Montgomery and Jimmy Graham. He was also ejected from Chicago’s playoff loss to New Orleans for punching cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson, an incident that some speculated could be the final straw.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Bears were having trade conversations about Miller as recently as April, and while nothing got done, there was always a possibility that a suitable trade partner could present a better offer as the offseason and preseason continued. Now, with Newsome on the mend, that seems much less likely.
Miller might not have a proven track record of success, but the Bears are going to be moving into 2021 with a different quarterback regardless of whether Andy Dalton or Justin Fields is the starter in Week 1. Perhaps, he can establish better chemistry with one or both of them than he had with Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles. He’s also a young slot weapon who only counts about $1.7 million against their salary cap next season, so it would be more than justifiable to roll the dice on him once more.