Getty Chicago Bears LB Khalil Mack has had season-ending foot surgery.
Khalil Mack’s 2021 campaign is over.
The superstar pass rusher for the Chicago Bears has been placed on injured reserve and is slated to have season-ending foot surgery, according to top NFL insider Ian Rapoport. He won’t play another down this year.
Sources: The #Bears are placing All-Pro pass-rusher Khalil Mack on Injured Reserve to have season-ending foot surgery.
Mack has played in 11 games so far this season, but he hasn’t seen the field since Week 7. He started off the year on fire, netting 6.0 sacks, seven QB hits and six tackles for loss, but as the season progressed, he had to play through the foot injury, and that caught up to him.
This will be a first for the three-time All-Pro, who has never missed more than two games during regular season play dating back to his rookie year with the Raiders in 2014.
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Bears’ HC Matt Nagy on Mack’s Injury: ‘I Know He’s Frustrated’
“It’s part of the foot, and it’s stuff that he’s been dealing with for weeks,” Nagy told the media about Mack’s injury on November 19. “Through him and our doctors and everybody else, this is a part of the game, and you try to handle things the right way. I know he’s frustrated cause he’s such a competitor, but this is the best thing for him, and the best situation to be able to help him out and get it fixed,” Nagy added.
“About a month or so ago, maybe a little more, me and Mike Garofolo reported that it was a foot injury for Khalil Mack, that they (the Bears) wanted to see if it could heal without surgery, they kind of went with the conservative approach, Rapoport said on NFL Now. “It was not to be, and now just no choice for the Bears but for Khalil Mack to have foot surgery.”
Nagy says Mack is set to have surgery on his foot next week.
From NFL Now: The #Bears have lost star pass-rusher Khalil Mack for the season.
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Is it Finally Trevis Gipson Time in Chicago?
The Bears also signed veteran pass rusher Bruce Irvin to the practice squad and promoted linebacker Cassius Marsh to the active roster this week. Additionally, Chicago placed another veteran, linebacker Danny Trevathan, on injured reserve for the second time, ending his season. With multiple key veterans done for the year, now could be the time for second-year pass rusher Trevis Gipson to shine.
The 2020 fifth-round draft pick out of Tulsa has shown flashes, netting 2.0 sacks, two QB hits and a forced fumble in eight appearances this year. Gipson has been learning from the likes of veterans Mack and Robert Quinn, both of whom have helped him in his development so far.
“They’ve helped me get to where I am now,” Gipson told the team’s official website in October. “They’ve seen my progress from last year to this year. So, it’s good seeing it pay off, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”
With Mack out, Gipson has a huge opportunity to make a statement while also securing his position on the team moving forward.
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