Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus Puts Injured Nate Davis on Notice

Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.

The Chicago Bears had starting right guard Nate Davis back on the field as a partial participant for a second straight practice on August 6, but head coach Matt Eberflus has also put him on notice regarding his recent injury troubles.

Eberflus fielded a question about Davis’ availability while speaking with media before Tuesday’s practice in Lake Forest and, in his response, sent a clear message to Davis about what missing more time could mean for him and his future as a Bears starter.

“If a person’s out for an extended period of time and the player that’s in that position is playing very well, at a starter level, and doing a good job there, then you create competition. You say, ‘Hey, there’s a competition,” Eberflus said on August 6.

“People say you can’t lose a job because of an injury. I don’t think that’s true. If a guy that’s playing there gives our team a good look and a good benefit for him being in that position, then it’s a competition. Or the other guy could take over. That’s not just at [right] guard. That’s at all positions.”

Davis missed five consecutive practices with what The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs reported to be a groin strain before he returned to practice on August 4 in a limited capacity. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin also wrote that Davis’ limitations in practice are part of a ramp-up period designed to get him back up to full speed with the offense.

As of August 6, though, it is unknown how much longer it will be before Davis is a full participant in practice again. And his competition is only gaining more ground on him.

Bill Murray Looks ‘Really Good’ Amid Nate Davis Injury

The Bears are naturally eager for Davis to return to the practice field. He is, after all, their starting right guard and veteran signed to a $30 million contract. During his absence, though, 27-year-old guard Bill Murray has begun to push for his job.

The Bears plugged Murray into Davis’ spot at right guard with the first-time offense after he dropped out with his injury on July 27. They have also rotated in Ryan Bates for first-team reps, but they are more focused on his battle with Coleman Shelton for their starting center job, which has led to Murray receiving more reps with the starters.

Murray is inexperienced as a former defensive tackle who converted to guard with the New England Patriots last offseason (before an injury cost him his shot at making the roster), but Eberflus lauded him back in July for his “really good” start to camp. He also liked what he saw from Murray during the NFL Hall of Fame game on August 1.

“He was really good,” Eberflus said of Murray. “Real aggressive. I thought his zone game, jumping to the second level was outstanding. I think his pass sets need to improve a little bit with what he did there. But overall we were pleased with him.”

Murray played 27 total offensive snaps in the 21-17 rain-shortened win over the Texans. On his 18 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed no sacks or pressures and finished with the highest Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade (84.5) in the game for either team. Overall, it was an encouraging start for a Bears depth player at a position of need.

Nate Davis Contract Prevents Bears From Cutting Him

Unfortunately, the Bears’ hands are mostly tied when it comes to Davis and the three-year, $30 million contract they signed with him during 2023 NFL free agency.

If the Bears cut Davis now, they would incur a dead-cap hit of $12.75 million for the 2024 season and lose roughly $1.39 million of their current $21 million cap space. A move such as that would be difficult to justify given Davis’ $11.35 million cap hit. Things become more manageable in 2025 when cutting him would only incur a dead-cap hit of $2 million and save them $9.5 million in space, but it does nothing for them now.

Just because the Bears cannot cut Davis does not mean they need to start him, though. Granted, sitting Davis would be a waste of the money they are currently paying him, but the Bears might not care if one of their backup options — perhaps even Murray — shows more potential for their offense than Davis does, once he returns to practice fully.

The other option could also be plugging in Bates at the right guard spot permanently. The Bears feel good about him at center, but he has the positional versatility to play at guard and might fit better in Davis’ spot if Shelton looks capable as a starting center.