The Chicago Bears are riding high off of a borderline magical offensive start in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, but injuries threatened to curtail the party as the team moved into preparation for the Week 2 divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Both running backs Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift were limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, as was edge rusher Dayo Odeyingo, rookie corner Malik Muhammad, safety Xavier Woods and most notoriously second-year left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, who has returned way ahead of schedule from a patellar tendon tear back in January.
Despite it seeming plausible that Chicago could go into the game with multiple missing starters, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported on Friday that the team has no injury designations for the Vikings game.
Bears’ Active Roster Injury Free Ahead of Week 2
“No injury designations for any Bears player headed into Week 2 vs. Minnesota.” Cronin reported on Sep. 18.
“Biggest news here is Ozzy Trapilo having his first FULL participation in practice. As Press Taylor said yesterday, the team had been mixing him in on team drills this week. We’ll see how long before he gets in the mix in games.”
Meanwhile, All-Pro tackle Darnell Wright, who was listed as not practicing on Wednesday followed by limited participation on Thursday, was a full participant on Friday and is expected to play.
Ozzy Trapilo Set to Make Return After Major Injury
The Trapilo news in particular will be a huge boon to an offensive line that is already showing its dominance in the run game after generating almost 300 yards on the ground in the season opener.
The former second round pick had an excellent rookie season prior to his devastating knee injury in the Wild Card win against the Green Bay Packers, which many believed would sideline him for close to a year, leaving him to rehab on the sidelines until late December/early January.
However, the Boston College product far exceeded expectations in his recovery time, and should return to the starting lineup imminently – although it would not be surprising to see him split reps with Braxton Jones this weekend for his first game back.
Bears Get Multiple Excellent Roster Updates Ahead of Home Opener