Chicago Bears offensive lineman Dakota Dozier had surgery to repair a torn ACL, according to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler.
The Bears inked Dozier to a one-year deal in March, but his recovery will keep him out the entire 2022 season. He’ll look to return to action in 2023.
The Bears initially placed Dozier on the injured reserve list in June after he went down in minicamp with the injury. Dozier, 31, was playing left guard with the second string when he was injured, and had been taking first-team reps earlier in the spring.
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Dozier Also Didn’t Play on Offense in 2021
A fourth-round pick for the Jets in 2014 (137th overall), Dozier spent his first four seasons in New York, playing sparingly. He headed to Minnesota after that, and he wound up serving as the Vikings’ starting left guard in 2020.
In his last full season in 2020, he played 1,083 total snaps, giving up 46 total pressures, nine QB hits and 6.0 sacks and earning a 44.6 overall grade from PFF.
He didn’t play on offense at all in 2021. He spent the bulk of his 2021 campaign on Minnesota’s practice squad, and also missed time after being hospitalized during a severe bout with COVID pneumonia.
The Bears would have benefitted from having him as depth on the line this season, and now, with veterans reporting to training camp on July 26, it’s likely Chicago will pick up a free agent still available on the market.
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The Bears’ OL Is Currently a Huge Question Mark
The last time the Bears had team practices in mid-June, fifth-round rookie Braxton Jones was at left tackle with the first team, while second-year OL Larry Borom played on the right side with the 1s. Free agent acquisition Lucas Patrick was starting at center, veteran Cody Whitehair was at left guard and last year’s center, Sam Mustipher, was at right guard.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told the media heading into the team’s break not to be surprised if the O-line looks different once practices resume. “There could be switches after this segment of the offseason leading into training camp. So we’re just taking it day by day.” Eberflus said on June 16.
“We’re evaluating each day and we’re gonna find the best five for us going into the first game. That’s a buildup process and we’re trying to find the combinations right now. We’d like to find them sooner than later and when we do that we’ll start repping it that way, and do what’s best for the Bears,” Eberflus added.
When asked whether the team would look at either Jenkins or Borom at right guard, the Bears coach said anything is possible.
“All combinations are open, I’ll just say that,” Eberfus said. “I’m not going to comment on is it yes or no, but I’ll say that we have an open lens of all combinations are open.”
With Jenkins being a former second-round selection, all eyes will be on his development when camp begins. It’ll also be interesting to see who Chicago adds to fill Dozier’s role as a depth piece.
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