Getty Germain Ifedi #74 of the Chicago Bears awaits the snaps against the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field on September 19, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Bengals 20-17.
The Chicago Bears activated outside linebacker Robert Quinn and right tackle Elijah Wilkinson from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Week 8’s home game against the San Francisco 49ers, but another veteran was placed on the COVID list right behind them, signaling the team’s outbreak issues aren’t over just yet.
On Friday, October 29, Bears general manager Ryan Pace placed veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi on the COVID list after bringing back both Quinn and Wilkinson to their active roster earlier in the day. He is the sixth player to land on the Bears’ COVID list over the past few weeks and is currently one of two on the reserve list alongside veteran tight end Jimmy Graham.
#Bears roster move:
We have placed OL Germain Ifedi on Reserve/COVID-19.
The 27-year-old right tackle and former first-round pick has been on injured reserve with a knee injury since October 13 and would not have been eligible to play against San Francisco without his COVID designation, but the move marks yet another setback for the trouble veteran lineman. Ifedi also spent about a month of training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) and was only able to play in about four and a half games at right tackle before his injury, which is not expected to be season-ending.
While it will depend on how quickly he is cleared from the COVID list, Ifedi will become eligible to return from IR for the first time in the middle of next week after spending his minimum-required three weeks on the sideline.
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Nagy’s Status Remains Unclear vs. 49ers
The Bears could also have to face the 49ers without head coach Matt Nagy on the sidelines after he said he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in Week 8. Chris Tabor, the Bears’ special teams coordinator, has been running team meetings in his absence, but Nagy indicated it will be a group effort if he is unable to coach on October 31.
“That’s definitely something that could happen,” Nagy said in regards to potentially missing Week 8’s game against the 49ers. “Really, from the time that I was put on the COVID protocol, you have to go through all of those situations and that’s what I’ve been able to do with the coaching staff, just being able to have constant conversations with these guys. It’s easy to say, ‘OK, if I’m off of it and I’m able to coach, that’s easy to handle,’ but if it goes the other way and I’m still on it and I’m not able to coach, that’s when conversations with the coordinators and Coach Tabor (come in) as to how that will go and just kind of talking through things.”
Only time will tell whether Nagy is able to clear COVID protocol in time to lead the team against San Francisco. In the event that he doesn’t, though, it seems likely that Tabor will split his coaching responsibilities with some of the Bears’ other coordinators, such as turning over the keys of the offensive to Bill Lazor for the game.
“It will be unique if that’s the case and I’m not there,” Nagy added. “It will be unique seeing plays that you see and recognize unlike a lot of other people that watch the game and even us when you’re watching a different game and don’t know what’s going on. It’s definitely going to be weird if that’s the case.”