The Chicago Bears have added a few players to the practice squad after dealing with one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the NFL.
The Bears added former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Thakarius “Bopete” Keyes to the practice squad on December 15, and a day later, they signed former Houston Texans nose tackle Auzoyah Alufohai.
Alufohai signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He played in three NFL games last year, netting one tackle. He was waived in August of 2021, and picked up by Chicago, who added him to its practice squad in September. The Bears released him shortly after, and he spent a few weeks with the Green Bay Packers before heading back to the Windy City.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
Bears Roster Issues Currently Running Deep
On December 16, the COVID-19 outbreak worsened for the Bears, as they added six more players to the reserves list: Wide receiver Allen Robinson II, safety Eddie Jackson, tight end Jesse James, linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe, running back Ryan Nall and practice squad receiver Isaiah Coulter. They join Mario Edwards Jr., corner Artie Burns, nose tackle Eddie Goldman, practice squad OLB Sam Kamara, right tackle Larry Borom and swing tackle Elijah Wilkinson, who has been on the reserve/COVID-19 list since late November.
The Bears also held multiple players out of the team’s December 16 practice who were dealing with a non-COVID related illness or other ailments: Running backs David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert, tight ends Cole Kmet and Jesper Horsted, receiver Jakeem Grant Sr., guard James Daniels, tackle Teven Jenkins and nose tackle Khyiris Tonga (shoulder) all missed practice on Thursday.
Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!
Bears Have All 3 Coordinators on COVID-19 List
“We’ve had some guys that we’ve had to place on reserve COVID this week, but separate from that we have some guys that are battling some non-COVID illnesses, so we’re just trying to really be smart as we go through this,” Bears head coach Matt Nagy said on December 16. “What we’re going to do is the post-practice meetings are going to be via Zoom today. Again, that’s just with some of the non-COVID illnesses that we’re battling, we want to make sure we’re smart and taking care of the guys’ bodies both physically and mentally. So, we’ll continue to monitor that and work through that.”
Nagy also revealed that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, defensive coordinator Sean Desai and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor were also in COVID protocols.
“They’re gonna be placed on the COVID list so just wanted to let you aware of all that on the front end and they’re still going to be heavily involved in the game plan and they’ll still be a part of all that,” Nagy said about his coordinators. “We’ll have a plan in place and I’m not going to get into right now who’s replacing or who’s filling in for those three guys. So, there’s that.”
While it’s possible several players and all three coaches could be back in time for Chicago’s Week 15 Monday Night Football matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, it’s also possible none of them will be available. If that’s the case, Nagy will likely call plays for the offense, while senior defensive assistant Mike Pettine could call plays for the defense.
READ NEXT: Insider Dubs Ex-Rival Coach as Ideal Matt Nagy Replacement
Bears Re-Sign Defender, Add Another as COVID-19 Outbreak Worsens