Bears’ revamped defense has been hit hard by injuries in camp, preseason

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears have revamped their defense after finishing near the bottom of the league on that side of the ball last season.

Coach Matt Eberflus believes those efforts were successful, but he needs to see his defensive starters playing together - or even practicing together - first. Injuries have prevented Chicago’s full first-team defense from taking the field since training camp began.

“Every year is different,” Eberflus said. “Sometimes you get certain types of injuries one year and sometimes you don’t. But you’re still dealt with the job to get guys ready to go. Everybody is fighting that through the course of the league, and we’re no different.”

The Bears on Tuesday waived two starters from a year ago, including one of their top pass rushers in Trevis Gipson. The defensive end had requested a trade just before the final preseason game.

Gipson, who had seven sacks in 2021, ultimately lost out in a roster battle to Dominique Robinson and Terrell Lewis behind starters Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker and backup Rasheem Green.

Walker is among the players who have missed significant practice time. Ngakoue signed on Aug. 4 and didn’t arrive in Chicago until several days later.

“Based on where they are right now, we like where they are and it is what it is right now,” Eberflus said. “So we gotta make sure we do a great job of ramping them up conditioning-wise and getting them ready to play for the first game.”

The Bears’ biggest free-agent acquisition on defense, middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, has been dealing with an injury that the team has yet to detail. He finally played one series during Chicago’s final preseason game.

The Bears were also without linebacker Jack Sanborn for part of camp. Both safeties, Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker, missed the final two preseason games.

“I don’t really have any doubts as far as whether we’re going to jell,” cornerback Kyler Gordon said. “I’ve seen each player do something special individually and add or contribute to this defense. I think a lot of people are curious about it but as a defense and for people who have been here in the building like I have, there’s not a lot of doubt about the players that we have. I feel good about it.”

The Bears have injury problems elsewhere. The offensive line was also revamped after allowing 58 sacks, but the group finished the preseason with only two starters.

Eberflus said the only injured player on either side of the ball who remains a question for the opener is left guard Teven Jenkins.

The Bears don’t reveal the nature of injuries sustained in practices during preseason.

“Everybody looks to be healthy right now,” Eberflus said. “Looks good. The one guy that’s still week to week is Teven. Again, we’ll work through that process as we go.”

On Monday, Chicago traded a sixth-round draft pick to Miami for guard Dan Feeney. Offensive linemen Lucas Patrick, Nate Davis and Darnell Wright have missed time with injuries, and Cody Whitehair suffered a hand injury but returned. The nature of Whitehair’s injury forced the Bears to shift him from center to guard.

All the injuries have led to criticism of the Bears’ training techniques. Eberflus believes in tough training camps and practices.

“I would say that we’re middle of the road in terms of injury,” Eberflus said. “We looked at the data in terms of the league this year. So we were right there where average was.”

NOTES

Cornerback Kindle Vildor was the other starter waived besides Gipson. … The Bears waived veteran quarterback Nathan Peterman, making undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent the backup to Justin Fields. Bagent, from Division II Shepherd, led two touchdown drives in the preseason. The Bears had already released veteran backup P.J. Walker.