Bears designate LG Cody Whitehair for return from IR

It sounds like Cody Whitehair’s return is imminent as the Bears have designated his return from IR.

The Chicago Bears have designated left guard Cody Whitehair to return from injured reserve, the team announced.

Whitehair returned to practice on Wednesday, opening a 21-day window for him to return from IR.

Whitehair suffered a knee injury in a Week 4 loss against the New York Giants, and he’s missed the last four games. He’s eligible to return this week, so it’s encouraging that Chicago opened his window.

The offensive line has struggled in pass protection with Justin Fields, who is the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL (31) and the most pressured. Whitehair was one of the best offensive linemen during the first four games, so his impending return will be big for this unit.

In Whitehair’s absence, there’s been some shifting along the offensive line. Lucas Patrick (currently on IR) and Michael Schofield have both played at left guard in his place.

We’ll see if the Bears decide to activate Whitehair from IR ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

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