Tag: Artie Burns

Bears CB Artie Burns out for season with torn ACL

The Bears have had brutal luck when it comes to cornerbacks this offseason. They’ve now lost Tre Roberson and Artie Burns to injuries.

The Chicago Bears have had brutal luck when it comes to cornerbacks this offseason. After CFL star Tre Roberson broke his foot training for the upcoming season, the Bears have lost another cornerback to injury.

Cornerback Artie Burns tore his ACL during Tuesday’s padded practices, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The injury comes just one day after Burns practiced with the first-team defense opposite two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller.

Burns, who Chicago signed to a one-year prove-it deal this offseason, was looking for a fresh start with the Bears. Now, he’ll be sidelined until 2021.

The attention turns to rookie Jaylon Johnson and veteran Kevin Toliver, who are the next men up. Toliver will likely assume the starting role for now, given he was working with the second team during Monday’s practice.

But that doesn’t mean the second-round rookie out of Utah won’t get a crack at the starting job. Johnson, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, was expected to get a chance to make an impact as a rookie. And the Bears will be counting on him to win the starting job perhaps as early as Week 1.

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Bears CB Artie Burns left Tuesday’s practice with left knee injury

Bears CB Artie Burns suffered a left knee injury during Tuesday’s padded practice, the extent of which is unknown.

As the Chicago Bears search for a starting cornerback opposite two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller, they’re currently down a cornerback following the second day of padded practices.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy informed reporters that cornerback Artie Burns left Tuesday’s practice with a left knee injury. Nagy said the team doesn’t know the full extent of the injury and is awaiting further information.

Burns, who Chicago signed to a one-year prove-it deal this offseason, opened training camp with the starting defense during Monday’s padded practice.

The cornerback competition is one that will draw a lot of eyes in camp as Burns competes with rookie Jaylon Johnson and veteran Kevin Toliver. With Burns currently down, Toliver should assume the starting role as he worked with the second-team on Monday.

While there hasn’t been a lot of Johnson, as he’s recovering from shoulder surgery and acclimating, Nagy expects that to change as the days go on.

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5 takeaways from Chicago Bears’ first padded practice

From the photos and videos to post-practice interviews, there was quite a bit to unpack from the Bears’ first padded practice on Monday.

Monday’s training camp practice for the Chicago Bears truly felt like football had finally returned. While the team had been practicing at Halas Hall over the last couple of weeks, this practice session was the first one in pads and the first time the local media was allowed inside.

From the photos and videos taken by reporters, to the post-practice interviews provided by head coach Matt Nagy and select players, there was quite a bit to unpack from Monday’s practice. Here are my five takeaways.

1. The Bears are finally figuring out how to utilize Cordarrelle Patterson

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool

Ever since he came into the league seven years ago, All-Pro kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson has shown how dangerous he can be on special teams. But like other key specialists, he never truly found a home on an NFL offense despite being drafted as a wide receiver. Now in his second year as a Bear after signing as a free agent last offseason, he may finally have found one.

Patterson spent practice primarily with the running backs, taking handoffs and catching screens out of the backfield. It appears to be the best fit for the veteran, given his running style when he returns kickoffs and considering his success as a New England Patriot in 2018 when thrust into the backfield.

It also answers questions on why the Bears haven’t pursued another running back to compliment David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen. Montgomery still stands to be the bellcow and Cohen will continue to have a role coming out of the backfield in passing situations. But Patterson is set to have a role as well. Frankly, it’s where he’s best suited and I only wish the Bears made this decision last season to get him more touches.

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LOOK: Highlights from Bears’ first padded training camp practice

The Bears release some highlights from the first day of padded practice, which includes a look at some new faces and the QB competition.

The Chicago Bears suited up in pads for the first time this training camp, and it felt like Christmas morning for many Bears fans. Even with training camp closed to the public with COVID-19 concerns.

But with the media in attendance, there were real reports from practice that just made it feel like football is back.

The Bears release some highlights from the first day of padded practice, which includes a look at some new and returning faces, as well as both quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles throwing to skill players against Chicago’s defense.

Some of the highlights from the first day included receiver Cordarrelle Patterson working with the running backs, which certainly feels like a good fit for one of the NFL’s most explosive playmakers.

Speaking of playmakers, the Bears have a big one to replace on defense with the loss of nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who opted out of the 2020 season due to health and safety concerns with COVID-19. Which means the Bears have to do the very difficult job of finding his replacement. It’s looking like that could be third-year defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, who played nose tackle on Monday and reportedly wreaked havoc on Chicago’s offensive line alongside Akiem Hicks.

Cornerback Artie Burns surprised as he appeared with the first-team defense. While many had rookie Jaylon Johnson pegged as the presumptive starter, he was never going to be handed the job. But it was a shock to see Burns get the nod over Kevin Toliver, who worked with the second team. Although the shuffling at cornerback will surely continue through camp.

And, of course, the quarterback competition officially got underway with the start of padded practices as Trubisky and Foles split reps with the first team. The reports from practice weren’t encouraging, as Trubisky and Foles both had their share of struggles. But it’s only Day 1, after all. If this is still an issue on Day 12 of padded practices, then we can start to worry.

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Bears camp: CB Artie Burns worked with starters in first padded practice

In Chicago’s 1st padded practice of camp, CB Artie Burns took reps with the 1st-team defense, and there wasn’t a lot of Jaylon Johnson.

The Chicago Bears kicked off padded practices Monday, where the media was in attendance and able to shed some light on some of the happenings at camp.

With several position battles happening in camp, there were some interesting developments in Monday’s practice. While the quarterback competition between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles will be difficult to gauge early on, there was some news regarding the cornerback competition.

According to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns, Artie Burns took reps with the first-team defense during the first padded practice. Kevin Toliver worked with the second-team.

Nagy noted that Burns, a former first-round pick, has the kind of veteran experience that lends itself to this competition. The Bears signed Burns to a one-year prove-it deal in free agency, and he has a chance to win that starting job opposite two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller. But this battle is far from over.

As far as second-round rookie Jaylon Johnson, there wasn’t a lot of him in this first padded practice. But Matt Nagy expects that to change as the days go on. Johnson is recovering from shoulder surgery, and this is the first time he and Chicago’s rookie class are getting to work with their team on the practice field.

While Johnson wasn’t a focal point in this first padded practice, he’s someone that will no doubt work hard to close the gap between him and Burns and Toliver.

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Brain of former Steelers lineman donated for CTE research

The brain of former Steelers guard, Carlton Haselrig, was donated for CTE research.

After former Steelers offensive lineman Carlton Haselrig died last month, his family followed through on his wishes to donate his brain to Boston University for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) research.

Work is being conducted to diagnose CTE through blood tests or imaging; however, the only way to currently detect it is after death.

Boston University has described CTE as a “progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma (often athletes), including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head that do not cause symptoms.”

“Life starts with family. Carlton was big on family, he respected everyone, inspired his loved ones, and ensured to always support those he encountered,” his family said in a statement. “As his family, we have promised to do our part and uphold the values Carlton has built, starting by executing his desire to donate his brain for CTE research.”

Before joining the Steelers, Haselrig was a six-time national champion heavyweight wrestler at the Pittsburgh-Johnstown.

According to a 2017 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, CTE has been found in 110 of 111 former NFL players who donated their brains for research.

Former Steelers, Hall of Fame center Mike Webster and offensive tackle Justin Strzelczyk, were both found diagnosed with CTE after their deaths. Since Webster’s tragic death in 2002, other high-profile players — including Junior Seau, Frank Gifford, and Kenny Stabler — were diagnosed with CTE postmortem.

In 2017, then-Steelers cornerback Artie Burns said he believes he has CTE.

I definitely know I have it. I’m going to [test positive for] CTE. I don’t need a test. Is it going to tell me how much I have? We play a physical sport, man. Humans are not made to run into each other.

The league is continuously working to make pro football a safer game through protocols, rule changes and improved helmets.

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Top roster battles at the start of Bears training camp

There’s a lot of competition at several positions on the Bears’ roster. Let’s take a look at those battles happening in training camp.

Last year, it was the kicker competition between Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry that was the biggest discussion at training camp. Which was a good thing considering that there weren’t many questions outside of kicker.

But this season that’s completely changed. Well, not completely. There will be a kicker competition for the second straight training camp — albeit one that won’t be as front and center. But one of the themes for this season for general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy is the focus on competition at multiple positions. And there’s a lot of competition at several positions on the roster this season.

Let’s take a look at the seven position battles that will be happening in Bears training camp.

1. Quarterback

The most important position battle will take place at the most important position in all of sports, which isn’t exactly a comforting thought. Following Mitchell Trubisky’s struggles last season, Pace went out and brought in experienced veteran Nick Foles to not only push Trubisky but possibly replace him as the starter.

While many had Foles pegged as the clear favorite for most of this offseason, the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have quieted those beliefs if only because of the limited sample size that Nagy will have to choose his starter from. Trubisky has an advantage as far as familiarity with his teammates, especially as he’s been working with both returning and new skill position players during the offseason. The Bears will have to get creative during camp in a decision that could make or break this season.

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6 things to watch at the start of Chicago Bears training camp

There are a lot of question marks for the Bears ahead of the 2020 season, ranging from position battles to the effects of COVID-19.

Following a grueling offseason that had its share of challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicago Bears finally hit the practice field at Halas Hall with the start of training camp.

There are a lot of question marks for the Bears ahead of the 2020 season, ranging from position battles to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the start of training camp, we’re going to start seeing those answers become more clear.

Here are six things to watch at the start of Bears training camp.

1. The QB competition

USA Today

The quarterback battle between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles has been the talk of the offseason for the Bears, and it’s certainly only going to heat up at the start of training camp. Given that training camp will be the only reps for head coach Matt Nagy to evaluate Trubisky and Foles, it’s certainly not going to be an easy task to make the right decision given the shortcomings of this 2020 season.

Nagy said they’re going to be evaluating Trubisky and Foles on every single play — not just their throws. They’ll be looking at every check at the line of scrimmage, how they get in and out of the huddle and how they react to specific plays in practice. Evaluating these quarterbacks in training camp alone certainly isn’t ideal, but it’s all they have to go off at this point.

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6 biggest questions heading into Bears training camp

The Bears are gearing up for the starting of training camp, and there are plenty of questions yet to be answered ahead of the 2020 season.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the starting of training camp next week, and there are plenty of questions yet to be answered ahead of the 2020 regular season.

Obviously training camp is going to look different amid COVID-19 concerns, which includes the cancellation of preseason. Which means every rep for players competing for a starting job or roster spot — be it quarterback, cornerback, safety, etc. — is going to be important.

Let’s take a look at the six biggest questions heading into training camp.

1. Who will win the starting quarterback job?

USA Today

No doubt the biggest question heading into training camp — and the regular season — is who will be the Bears’ starting quarterback. Following a rough season for third-year starter Mitchell Trubisky, the team traded for an experienced veteran in Nick Foles to challenge Trubisky for the starting job. But Foles isn’t just there to mentor and push Trubisky, he’s there to potentially replace him.

Obviously with the virtual offseason amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the quarterback competition isn’t going to pan out how the Bears had wanted it to. With the absence of organized team activities, minicamp and the cancellation of the preseason, there will be a limited sample size from which Matt Nagy will have to make his decision. That small sample size ultimately benefits Trubisky, who could be a favorite to win the job given his experience operating this offense with these current playmakers. But we’ll see if Foles can ultimately best Trubisky in training camp practices against one of the league’s best defenses.

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Bears 2020 training camp preview: Cornerbacks

Here is a breakdown of each cornerback as the Bears prepare for the start of training camp.

When the Chicago Bears cornerbacks take the field in just under a week, there will be some familiarity but also quite a bit of change. Pro Bowl cornerback Kyle Fuller returns as the team’s top option as he continues to establish himself as one of the best corners in the game, but he doesn’t know who his counterpart on the other side of the field will be.

Former starting cornerback Prince Amukamara was released in February and the Bears have brought in a bevy of players in free agency and the NFL Draft to compete for the starting position opposite of Fuller.

The position group will certainly be one to watch when camp officially begins. Here is a breakdown of each cornerback as the Bears get ready for the 2020 season.

Kyle Fuller

Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Kyle Fuller continues to rewrite his own history as the former 2014 first-round draft pick went from bust to beast. Fuller put together another fine season in 2019, intercepting three passes and posting a career high in tackles with 82. His production did slip from his outstanding 2018 season, but that was in part due to the Bears’ front seven not generating enough pass rush. Fuller is a player who plays off the ball, able to watch the quarterback and receiver to make last-minute plays on the ball.

Fuller is one of the longest-tenured Bears and will be expected to lead the position group on and off the field more than ever now that Amukamara, one of the team’s key leaders since 2017, has moved on. His first task? Mentoring the Bears hotshot second-round draft pick.

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