Tag: Lucas Patrick

Bears HC Matt Eberflus explained what went into change at center vs. Vikings

Lucas Patrick replaced Cody Whitehair at center in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 19-13 loss to the Vikings. Matt Eberflus explained why:

The Chicago Bears offensive line had a disastrous outing against the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday’s 19-13 loss on Sunday. And there was one player in particular who noticeably struggled: center Cody Whitehair.

Whitehair struggled with snaps throughout the game, but he was replaced by Lucas Patrick in the fourth quarter. The assumption was the move was made based on performance, and this wasn’t the first time Whitehair had struggled with snaps — even last week when he stepped up in place of an injured Patrick.

Eberflus explained what went into the decision to replace Whitehair with Patrick at the end of the game, especially as it related to undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent, who replaced injured starter Justin Fields.

“Lucas obviously was going through concussion protocol during the week and when Justin went out and we had Tyson in there we thought it was best for our team to have the guy that had more experience in there playing center,” Eberflus said. “That’s that position that we have that Lucas has played for a long time. He has a lot of experience in there. We thought that would settle Bagent down little bit.”

Sure. But it also wasn’t because Whitehair was struggling with snaps throughout the game?

“No. It was just more about settling down and putting the guy that had more experience at center,” Eberflus said. “We feel good about both guys. And obviously we’ve switched guys around during the course of the year, guard, center. We are going to have to continue to do that based on where Nate (Davis) is. We’ll see. But we like our flexibility in there.”

With right guard Nate Davis sidelined with an ankle injury, there will be more shuffling along the offensive line heading into Week 7. The Bears could certainly elect to slide Patrick into that right guard spot and roll with Whitehair at center.

Chicago Bears Stock Exchange: Who’s up, who’s down entering Week 5?

Let’s take a look at the players whose stock is rising and falling in this week’s edition of the Chicago Bears Stock Exchange.

It’s the beginning of October, and the Chicago Bears still have yet to win a football game after falling 31-28 to the Denver Broncos to start the year 0-4. In fact, it’s been close to 365 days since their last win, and their collective stock has never been lower. The good news, however, is that isn’t the case for all of their players.

Though they suffered a painful loss in Week 4, many of their players had standout performances that helped raise their value. It had been quite a long time since that happened, and perhaps that momentum can carry over into Week 5 when the Bears face off against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.

Heading into that game, here are the players whose stock is up and the players whose stock is down in our latest look at the Chicago Bears Stock Exchange.

Bears designate G Teven Jenkins to return to practice this week

There’s finally some good news out of Halas Hall as Teven Jenkins is coming back to practice this week.

It’s been a bad few weeks for the Chicago Bears for a number of reasons, but there was finally some good news to come out of Halas Hall on Monday. According to Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, the team has designated guard Teven Jenkins to return to practice this week.

Jenkins has been out for the last month and a half due to a lower leg injury suffered during training camp. He went on injured reserve and missed the first four games, but now he is ready to come back and give the line reinforcements after a rough start to the season. Jenkins is set to play a new position for the third time in three years, having moved over to left guard this offseason following the signing of veteran guard Nate Davis. Previously, he played right guard in 2022 and left tackle in 2021.

The Bears have a short week, with a game against the Washington Commanders coming up on Thursday, so it’s unclear if Jenkins will be activated off injured reserve to play in the game. There is a 21-day window to to put him back on the active roster. If and when that happens, he’ll slot in as the left guard and likely push Cody Whitehair back to center, with Lucas Patrick heading to the bench. Both players have struggled at various points this season, making Jenkins’ return that much more impactful.

Chicago Bears stock exchange: Who’s up, who’s down after Week 1?

Let’s take a look at whose Bears stock is on the rise and whose is falling after Week 1.

Week 1 is thankfully in the rearview mirror for the Chicago Bears and their fans, but the fallout from their disappointing 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers continues throughout the week. Analysts and experts continue to pick apart the team’s performance, player effort, and overall execution. Week 2 can’t get here fast enough to give this group a chance at redemption.

As the Bears return to practice to prepare for their trip down to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they’ll do so with these players in the spotlight whose stocks may be rising and falling. Some of them shined in their first action of the season last week, while quite a few fell flat.

Here is the first iteration of the Chicago Bears Stock Exchange for the regular season.

5 Bears-Packers connections ahead of Week 1 matchup

There are a number of former Packers now playing on the Bears.

The Chicago Bears will kick off the 2023 NFL season against the rival Green Bay Packers today at Soldier Field.

It’s a new chapter in the NFL’s oldest rivalry, following the departure of Aaron Rodgers. Now, it’ll be Jordan Love taking the reins, where he’ll battle the likes of Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

Chicago is looking to snap an eight-game losing streak against their rivals, with their last victory coming in Dec. 2018.

When the Bears and Packers face off, there will be plenty of familiar faces. Between the two teams, there are some player and coach connections. Let’s take a look:

Bears offensive line could factor into whether Justin Fields plays in preseason finale

The Bears offensive line is banged up, which could factor into whether or not Justin Fields plays against the Bills.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, where the biggest question is whether starters will see the field after resting last week.

Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Tuesday that he hasn’t decided who will play in Saturday’s preseason finale at Soldier Field.

“That will be evaluated throughout the course of the week,” Eberflus said. “We’re looking at practice, we’re looking at each individual’s health, we’re looking at each unit’s health, we’re looking at everything from all those factors that factor into it, and we’ll decide here in a couple days when we have our personnel meeting to discuss personnel—who is going to play and how much and when for the game.”

One of the factors that could determine whether Fields plays is the status of the offensive line. The Bears have been ravaged by injuries, especially along the offensive line. Teven Jenkins is out for the foreseeable future, and there have been several starters or key reserves sidelined.

Now, rookie right tackle Darnell Wright is dealing with an apparent ankle injury. With the onus on protecting Fields, that’s not an ideal situation in a meaningless preseason game.

“There’s no question that will be looked at,” Eberflus said. “You’ve always got to look at the combinations and the health of the offensive linemen when you’re talking about the quarterback. That will all be looked at and we’ll see where it is.”

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What the Bears offensive line looked like without Teven Jenkins

Here’s what the Bears’ starting offensive line looked like during Monday’s practice with Teven Jenkins sidelined.

It sounds like the Chicago Bears will be without left guard Teven Jenkins for a significant period as he deals with what Adam Schefter describes as a calf strain in both legs.

Monday’s practice provided a glimpse of what the Bears’ offensive line might look like heading into the regular season without Jenkins. Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick were back at practice, and they both factored into the equation.

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Whitehair shifted from center to left guard while Patrick stepped in at center. It’s a combination that doesn’t come as a surprise. Whitehair started at left guard last season while Patrick was brought in last offseason to serve as center, although he only saw a few snaps before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 7.

With Jenkins healthy, Patrick is the primary reserve along the interior of the offensive line. The thought was Patrick would step in for Jenkins at left guard, which would allow Whitehair to remain at center, giving quarterback Justin Fields some continuity. But it sounds like Whitehair and Patrick are going back to their roots.

We’ll see if the Bears try out another offensive line combination. But it sounds like this could be the starting offensive line heading into the regular season, without Jenkins.

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5 bold predictions heading into Bears training camp

A winner in the running back battle and a contract extension highlight our Bears bold predictions heading into training camp.

Chicago Bears training camp 2023 is finally upon us as players begin reporting to Halas Hall this week. It’s the last stretch of the offseason before the regular season begins and while many areas of the team are solidified, a lot can happen between now and early September.

Surprise players will emerge as difference makers, position battles will take center stage, and some fan favorites will say goodbye when the preseason wraps up. You never know what might happen when practices finally get underway.

Here are our bold predictions going into training camp 2023.

Bears 2023 training camp preview: Offensive line

Our next Bears position preview is the offensive line, a group that will look very different than it did in 2022.

Chicago Bears training camp is less than a month away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

We’re unveiling our Bears 2023 training camp position previews, where we’re breaking down every player by position and examining the biggest question facing the group.

Rounding out the offensive side of the ball is the offensive line, a group that only has one projected starter playing the same position they played in 2022. Braxton Jones is back at left tackle but the rest of the line has done more shuffling than the 1985 Bears.

Teven Jenkins and Cody Whitehair were both prominent starters in 2022 who are now playing new positions, while newcomers Nate Davis and Darnell Wright were added to anchor the right side of the line. Meanwhile, players like Lucas Patrick and Larry Borom are now backups after entering last year’s camp as starters.

Here’s a closer look at the Bears’ offensive line heading into training camp.

Winners and losers following the Bears 2023 offseason

As we await the arrival of training camp, here are some of our winners and losers following the Bears offseason.

It’s been an eventful offseason for the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles. Armed with the most available cap space of any team in the league, coupled with holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bears had plenty of resources at their disposal and made the most of the opportunities to improve the team. In just his second offseason as general manager, Poles took plenty of swings and now has the Bears effectively set as they prepare for training camp.

The offseason isn’t quite over just yet and a surprise move or two could still be on the way, but the majority of the work has been completed. As we await the arrival of training camp, here are the winners and losers of the Bears offseason.