Tag: Sam Mustipher

REPORT: Bears OL Sam Mustipher dealing with injury

The Bears offensive line is already banged up, and now center Sam Mustipher is dealing with an injury that’s expected to sideline him.

Injuries and COVID-19 are impacting the offensive line of the Chicago Bears so much they may need to resort to planting discarded election campaign signs in front of quarterback Nick Foles just to give him some sort of protection.

Following the news of starting right tackle Bobby Massie going on injured reserve due to a knee injury and reserve tackle Jason Spriggs testing positive for COVID-19, while guard Germain Ifedi needs to quarantine as a “close contact,”the Bears might possibly be dealt yet another blow.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, center Sam Mustipher was injured during Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. Although he finished the game, “it’s believed Mustipher will miss time,” writes Biggs.

Mustipher, starting his first NFL game after signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2019, was already filling in for starting center Cody Whitehair, who missed Sunday’s game due to a calf injury and may be out for this week’s game as well.

If Whitehair and Mustipher are unable to go against the Tennessee Titans, guard Alex Bars would likely be the team’s starting center. Bars was practicing snaps prior to last week’s game in case Mustipher went down.

With Massie and Spriggs already out and Ifedi, Whitehair, and now Mustipher all questionable, the Bears may need to get creative to shore up their biggest weakness on offense.

They already promoted rookie offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons from the practice squad to correspond with the Massie move and will likely activate their other rookie offensive lineman Arlington Hambright for the first time this season. If all else fails, those election signs will be available soon enough.

Bears place RT Bobby Massie on IR, promote OT Lachavious Simmons to active roster

It’s been a busy news day for the Chicago Bears in regards to their offensive line. And none of it is encouraging.

It’s been a busy news day for the Chicago Bears in regards to their offensive line. And none of it is encouraging.

The Bears have placed right guard Germain Ifedi and right tackle Jason Spriggs on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This after Spriggs tested positive for COVID, and Ifedi was ruled to be in close contact, according to Ian Rapoport.

Chicago also placed right tackle Bobby Massie on injured reserve after he suffered a knee injury that’s expected to keep him out at least a month. Massie will miss the next three games against the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers before he’s eligible to return on Dec. 6 against the Detroit Lions.

The Bears made several moves in response to both events, promoting seventh-round rookie offensive tackle Lachavious Simmons to the 53-man roster and signing Aaron Neary to the practice squad.

The Bears offensive line is going to look quite different when they face the Titans on Sunday, depending on Cody Whitehair’s availability. Whitehair is recovering from a calf injury that Matt Nagy didn’t expect to keep him out long-term.

Here’s what the offensive line could look like without Whitehair on Sunday.

LT Charles Leno Jr.
LG Alex Bars
C Sam Mustipher
RG Arlington Hambright
RT Rashaad Coward

The Bears are down three starting offensive linemen and three of Sunday’s presumed starters have one game or none of experience. Not exactly encouraging for Week 9 against the Titans.

Bears RT Bobby Massie could be out for a month with knee injury

The Bears are already without two starting offensive linemen, and now they’ll be without RT Bobby Massie possibly for a month.

The Chicago Bears are already without two starting offensive linemen as left guard James Daniels is done for the season with a torn pectoral muscle and center Cody Whitehair sidelined with a calf injury.

Now, it sounds like the Bears could be without right tackle Bobby Massie for at least a month, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Massie suffered a knee injury in the first half of Sunday’s loss against the New Orleans Saints.

Jason Spriggs replaced Massie at right tackle against the Saints, where he missed one play due to a knee injury. But he came back and finished the game. Spriggs is the favorite to replace Massie at right tackle, assuming he’s healthy enough to do so.

We saw what this offensive line would look like without Spriggs, where Rashad Coward was moved from left guard to right tackle and Alex Bars filled at at left guard while Sam Mustipher remained at center in place of Whitehair. We’ll see what the Bears ultimately decide to do with an offensive line combination heading into Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans.

Bears injury report: Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, Allen Robinson questionable, Cody Whitehair ruled out vs. Saints

The Bears released their final injury report ahead of Sunday’s game against the Saints, which featured designations for some key starters.

The Chicago Bears released their final injury report of the week ahead of Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, which featured official designations for some key starters.

The Bears have officially ruled out center Cody Whitehair, who suffered a calf injury in Week 7. Undrafted free agent Sam Mustipher will get the nod at center when the Bears welcome the Saints in Week 8.

As for some of the Bears’ other big-name stars, outside linebacker Khalil Mack (ankle), safety Eddie Jackson (knee), receiver Allen Robinson (concussion), receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (quad) and safety Sherrick McManis (hamstring) are all listed as questionable against the Saints.

While the Bears have typically been the beneficiaries of some luck with injuries, they’re the ones that find themselves without and possibly without some of their biggest contributors.

Robinson suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, and he’s been in concussion protocol all week. It’s unknown whether he’ll be good to go on Sunday, but the Bears would turn to youngsters Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller in his absence.

On defense, the Bears hope to have two of their most important playmakers in Mack and Jackson on the field against a high-powered Saints offense. Jackson was limited for most of the week but limited on Friday, so there’s a good chance he’ll suit up. After not practicing Wednesday and Thursday, Mack returned to practice on Friday in a limited capacity. If Mack is good to go, he’ll be on the field for the Bears on Sunday.

 

 

Bears Week 6 inactives: Brent Urban, John Jenkins active vs. Panthers

The Chicago Bears have released their inactives ahead of Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Chicago Bears have released their inactives ahead of their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers.

Nose tackle John Jenkins returns to the line-up after being on injured reserve for three weeks with a thumb injury. He brings some much-needed depth to the defensive line, especially as they prepare to face a run game that’s found success.

Defensive end Brent Urban, who has been a key reserve for this team, will play after being questionable with a knee injury. Offensive lineman Sam Mustipher is active for the first time in his young NFL career.

Safety Deon Bush had previously been ruled out against the Panthers. Other inactives for the Bears include cornerback Duke Shelley, left guard Arlington Hambright, receiver Riley Ridley and outside linebacker Trevis Gipson.

Chicago Bears injury opens door for pair of former Notre Dame linemen

An injury on the Chicago Bears offensive line has opened the door for not one but two former Notre Dame offensive linemen. Details here.

Neither Alex Bars or Sam Mustipher were drafted by an NFL team when their Notre Dame careers ended after the 2018 season, but both wound up inking free agent deals with the Chicago Bears.

Bars wound up getting promoted to the Bears active roster late last season while Mustipher remained on the practice squad.

Due to an unfortunate injury to Bears lineman and former second round pick James Daniels that was sustained this past Thursday, now Bars moves up to replace the void on the offensive line left by Daniels and Mustipher gets promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

If it seems like an oddity that both wound up signing free agent deals with the Bears remember that at the time, former Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Hiestand was coaching the Bears offensive line and had the obvious connections to both Bars and Mustipher.

All the best to both in the blue and orange.

Notre Dame legend gets tryout with Chicago Bears

One of the best to ever wear blue and gold at Notre Dame was given a tryout with the Chicago Bears this week.

Former Heisman Trophy runner-up and Butkus Award Winner at Notre Dame, Manti Te’o has an NFL tryout this week with the team that has perhaps the greatest lineage of any at interior linebacker position.

That is the Chicago Bears who have called Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher their own, just to name a few.

Te’o last played in the NFL for the Saints in 2019, playing 34 snaps over three games.  He also started for New Orleans in 2017 as he recorded 62 tackles that season.

The Bears are also looking at former Washington State product Deone Buchanon and Justin Phillips of Oklahoma State.

Earlier this week the Bears elevated former Notre Dame offensive lineman Sam Mustipher to the active roster, creating an opening on their practice squad.

Te’o entered Notre Dame in 2009 as one of the biggest recruits in semi-recent memory and helped the Irish to a BCS National Championship Game appearance in 2012.

No word yet on if any of the three of Te’o, Buchanon or Phillips are going to end up getting a deal.

Bears place LG James Daniels on IR, promote OL Sam Mustipher to active roster

Former second-round pick James Daniels’ season is done after he suffered a torn pec in last Thursday’s win.

The Chicago Bears have officially placed left guard James Daniels on injured reserve after he injured his pectoral muscle in last Thursday night’s 20-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bears promoted offensive lineman Sam Mustipher from the practice squad to the active roster in his place.

When addressing the media, head coach Matt Nagy said he doesn’t anticipate Daniels will return from injured reserve late in the season, even in the postseason. Which means the former second-round pick’s season is done.

“It’s heartbreaking,” offensive line coach Juan Castillo said. “I could see it in his eyes. It’s sad because this is a young man who’s been working hard, playing better. He’s got a big heart, [he’s a] hard worker, everybody likes him in the room. It hurts to see something like that happen.

“The positive thing is he’s going to get back at full strength. He’s 23 years old, so he has a great future ahead of him. Those are things you have to look at when you have a setback like that, look at the positive things. That’s what we’re trying to do with him and talking to him.”

Mustipher signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame last season, where he spent his rookie season and the first five games of this season on the practice squad.

 

 

Bears 2020 training camp preview: Offensive line

The Bears return four of five starters on their offensive line heading into 2020. Let’s take a look at the unit heading into training camp.

The Chicago Bears will report to training camp on July 28 and one unit to keep an eye on is the offensive lineman. This offseason the Bears didn’t heavily invest into their offensive line that was ranked 29th in run blocking and 21st in pass protection.

The Bears also saw their long time offensive guard Kyle Long retire this offseason and looked into bottom tier free agents and late 2020 draft picks do fill some void and bring competition.

Let’s take a look at the offensive line heading into training camp.

Cody Whitehair

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

After switching from center to left guard before the start of the 2019 season, Whitehair saw himself playing center in the second half of the season. Entering his fifth year, Whitehair is confident that he’ll be playing center for the 2020 season, where he feels comfortable.

In 2018 Whitehair was very comfortable in playing center as he earned his only Pro Bowl selection so far through his career.

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Roster Moves: Bears sign 9 players to reserve/future contracts

The Bears inked nine players that finished the season on their practice squad to reserve/future contracts on Monday.

The Chicago Bears signed nine players that finished the season on their practice squad to reserve/future contracts on Monday.

The group of players consisted of receivers Reggie Davis, Thomas Ives and Alex Wesley; tight end Dax Raymond; offensive linemen Dino Boyd and Sam Mustipher; linebacker James Vaughters; and defensive backs Xavier Crawford and Stephen Denmark.

Denmark was a seventh-round draft selection from 2019, but he didn’t appear in any regular-season games for the Bears. The lone Bear from the list to appear in a regular-season game was Vaughters, who filled in for the Bears that struggled with injuries to their linebacking corp. He registered three tackles in three games against the Eagles, Lions and Rams.

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