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The Chicago Bears defense will be without one of its best players in 2020 with nose tackle Eddie Goldman opting out of the season due to health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Goldman falls into the high-risk category, as he has dealt with asthma in the past. Goldman, who signed a four-year extension with the Bears in 2018, will receive a $350,000 stipend as he does fall into the high-risk opt-out category.
Goldman opted out because of health concerns related to COVID-19. The 26-year-old defensive tackle has experienced issues with asthma in the past. Because Goldman falls into the high-risk category, he will receive a $350,000 stipend by opting out. Goldman signed a four-year extension with Chicago in 2018 that contained $25 million in guarantees.
ESPN examined the full list of NFL players that chose to opt out of the 2020 season and what that loss means for their respective teams. Obviously the loss of Goldman is a huge one for this Bears defense. And it’s not going to be easy to make up for his absence in the middle of that defensive front.
Goldman is one of Chicago’s best-run stoppers. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound nose tackle will be missed. A former second-round draft choice, Goldman never posted gaudy statistics, but the team considered him a valuable member of Chicago’s top-rated defense. The Bears must now find a new anchor in the middle of their defensive line. Veteran John Jenkins — recently removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list — is a strong contender to replace Goldman at nose tackle.
With Goldman opting out, the free-agent addition of defensive tackle John Jenkins looks better by the day. Jenkins, who is in his second stint with the Bears, has proven to be a solid defensive tackle. Chicago certainly needs him to step up, although there’s no replacing an Eddie Goldman.
The Bears are going to need more than Jenkins to step up this season. There are a slew of players on Chicago’s defensive line that were poised to make an impact this season, especially given the loss of Goldman. Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols and Roy Robertson-Harris are players that Chicago will be turning to take that next step. It certainly helps that defensive tackle Akiem Hicks is returning to the lineup following injury.
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