Chicago Bears get mixed news on injuries to their defensive back room on Wednesday
Byard on bye week: 'It's going to be a bloodbath for the North'
FOX 32's Lou Canellis went 1-on-1 with Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard who shared what he saw from his NFC North rivals during the bye week. KB also dove into the strength of the Bears defense and how it plans to contain quarterback Marcus Mariota when Chicago takes on Washington this Sunday.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - There was some good and bad news for the Chicago Bears' secondary on Wednesday.
Starting with the bad news first: safety Jaquan Brisker and nickleback Kyler Gordon will not practice Wednesday. Brisker suffered a concussion against Carolina and Gordon suffered a hamstring injury against Jacksonville in London.
"They're still working through what they had for the previous games and they're day-to-day," Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. "We'll see what that is."
There is good news, though: reserve defensive back Terell Smith is back practicing and so is cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
"We'll see those guys back," Eberflus said.
The level of concern around both Gordon and Brisker comes down to recovery.
Gordon had a stint on injured reserve last season after breaking his hand in the season opener against Green Bay. Being designated day-to-day, there's a chance Gordon can recover and plays on Sunday against Washington.
The concern around Brisker is a little greater. This will be the third concussion he's suffered since entering the league in 2022.
"I always have concern with anybody that's in concussion (protocol)," Eberflis said. "It's a big injury. It's something that you got to be very careful about and our guys do a great job with those guys working through the protocol."
The conversations around concussions have heightened since Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12.
Tagovailoa also suffered a concussion in the 2022 season and missed four games. The conversation shifted from the recovery aspect of the concussion protocol to a conversation about whether playing football is worth it for players who haec suffered multiple concussions.
Concussions have been linked to long-term health issues after playing careers end, such as CTE. The NFL has put a concussion protocol in place and have taken steps to try and reduce likelihood of concussions.
This season, the NFL recently gave players the option of wearing Guardian Caps in games, which are worn on top of a player's helmet and usually donned during practices. CBS Sports, citing research, reported there have been a 46% reduction in concussions with players wearing guardian caps.
It's an option, however it's up to the players if they decide to wear the Guardian Caps or not.
Still, the Bears have to follow the protocol if Brisker is to be cleared before Sunday.
"That's why it's in place and that's why the NFL instituted that," Eberflus said. "It's where it is right now and we're hoping that he's getting better every single day."
If Brisker can't play Sunday, Elijah Hicks will start his second-consecutive game at safety alongside Kevin Byard. Josh Blackwell will start at nickelback if Gordon can't go.
What does help is the Bears get Stevenson and Smith back to bolster the outside cornerback positions. Stevenson's skill is undeniable, but Smith's skill in reserve benefits the Bears who are getting healthier in the outside cornerback positions.