Chicago Bears RT Darnell Wright is day-to-day; here what it means for the offensive line
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - There's another injury on the Chicago Bears' offensive line to consider.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said right tackle Darnell Wright will enter this week with a day-to-day designation after suffering a back injury this weekend.
Wright will miss practice Wednesday, and his availability for this Sunday will be determined as the week goes on.
Eberflus talked about the options for the Bears' offensive line in case Wright is unable to play on Sunday.
The first option would be Matt Pryor. The swing offensive lineman who played right guard on Sunday in Nate Davis' place would be an option, Eberflus said. However, Eberflus didn't commit to placing Pryor at either guard or tackle. The team is still mulling options.
Eberflus did comment Pryor on the job he did in Indianapolis.
"We thought Pryor did a nice job," Eberflus said.
Although it wasn't a banner day for the Bears' offensive line as a unit – quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked four times and the Bears gained 63 yards on 2.3 yards per rush – Pryor wasn't a liability. He played the entire game at guard, outside of one snap where he filled in for Wright when Wright left the game with an injury.
"I take great pride in being able to move around the O-line," Pryor said.
The Bears have mentioned before, during both the offseason and training camp, how Pyror brings versatility to the offensive line. He can play multiple positions, and that's coming to light now as the Bears are looking at answers at multiple positions on the right side.
From Pryor's perspective, there isn't much of a technical difference between the two positions. The biggest change between guard and tackle is the timing.
"At guard, you don't have much time trying to figure out what your defender's going to do," Pryor said. "You kind of got to get on there quicker, as opposed to tackle where you're setting a little bit depend, you don't have to worry about where the quarterback is as much."
Along with Pryor, the other option on the right side is rookie Kiran Amegadije.
Amegadije, drafted in the third round of this past year's NFL Draft, was recovering from surgery he underwent last fall after suffering a quad injury while playing at Yale.
Before the season, Amegadije said he would play each position on the line if that's what it took to earn a spot in the NFL. At this point, Amegadije might be more suited to play tackle, which was where he was projected to play in the NFL in the pre-draft process.
Pryor said in the locker room on Wednesday the Bears' current plan was for him to stay at guard right now. Nate Davis, who started the first two games at right guard for the Bears, was nursing a groin injury late last week and Pryor was given the nod.
However, it's going to be a fluid process as the Bears evaluate Wright, assess Amegadije's status and discern whether or not it's better to have Pryor on the interior or outside of the offensive line heading into Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.
"We're looking for the best five," Eberflus said. "It's early in the season, we're looking for that."