Chicago Bears: Nick Kwiatkoski headed to IR with torn pectoral muscle, will miss season

The roster attrition continues for the Chicago Bears as Nick Kwiatkoski joins Jerrell Freeman on IR with a torn pectoral muscle.

Okay, this Chicago Bears injury situation is getting absolutely ridiculous now.

One week after losing Jerrell Freeman for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, Nick Kwiatkoski reportedly suffered the same injury and will miss the rest of the season.

Kwiatkoski left the game in the first quarter yesterday and was originally listed as questionable to return. Once the news started trickling in about a “pectoral injury”, I believed that this would happen. And yet, it does nothing to lessen the blow.

Another Painful Loss for Bears

As if yesterday’s loss wasn’t bad enough, right?

Missing two of their best linebackers, the Chicago Bears must now turn to their reserves for extended roles. Get ready for tons of Christian Jones, Jonathan Anderson and possibly some John Timu here in a bit. Awesome.

Furthermore, Kwiatkoski’s absence just adds to the horrible injury history the Bears have accrued heading into this season.

Cameron Meredith, Kevin White and Freeman all landed on IR before the first game of the season even ended. Backup lineman Eric Kush would’ve been useful yesterday, but, unfortunately, he’s also on IR. Prince Amukamara, one of the Bears’ projected starting cornerbacks, has been struggling back from an ankle injury. Markus Wheaton still hasn’t recovered from his broken finger. Pernell McPhee still can’t play a full game.

Given that and the unbelievable decimation that rocked the Chicago Bears last season—an absurd 19 players on IR in 2016—, someone really needs to ask this strength and conditioning staff what they’re doing. Because “that’s just football” can’t be the only reason John Fox’s teams can’t keep players on the football field.

I’m sorry, but I’m not sure that I can accept this as pure coincidence.

Related Story: Defensive grades for the Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay

Whatever the truth of the matter is, this injury robs Chicago of one of its promising young players and best mid-round finds. Though a healthy Freeman and Trevathan obviously got the nod over him to start, Kwiatkoski clearly looked to be ascending as a player in his second year. One can only hope that he’ll return healthy and ready to play next year.