Chicago Bears: What Eddie Goldman’s 2020 season opt-out means

Over the next few days, the Chicago Bears might lean heavily on some contingency plans.

Monday afternoon, it was announced that the Chicago Bears had placed their first player on the COVID-19/reserve list in undrafted running back Artavis Pierce.

The former Oregon State running back would have come in to compete for the third string running back position behind David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen, but now must stay away from the team for a little while.

Today, the Bears received more news related to the coronavirus pandemic and the future of their 2020 season.

Starting nose tackle Eddie Goldman has informed the Bears that he will opt out of the 2020 season, citing health and safety concerns due to the coronavirus crisis.

For the last five seasons, Goldman has been the anchor for the Bears’ defensive front. He has been a standout in the middle, especially when it comes to stopping the run. Without Goldman, a player whom many fans believe is underrated and overlooked, the Bears will have to look another direction to fill the void.

Over the offseason, Chicago brought veteran defensive tackle John Jenkins back into the fold in order to add depth up front. Jenkins spent some time with the Bears back in 2017 and played well in his limited time on the field. Without Goldman, Jenkins will slot in as the starter.

On the ends, the Bears of course have Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols starting. Behind those two, they have Roy Robertson-Harris, Abdullah Anderson and Brent Urban.

Chicago might have to sign another veteran to come in and add depth behind Jenkins. They could also opt to get creative on certain downs and plug in a guy like the 300-pound Urban or maybe even Robertson-Harris.

Goldman’s salary will roll into the 2021 season now as he stays away from the team and attempts to keep he and his family safe in the meantime. We still fully expect more names to come out in terms of guys who will opt out of the season, as a team like the New England Patriots already has five players who have informed them they will do so.

As more names come through, we will continue to keep fans updated with the implications and fallout.