Chicago Bears: Predicting the offensive line combinations for week 1

Chicago Bears third offensive line combination: Peters-Daniels-Mustipher-Whitehair-Borom.

While fans and the media have been obsessing over Teven Jenkins’ injury over the past couple of weeks, Germain Ifedi’s injury status has quietly gone under the radar. While he was initially sidelined with a hip flexor, his status hasn’t changed in a while.

I do believe he will be out there in week one as Matt Nagy has articulated that many players dealing with minor injuries are being held out because the team wants to be extra cautious and keep them ready for the regular season.

However, it’s important to consider the possibility in which Ifedi isn’t ready by week one. Larry Borom is most likely going to be ready by week one as he should be able to clear concussion protocol. Given that he has had some of the most impressive practice reps of any of the linemen this offseason, I believe he will most likely slide in for Ifedi if Ifedi doesn’t return in time.

Ultimately, the Chicago Bears have a lot of decisions to make regarding the right side of the line. The combinations I forecasted here are on the optimistic side as I project that either Ifedi, Borom, or both will come back healthy. However, the Bears need to be prepared to start Elijah Wilkinson, Lachavious Simmons, or Alex Bars along the right side of the line.

Time will tell how many of the Bears linemen will come back healthy by week one but until then, we will need to closely monitor the preseason games. Whoever performs will be first in line to step up should any of the projected starters not return from their injuries on time for the Bears’ Sunday night opener in LA.