Chicago Bears starting right guard Jonah Jackson left the teams Week 6 win over the Atlanta Falcons with a hip injury. While the Bears have not determined the status of Jackson, the team having a short week will make it tough for him to play.
Chicago Bears do not have an update on Jonah Jackson
Johnson said on Monday after the game that the team is still figuring things out when it comes to who will start at right guard. That is not just in regard to Jackson, but also who will start if Jackson cannot go.
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor noted that the team will take it as the week goes. However, he added that Luke Newman and Jordan McFadden give them confidence if Jackson cannot play.
"We'll see where Jonah's at and if he's got a chance to play on Thursday night. But we're excited about the depth we have there," added Taylor.
The short week does not give Jackson a strong chance to play. Chicago held a walkthrough on Monday, and they listed Jackson as a did not participate on the estimated injury report.
Reports are that Jackson is week-to-week and his status for Week 7 is in doubt.
Taylor noted that Newman gave them confidence in his Week 6 performance. However, he also added that McFadden started for the Bears in the Divisional Round last year. He had to step in at left guard because the team slid Joe Thuney out to left tackle.
McFadden has typically been the backup at left guard while Newman has been behind Jackson at right guard. That, and the reality that McFadden was inactive in Week 6 led to the team playing Newman when Jackson was out. However, Johnson and Taylor noted that a full week of practice opens the door for the team to activate McFadden and start him instead.
It gives the team plenty of options heading into Week 7. If Newman started, it would be his first career start. Jackson played 98% of the Bears' snaps last season and did not miss any starts in his NFL career.
Newman played 25 snaps in his rookie season, with 22 coming in relief in a Week 12 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played 27 snaps in relief in Week 6, doubling his career count.
So, the team could go with Newman, who has been working there. Or, they could lean on McFadden, who has 230 career snaps. It will be interesting to see what happens.
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