Injury-Prone Bear Suffers Setback That Should Cost Him Starting Job

The Chicago Bears have been dealing with an unfortunate number of injuries in training camp, especially to their offensive line. While head coach Matt Eberflus hopes to build chemistry and continuity between Caleb Williams and the rest of the offense, the Bears will have to wait a little longer to achieve that.

Offensive lineman Nate Davis, who first suffered an injury in the first week of training camp, suffered a setback on Thursday after he attempted to return. The 27-year-old was ramping up after his groin injury but "felt it again" according to Eberflus, as reported by NBC Sports Chicago.

Bears OL Nate Davis Suffers Unfortunate Setback

Davis is now listed as "week-to-week". This is a concerning update since we are only four weeks away from the regular-season opener. Plus, Davis is an injury-prone player who missed six games last year in his first season with the Bears. Before he signed in Chicago in the 2023 offseason, he had missed five games in his final year with the Titans.

Even when he was on the field last year, Davis' performance left plenty to be desired. He had a 52.9 overall grade on PFF, his lowest in four seasons.

This jeopardizes Davis' status as the current starter at right guard.

The Bears added centers Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton this offseason. After Davis' injury, the Bears moved Bates to right guard and made Shelton the starter in the middle. Eberflus alluded to the possibility that Davis might stay as the backup even when he returns from injury.

"People say well you can't lose the job due to injury. I don't think that's true. I think that if the guy that is playing there, you know, gives our team a good look and a good benefit of being in that position, then it's a competition or the other guy could take it over."

- Bears HC Matt Eberflus

Whether that is the case will depend on how well Shelton and Bates perform in the offensive line. If they can do a good job protecting Caleb Williams throughout the preseason, they may be the new center-right guard pairing for the foreseeable future.

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