The Chicago Bears? 18th practice of 2024 training camp was water-logged.
Their joint session with the Cincinnati Bengals happened amid a steady rain and saw a couple of players on that side exit with injuries.
For their part, the Bears appeared to emerge no worse for the wear, save for Terrell Smith. Smith exited the session with head trainer Andre Tucker after one team drill. The Bears were otherwise healthy in the aftermath and even had some players return to the fray.
After the practice, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, safety Kevin Byard, offensive lineman Nate Davis, and tight end Cole Kmet spoke with the media. They all felt practicing in the elements was beneficial.
Bears Training Camp Notes: Kevin Byard Prays for Injured Bengals
Kevin Byard Sends Prayers to Bengals Players Injured in Joint Practice
Byard is one of the most durable players in the NFL, but he is well aware of the dangers playing the game he loves brings with it.
Injuries are expected in football, and almost no one leaves unscathed. That does not make it any less impactful when someone suffers an injury in practice. The Bears have dealt with several injuries in camp.
None had the appearance or feel of Bengals offensive lineman D?Ante Smith and running back Chris Evans both being carted away during the session. Both players needed air casts.
Evans suffered a torn patella tendon, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
?You never want to see that, no matter if it’s our team or their team,? Byard, who had not heard the diagnosis of either player, told Clocker Sports on Thursday. ?It definitely takes the the air out of practice a little bit, especially when it happens towards the end. It’s just tough to see. It’s a part of the game. it happens every year, guys get injured. Definitely praying for those guys, man, because ? you just never want to see that.
?I’m not sure what year those guys were. But everybody’s out here trying to fight, and take care of their families, and make the team, and stuff like that. So you just kind of hate to see injuries happen. Even though you know it’s a part of the game, you don’t want to see it at all.?
Smith was a fourth-round pick by the Bengals in 2021. Evans was a sixth-round pick in the same draft class and has largely been a special teamer in his career.
Nate Davis Still Feeling the Love from Bears in Training Camp
Davis has been back in the mix for a couple of practices and went through Thursday?s practice in its entirety. He was candid about his injuries since arriving being frustrating. He was less forthcoming about comments Eberflus made regarding his starting job.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said the job was Davis? when the latter was healthy.
Eberflus has stopped short of that and has said Davis? absence is allowing for competition with Ryan Bates. Davis said he still feels supported despite the uncertainty about his role going into the season.
?My mentality is to take him day by day,? Davis told reporters after Thursday?s joint practice. ?I felt support from coaching staff, I felt support from players. So it’s been awesome that way.?
Bates has been sidelined in practice after exiting last Friday?s session to do side work.
Bates? injury plus his filling in for Davis during the latter?s absence has taken away from what was a highly-anticipated competition at center with Coleman Shelton. It is just another obstacle to continuity that the Bears have to overcome.
Davis is in Year 2 of a three-year, $30 million contract that he signed in free agency in 2023. The Bears can cut him in 2025 and save $9.5 million with $2 million in dead cap, per Over The Cap.
Cole Kmet Not Surprised by Bears? Run Game
Kmet was one of the players who expressed optimistic sentiments about the offense?s progress amid questions about their up-and-down play in practice. The Bears put up 21 points in three quarters against the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game on August 1.
They followed that up with 33 points versus the Buffalo Bills in preseason Week 1.
Their air attack has gotten a lot of shine. But the Bears quietly averaged 5.7 yards per carry versus the Texans and 4.7 YPC versus the Bills. Kmet, for one, was not surprised.
?We knew it was looking good,? Kmet told Clocker Sports after the joint session. ?I don’t think maybe you guys see that as well just because you don’t know, ?Hey, was he tackled there? Was he not?? But we look at it on the film, we see the holes that we’re creating and the positive stuff we’re seeing from the run game. So we knew it was in a good spot, and I think you saw that again this past Saturday. And, hopefully, see it again this weekend as well.?
The Bears ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards in 2023 and led it in 2022.
They are more keeping up with themselves than setting a new precedent. However, they are also tracking to have three different leading rushers (non-quarterback) in each of the last three seasons going back to 2021
With 2024 free agency signing D?Andre Swift atop the re-worked pecking order ahead of Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, the Bears have two proven backs and another they are high on.
The running game is essential as Caleb Williams goes through his rookie season.
Matt Eberflus: Starters Playing vs. Bengals
The Bengals are not expected to play their starters in the game on Saturday, a stance potentially emboldened by today?s injuries.
?In terms of the starters this week, I’m just going to say this: we feel really good about our plan and the process that we’ve been through so far in training camp,? Eberflus said early in his availability on Thursday. ?You will see the starters uh in that game [versus the Bengals].
?I talked about competitive reps the other day, and I feel like we’ve gotten a lot of good competitive reps. One-on-ones, a lot of good situations. This day was another chance for us to get competitive reps against another opponent, another skill set. Which was outstanding. And then this week coming up on Saturday, we’ll get another chance to get some reps there too. So we feel really good about that.?
Despite the good feelings, Eberflus would not get into specifics about reps.
Williams and the starters played one series versus the Bills and did not play at all the week before versus the Texans. A couple of series seems like a baseline mark going in.
Injury Roundup and Former Bears News
The players on the Bears? injured list who are further down the depth chart largely remained sidelined. Noah Sewell was back in pads for the first time in weeks. But starters Kyler Gordon, Montez Sweat, and Tyrique Stevenson all participated in Thursday?s joint practice.
It is a good sign for a battered unit that knows all too well the perils of training camp injuries and absences.
There are still several other players they need back, namely Bates so they can sort out the OL.