The Chicago Bears‘ veterans will report to training camp on Tuesday before the club formally begins practice sessions on Wednesday. As the Bears prepare for a shot at the NFC North title, they’ll first need to sort through several injury-related questions. Chicago is relatively healthy heading into camp, but several players are dealing with injuries as practices get underway.
Chicago Bears Injury Update
Chase Claypool, WR
The Bears have only placed one player on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list in advance of training camp — wide receiver Chase Claypool, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Claypool participated in some of Chicago’s offseason workouts but was injured in OTAs and wasn’t present during minicamp. Near the end of May, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus indicated Claypool’s injury wasn’t all that serious.
“This time of year, you get some soft tissue stuff, and there’s no reason to risk anything at this time,” Eberlus said. “So you know he just felt something like a lot of guys have, so we just let him sit out for the day and see where they’re going from there, and then we’ll see what we do.”
In June, Eberflus said that Claypool was “dealing with a few things” but suggested he would be ready for training camp. Clearly, that isn’t the case, at least at the beginning of camp.
The Bears traded a second-round pick — which ended up being the first selection of Round 2 — to the Steelers to acquire Claypool at the 2022 trade deadline. In seven games, the 25-year-old managed just 14 receptions for 140 scoreless yards.
Darnell Mooney, WR
Claypool will compete with Darnell Mooney for snaps alongside DJ Moore, and Mooney may have the early edge, especially if health factors into the equation. Mooney suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 12, but he appears to be ready for the start of training camp.
“I’m feeling good. I’m ready to roll,” Mooney told WGN earlier this month. “There’s been some ups and downs. It’s been a trial. Some things I’ve learned — I’ve enjoyed the journey of it. I’ve enjoyed the process. I’ve learned a lot being able to sit down. You can’t really do too much. Rehabbing my ankle, especially with Eddie (Jackson), being able to talk through some life things — it’s been amazing.”
Mooney didn’t participate in minicamp as he continued to rehab his injury. However, he said he was running and cutting as of May and feels “1,000 times” better than he did last season.
Mooney posted 81 receptions for 1,055 yards in 2021 before dipping to a 40-493-2 line in 2022. The 2023 campaign will be incredibly important for Mooney, who is scheduled to hit the free agent market next spring.
Jack Sanborn, LB
The Bears’ defense struggled to stop most offenses in 2022, but they might have unearthed a potential find at linebacker. Undrafted rookie free agent Jack Sanborn made the team and ultimately played 30% of the club’s defensive snaps.
Given that Chicago spent heavily to bring in free agent linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards this offseason, Sanborn is only expected to start in base packages. Luckily, his health issues appear to be behind him.
Sanborn, who injured his left ankle in December and subsequently went on injured reserve, wasn’t involved in any of the Bears’ offseason workouts. However, he told Bears Weekly earlier this month that he’s “ready to hit the ground running” when training camp begins. Eberflus also said Sanborn should be at “full speed” when practices start this week.