REPORT: Chicago Bears Get Slammed By Another COVID Surge
The Chicago Bears have had some hard luck with health on their roster this season. Especially on defense. Khalil Mack and Danny Trevathan are done for the year with injuries. Akiem Hicks hasn’t played in weeks due to an ankle problem. Then to add one last kick to the gut, they’ve been hit by a number of bouts with COVID-19. The problem isn’t going away as the virus has begun surging across the NFL.
Chicago is one of the teams to experience the effects as three players when on the Reserve/COVID list on Tuesday. Among them starting nose tackle Eddie Goldman. This marks his second time this year on the list, having gone it back in August. The timing of this situation isn’t ideal what with other key defenders already dealing with health problems. The Minnesota Vikings and their high-powered offense loom next Monday night.
#Bears roster moves:
We have placed NT Eddie Goldman, DB Artie Burns and LB Sam Kamara (Practice Squad) on Reserve/COVID-19.— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) December 14, 2021
Goldman is unvaccinated.
Artie Burns and Sam Kamara, the other two on the COVID-19 list, are vaccinated.— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) December 14, 2021
Goldman has been a major source of frustration for the Bears this year.
He already seemed to flirt with the idea of not playing when he held out of OTAs and minicamps. Then just as training camp barely begins, he gets COVID. Now here he is landing on the list a second time. The fact he’s unvaccinated makes it even worse because that means it is a mandatory 10-day waiting period before he can return. In other words, he is going to miss the game against Minnesota.
There was already speculation that the Chicago Bears might consider moving on from him in 2022, feeling his hefty contract is no longer becoming worth it. He hasn’t played overly well this season and now he is becoming unreliable off the field too. As for Artie Burns? His loss makes the situation in the secondary that much worse. They were already thin at cornerback. One has to wonder if this forces the team to finally call up rookie 6th round pick Thomas Graham from the practice squad.