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The Chicago Bears will kick off training camp on July 23, where there will be a handful of players that are recovering from an injury.
Whether it was returning veterans who landed on injured reserve, like safety Jaquan Brisker and defensive tackle Andrew Billings, or newcomers recovering from injuries, like rookie tight end Colston Loveland, there are some key contributors making their return in time for camp.
Here's a look at the Bears players returning to the field after their 2024 season was cut short. (Note: Players included were on injured reserve by season's end)
Safety Jaquan Brisker missed most of the 2024 season after suffering a concussion in a Week 5 game against the Carolina Panthers. It marked Brisker's third concussion in as many seasons, which prompted concerns about his health. Brisker, who missed 12 games last season, is entering a contract year and needs to prove he can stay healthy for an entire season if he hopes to land an extension with Chicago. He'll return as a 1-2 punch with Kevin Byard III, also in a contract year, in the defensive backfield.
Defensive tackle Andrew Billings has been an integral part of the Bears' defensive line and a stout run defender. So when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a Week 10 loss to the New England Patriots, it was a massive blow to Chicago's defense. Billings, who signed a two-year contract extension last season, also helped Gervon Dexter Sr.'s development in his first year as a starter. Billings will be back as a key contributor along the Bears defensive line and help turn around what was a porous run defense last year.
Former fifth-round pick Braxton Jones has served as Chicago's starting left tackle since his rookie season, and he's been serviceable in the role. Unfortunately, he suffered a fractured fibula in a Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions, which cut his season two games short. The recovery held him out of the entire offseason program, and he's facing competition for the starting job from rookie Ozzy Trapilo and second-year pro Kiran Amegadjie. Jones is expected to be limited to start training camp, but he could lose ground in the battle for the left tackle job if Trapilo or Amegadjie continue to impress.
Tight end Colston Loveland was the best player on Michigan's offense during a year where they had poor quarterback play. He appeared in 10 games, including seven starts, where he led the team with 56 catches, set a single-season school tight end school record for 582 yards with five touchdowns. Unfortunately, Loveland suffered a right shoulder injury that forced him to miss the final three games, including a pivotal showdown against Ohio State and Michigan's bowl win over Alabama. Loveland had surgery to repair his AC joint and his recovery timeline has him on track for training camp.
Before the Bears signed Case Keenum to serve as a mentor for quarterback Caleb Williams, Keenum was in Houston doing the same for Texans QB C.J. Stroud. Unfortunately, Keenum suffered a season-ending foot injury during the preseason that ended his season before it had a chance to begin. Now, Keenum will get an opportunity to win the backup job while serving as a sounding board for Williams. Keenum will start training camp on the Non-Football Injury list, which indicates an injury that happened away from team activities.
The Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for offensive lineman Ryan Bates last offseason, and the move has been a disaster for GM Ryan Poles. Bates, who was supposed to be a core starter along the offensive line, has battled with injuries in his first two seasons. Bates, who played in just three games with two starts, was on injured reserve on two separate occasions last year. He battled shoulder and elbow injuries that landed him on IR before Week 2. He returned in Week 10, starting at right guard, and was back on IR before Week 16. At this point, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Bears part ways with Bates after they overhauled the offensive line with this new coaching staff.
The Bears offensive line struggled mightily last season, but guard Bill Murray proved to be solid depth. Murray, who stepped in at left guard for an injured Teven Jenkins, suffered a torn pectoral muscle injury during a Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders. He was placed on injured reserve and missed the final 10 games of the 2024 season. Now, Murray will be competing for a roster spot in a reserve role at guard.
Tight end Stephen Carlson landed on injured reserve with a collarbone injury (suffered during practice) just two days after being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster last September. Unfortunately, Carlson missed the final 14 games of the season (including 13 while on IR).
Last year's undrafted rookie running back Ian Wheeler was the star of HBO's "Hard Knocks," as many were rooting for the future doctor who wanted to live out his NFL dream. Wheeler was in the running for the final running back spot, which ultimately went to Velus Jones Jr., but he tore his ACL in the Bears' preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. While Wheeler missed his entire rookie season, he continued to rehab at Halas Hall. Now, with a new coaching staff in place, we'll see if Wheeler can work his way back from a serious knee injury and impress the new staff.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears training camp: Injured players returning for Chicago in 2025
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Whether it was returning veterans who landed on injured reserve, like safety Jaquan Brisker and defensive tackle Andrew Billings, or newcomers recovering from injuries, like rookie tight end Colston Loveland, there are some key contributors making their return in time for camp.
Here's a look at the Bears players returning to the field after their 2024 season was cut short. (Note: Players included were on injured reserve by season's end)
Jaquan Brisker
Safety Jaquan Brisker missed most of the 2024 season after suffering a concussion in a Week 5 game against the Carolina Panthers. It marked Brisker's third concussion in as many seasons, which prompted concerns about his health. Brisker, who missed 12 games last season, is entering a contract year and needs to prove he can stay healthy for an entire season if he hopes to land an extension with Chicago. He'll return as a 1-2 punch with Kevin Byard III, also in a contract year, in the defensive backfield.
Andrew Billings
Defensive tackle Andrew Billings has been an integral part of the Bears' defensive line and a stout run defender. So when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a Week 10 loss to the New England Patriots, it was a massive blow to Chicago's defense. Billings, who signed a two-year contract extension last season, also helped Gervon Dexter Sr.'s development in his first year as a starter. Billings will be back as a key contributor along the Bears defensive line and help turn around what was a porous run defense last year.
Braxton Jones
Former fifth-round pick Braxton Jones has served as Chicago's starting left tackle since his rookie season, and he's been serviceable in the role. Unfortunately, he suffered a fractured fibula in a Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions, which cut his season two games short. The recovery held him out of the entire offseason program, and he's facing competition for the starting job from rookie Ozzy Trapilo and second-year pro Kiran Amegadjie. Jones is expected to be limited to start training camp, but he could lose ground in the battle for the left tackle job if Trapilo or Amegadjie continue to impress.
Colston Loveland
Tight end Colston Loveland was the best player on Michigan's offense during a year where they had poor quarterback play. He appeared in 10 games, including seven starts, where he led the team with 56 catches, set a single-season school tight end school record for 582 yards with five touchdowns. Unfortunately, Loveland suffered a right shoulder injury that forced him to miss the final three games, including a pivotal showdown against Ohio State and Michigan's bowl win over Alabama. Loveland had surgery to repair his AC joint and his recovery timeline has him on track for training camp.
Case Keenum
Before the Bears signed Case Keenum to serve as a mentor for quarterback Caleb Williams, Keenum was in Houston doing the same for Texans QB C.J. Stroud. Unfortunately, Keenum suffered a season-ending foot injury during the preseason that ended his season before it had a chance to begin. Now, Keenum will get an opportunity to win the backup job while serving as a sounding board for Williams. Keenum will start training camp on the Non-Football Injury list, which indicates an injury that happened away from team activities.
Ryan Bates
The Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for offensive lineman Ryan Bates last offseason, and the move has been a disaster for GM Ryan Poles. Bates, who was supposed to be a core starter along the offensive line, has battled with injuries in his first two seasons. Bates, who played in just three games with two starts, was on injured reserve on two separate occasions last year. He battled shoulder and elbow injuries that landed him on IR before Week 2. He returned in Week 10, starting at right guard, and was back on IR before Week 16. At this point, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Bears part ways with Bates after they overhauled the offensive line with this new coaching staff.
Bill Murray
The Bears offensive line struggled mightily last season, but guard Bill Murray proved to be solid depth. Murray, who stepped in at left guard for an injured Teven Jenkins, suffered a torn pectoral muscle injury during a Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders. He was placed on injured reserve and missed the final 10 games of the 2024 season. Now, Murray will be competing for a roster spot in a reserve role at guard.
Stephen Carlson
Tight end Stephen Carlson landed on injured reserve with a collarbone injury (suffered during practice) just two days after being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster last September. Unfortunately, Carlson missed the final 14 games of the season (including 13 while on IR).
Ian Wheeler
Last year's undrafted rookie running back Ian Wheeler was the star of HBO's "Hard Knocks," as many were rooting for the future doctor who wanted to live out his NFL dream. Wheeler was in the running for the final running back spot, which ultimately went to Velus Jones Jr., but he tore his ACL in the Bears' preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. While Wheeler missed his entire rookie season, he continued to rehab at Halas Hall. Now, with a new coaching staff in place, we'll see if Wheeler can work his way back from a serious knee injury and impress the new staff.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears training camp: Injured players returning for Chicago in 2025
Continue reading...