While Jay Cutler is actually improving this season, injuries continue to keep the offense from progressing the way the Chicago Bears were hoping it would. Losing Kevin White was just the start of things as both Eddie Royal and Alshon Jeffery deal with issues keeping them off the field. With Matt Forte also down heading into Week 10, who will the Bears have on offense come Sunday?
Jeffery is listed as questionable entering Sunday's game as he sits out of practice with a groin injury. This is just another knock on the long list of injuries the receiver has been dealing with. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears do not know if their leading receiver will be ready to play in Week 10 which could be a huge issue for Cutler and company. Cutler told the media that if Jeffery cannot play, "we've had life without him and we'll figure it out." Offensive coordinator Adam Gase simply said he was not ready to make a prediction on the receiver's status.
Losing Jeffery is one thing, but the team could also be without Eddie Royal which would really deplete the number of healthy bodies for the Bears. The Tribune reports that Royal has also not been practicing as he deals with a knee injury. The receiver missed Week 9 with the problem and could be out another week as well. That would leave Cameron Meredith and Marquess Wilson as the best down-field threats for the Bears which is not ideal. However, the rise of both Martellus Bennett and Zach Miller should help.
The Bears did get Matt Forte back at practice which is good news, but he is still unlikely to play in Week 10 as he heals from a knee injury. The Bears will be putting Jeremy Langford in the backfield for Cutler to work with as confidence is high in the rookie. Ka'Deem Carey is also expected to work in to the rotation. Now the question is if Langford can have another strong performance.
"I thought he did very well," Fox said, via ESPN.com. "I mentioned Monday night after the game I thought he performed well in all parts of his duties, both as a pass receiver as well as a runner."
If Langford can find some consistency and show that Chicago can rely on him, he might seal Forte's fate with the franchise. Both Forte and Jeffery are playing out the final years of their contracts and the injuries are not helping their fate with the team. If both players cannot get healthy soon, they could be replaced for the long-term.
