Montgomery and Kmet? Don’t fret
During a tense week at Halas Hall, there’s one thing the Bears can breathe easy about: Running back David Montgomery and tight end Cole Kmet are OK.
Both missed practice again Thursday with undisclosed injuries, but coach Matt Eberflus was confident neither player’s was significant.
Of Montgomery, he said, “He’s going to be fine. He’s going to be back pretty fast.” Asked about Kmet, he said, “Same. We expect him to be fine.”
Neither is expected to play in the preseason opener against the Chiefs on Saturday, Eberflus said, but that doesn’t matter much. Both will have plenty of time to recover and reacclimate before the season opener Sept. 11 against the 49ers.
With few proven playmakers in place around quarterback Justin Fields, Montgomery and Kmet are important pieces. Last season, Montgomery led the Bears with 1,150 yards from scrimmage (849 as a rusher) and seven touchdowns, while Kmet was second in receptions (60) and yards (612) behind wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
General manager Ryan Poles also needs to know if Montgomery and Kmet are the long-term answers at their positions. Montgomery is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Kmet is signed through 2023. With a windfall of salary-cap space and draft picks coming next year, Poles will be assessing whether he can cross running back and tight end off his shopping list.
Gordon still sidelined
The Bears’ top draft pick, cornerback Kyler Gordon, has been out a week and seems doubtful for the preseason game.
Gordon has missed time here and there since the Bears took him 39th overall in April. He has wowed with his athleticism and quick adoption of the defensive scheme, but he needs as much experience as possible.
“When players miss time on the grass, the actual playing of the game, working on the fundamentals and techniques, that hurts,” Eberflus said. “That hurts our team and hurts their development.”
Gordon is projected to be a Week 1 starter. After him and Jaylon Johnson, the Bears have a lot of question marks.
Jenkins update
Offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, the 2021 second-round pick who plunged down the depth chart when the Bears’ new staff
took over, still isn’t practicing in full. He returned Saturday after missing a week and a half of practice with an unspecified injury and entered what Eberflus called an individualized “ramp-up” program that involves gradually increasing his reps.
Jenkins said Saturday he anticipated being fully healthy and available “in a couple days,” but he’s still not taking a full load of reps as he vies for a spot as a backup tackle.
It’s unclear whether the Bears would hold him out against the Chiefs on Saturday because he’s still working back from the injury, or play him in the hopes of sparking trade interest.