The hits just keep on coming for the Chicago Bears defense. Just an hour after announcing linebacker Danny Trevathan would go on season-ending Injured Reserve, news broke that he would have company. For the past couple of weeks, it’s been well-known star pass rusher Khalil Mack was dealing with a difficult foot issue. The coaches opted to let him rest in hopes that it mind help the injury settle down.
It appears that the approach didn’t work. The foot has not recovered much at all. So according to Ian Rapoport, the Bears decided to shut Mack down for the season. He will go on Injured Reserve and use the next several months to hopefully get his entire body healed up. A problem he’s dealt with really since the beginning of 2020. This move offers context to why the team signed veteran Bruce Irvin the day before.
Sources: The #Bears are placing All-Pro pass-rusher Khalil Mack on Injured Reserve to have season-ending foot surgery.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 19, 2021
The #Bears tried to let him rest but in the end, surgery it is. https://t.co/2LQg85zZU1
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 19, 2021
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There is no getting around reality at this point.
The Bears can’t replace Khalil Mack. Even with the foot problem, he was still a dominant force through the first seven games, notching six sacks. Without him, the pass rush took a noticeable step back in their losses to San Francisco and Pittsburgh. Now with Baltimore, Arizona, and Green Bay looming? Things could get even uglier for the defense than it has already become. Even with the addition of Irvin.
While the veteran has been good in the past, he’s 34-years old and recovering from a torn ACL. It is difficult to know how much he can offer a team at this point. It falls to guys like Robert Quinn and Trevis Gipson to step up their game. Otherwise what little hope the team has left to save the season is truly dead. This is a tough blow. Plain and simple. The Bears may not have the ability to recover from it.
