The Chicago Bears have a lot of questions they will need to answer in the short-term and the long-term. The team continues to deal with a heavy amount of injuries that are factoring into the win-loss column while several of their playmakers are looking for new contracts in the offseason. With Martellus Bennett officially on injured reserve, there are now questions about a potential trade or release coming while Jay Cutler is more concerned with which wide receivers are going to be on the field for Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins.
According to ESPN's Jeff Dickerson, Marquess Wilson has not practiced this week while Zach Miller has been limited with an injury. This is big because Miller is set to take over for Bennett and having him not fully healthy is a real cause for concern for the Bears. However, the Bears did get one familiar face on the field as Eddie Royal made his return from a knee injury. According to Dickerson, the veteran receiver could be back on the field for Week 14 which could be a welcomed sight for Cutler who has been relying on Alshon Jeffery to make all of the big plays.
It felt great being out there," Royal said, via ESPN.com. "You just miss being in the huddle, part of the team, being one of the guys. It's hard being on the sidelines just watching it all. It felt like forever, just not being able to be out there to help them. Sundays were the worst just because being so competitive you want to be out there just helping. But it's great to be back on the field and I'm excited about this week."
Having Royal back on the field should help make up for the loss of Bennett. There were a lot of questions about Bennett being placed on injured reserve for a rib injury. The tight end has not had a great season as he has caused more headlines with his words than playmaking. Bennett has been vocal about everything from his desire for a new contract to his lack of targets on the field. Head coach John Fox says the move for injured reserve was based on player safety and nothing more.
"Well I think you know he got a fractured rib against Denver you know a couple weeks back, and it flared up to the point where we didn't bring him to Green Bay," Fox said, via ESPN.com. "You know he tried to gut it up and go this past week and it just wasn't going to work. The only real way to fix him is to let it rest and heal."
The real question is whether or not this move is the beginning of the end for Bennett in Chicago. The tight end could become trade bait as the team knows he is worth plenty on the open market. In need of handing out a big contract to Jeffery and potentially Matt Forte while also re-tooling the defense, getting rid of Bennett would help clear space for other moves.
