Now that the preseason has wrapped up for the Chicago Bears following their 29-27 comeback win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the front office will begin the difficult process of trimming the roster to find the best 53 players to carry into Week 1. That could become more difficult with a few injury situations.
Following the game on Friday evening, head coach Ben Johnson addressed the media and provided updates on a few key players. The most notable news was regarding Austin Booker, who suffered a knee injury during last weekend’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
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Will Austin Booker play in Week 1?
Booker missed practice this past week, but will his injury keep him out of the opening game against the Minnesota Vikings? “Booker’s going to be out a few weeks,” Johnson said.
It’s unfortunate timing, as Booker had put together a strong preseason with four sacks and was being counted on as the third rotational pass rusher behind Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. We’ll see if the Bears opt to put Booker on injured reserve for the first four weeks to free up a roster spot until he’s ready to return.
Other notable Bears injuries
Elsewhere on the defense, Johnson said Tremaine Edmunds is dealing with a soft tissue injury, but it’s not considered anything longterm. Edmunds left practice early on Wednesday. Johnson was also asked about rookie cornerback Zah Frazier, who has missed the majority of camp with a personal issue but was back at the facility this week. Despite being around Halas Hall, Frazier isn’t expected to see the field anytime soon, though. “It’s still a personal issue,” he said and indicated there has not been any progress towards him practicing.
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These injuries and situations could affect how the Bears construct their roster over the next few days. We’ll see how quickly each player can return and make an impact in the regular season. The Bears must trim their roster down to 53 players by 3 p.m. CT on August 26th.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Austin Booker injury update: Bears EDGE to miss few weeks