TRAGIOUS END: The Bears have formally announced that brilliant D-Lineman DeMarcus Walker is leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles an impromptu deal this evening. However.

The Bears got backup guard and center Ryan Bates back for a full practice Thursday for the first time since the end of July.

Yet, they have new injury concerns.

Starting defensive end DeMarcus Walker was limited in practice due to a groin injury. He hadn’t been bothered by this on Wednesday and had a full practice.

The rest of the injury report remained the same, with wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel), defensive end Montez Sweat (toe), defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (groin), tackle Kiran Amegadjie (quad) and running back Roschon Johnson (toe) all limited like they were on Wednesday.

Having both starting defensive ends practicing only on a limited basis is less than ideal but the Bears did keep extra help on the roster at end this year as they have Dominique Robinson, Daniel Hardy, Austin Booker and new defensive end Darrell Taylor behind the two starters.

They also held 40-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis out of Thursday’s practice but it was for rest purposes. It was a regular practice last year to keep Lewis out one or even two practices.

Tennessee was missing the same players at Thursday’s practice as on Wednesday. Safety Jamal Adams did not practice due to a hip injury. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) and linebacker Otis Reese (concussion) were limited.

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Bill Belichick’s Concerning Dialogue About Caleb Williams Says It All

The Chicago Bears had an impressive preseason, going undefeated for the first time since 2022 when they went 3-0. This year, they were included in the Hall of Fame game against the Houston Texans, making them 4-0. One of the biggest storylines coming out of the Bears, unsurprisingly, was rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The new signal caller was the Bears’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But he’s hoping to be much more than that. The Bears are a franchise that has lacked a true franchise quarterback in their long, storied history. They have yet to produce a quarterback who has thrown for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in a single season. Williams hopes to change that in the coming years. Heaps of praise have already been placed on the young quarterback, if for nothing else than just his presence on the field. The only real play Bears fans and coaches have seen from the rookie thus far is his preseason performances.

While Bears fans and other pundits may be impressed, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is not. On an episode of Inside the NFL, Belichick explained his reasoning. “Whoever they played against in preseason, it wasn’t the best players on the other team,” Belichick said. The Bears faced the Texans, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs during this preseason. Williams only made appearances against the Bills and Bengals. In those two games, he completed 10 of 20 passes for 170 yards and no scores.