Injury report update: Bears RB Damien Williams placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Green Bay Packers’ side of the injury report went virtually unchanged Thursday as the only injury-influenced adjustment was safety Vernon Scott joining the team as a full on-field participant. What did change today, though, was the fact that Chicago Bears running back Damien Williams, who was initially on the injury report for a “foot/knee” injury, was placed on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

Williams now must pass two COVID-19 tests before Sunday to be eligible to play against the Green Bay Packers, which is awful timing for the Bears who are already down their starting running back in David Montgomery. Montgomery is on their injured reserve list due to a knee injury. Another Chicago back, Tarik Cohen, is still on the team’s physically unable to perform list due to the recovery of a 2020 ACL injury. The remaining running backs on the Bears’ roster are Khalil Herbert, Ryan Nall, and practice-squader Artavis Pierce, who was given a protected designation by the team this week.

Of Chicago’s 149 carries this season, 101 have gone to Montgomery or Williams. Herbert has touched the ball 21 times on the ground, with no target in the passing game, to start his rookie campaign. No healthy Bears back other than Herbert is going to go into Sunday’s matchup with a 2021 carry, though Nall and Pierce have 11 combined NFL carries in prior seasons.

Beyond the Chicago backfield, Friday will be a big day for Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins (ankle), as the staff stated earlier in the week that Friday was the day they would like to pin Jenkins down to either left tackle or left guard, should he look healthy enough to play for Sunday. Green Bay cornerback Kevin King (shoulder) has still yet to practice, inching us closer to Isaac Yiadom’s first start for the Packers.

Three of the Bears’ best players, receiver Allen Robinson (ankle), defensive lineman Akiem Hicks (groin), and pass-rusher Khalil Mack (foot), have still yet to practice this week. Those are “will adjust gameplans” level injuries that should also be monitored tomorrow.