LAKE FOREST, Sick. — Chicago Bears nostril deal with Andrew Billings was positioned on injured reserve Thursday after present process surgical procedure to restore a torn pectoral muscle. He’s anticipated to overlook the rest of the 2024 season.
The defensive deal with exited the second half of Chicago’s 29-9 loss at Arizona in Week 9 with the damage and was shortly dominated out for the rest of the sport.
Billings has performed in all 25 video games sport since becoming a member of the Bears as a free agent in 2023 and signed a contract extension midway by means of final season. In eight video games this season, Billings logged 13 tackles and one sack.
“It is large,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington mentioned of the void Billings creates. “Andrew [is] only a huge bodily man. He is elevated his sport this 12 months by way of with the ability to have an effect on the quarterback. He can play from his place to the sidelines, so there is not any changing Andrew simply his management, the instance that he units each single day within the assembly rooms and on the observe subject. We’ll step up behind him, nevertheless it’s one thing you do not substitute an individual like that. A professional like that, however I’ve large confidence within the gamers that can step into that place and provides us an opportunity to exit and do the issues that we have to do.”
The Bears will look to a mix of gamers to fill Billings position, together with former third-round defensive deal with Zacch Pickens, who missed time this season after tearing his groin, Chris Williams and Byron Cowart.
