The Bears began their first practice under interim coach Thomas Brown without four key skill players.
Wide receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, as well as running backs D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson were out Wednesday with injuries. Swift, Moore and Allen account for 55% of the team’s rushing and receiving yardage, and Johnson leads the team with six touchdowns.
That’s problematic as the Bears look to break their six-game losing streak when Brown makes his debut Sunday at the 49ers.
Moore and Swift were out with quad injuries, Johnson is in the concussion protocol and Allen is dealing with an ongoing foot injury.
Without Moore and Allen, the Bears would rely on rookie Rome Odunze and backups DeAndre Carter and Tyler Scott as their top three options. Odunze is second on the team to Moore with 543 yards receiving, but Carter has just nine catches and Scott has none.
The only other receiver on the roster is Collin Johnson, who has played four games this season.
Swift is the team’s leading rusher with 704 yards at a rate of 3.9 per carry to go with five touchdowns and has 33 catches for 313 yards. After him and Johnson, the Bears have Travis Homer, who is predominantly a special-teamer, and Demetric Felton, who hasn’t had a carry since 2022.