The Chicago Bears expect injured outside linebacker Leonard Floyd to play in their Week 1 showdown against the Green Bay Packers despite a broken right hand, according to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Floyd suffered the injury on Aug. 18 in a preseason game against the Denver Broncos. He hasn't yet returned to practice, but new Bears head coach Matt Nagy says that should happen next week in advance of the Sept. 9 opener in Green Bay:
‘‘I feel good that he’ll play [against the Packers],’’ Nagy said. ‘‘He’ll probably have that club on him, but he’ll be ready to play.’’
As Nagy notes, Floyd will likely be playing with a club on his hand to protect it. However, the Bears coach thinks it shouldn't bother Floyd too much:
‘‘There have been some good players that have played with clubs,’’ Nagy said. ‘‘It prevents you a little bit from grabbing, but we feel confident he’ll be able to play.’’
Even if he does play, the broken hand is a setback for Floyd as he enters his third season. While the 2016 No. 9 overall pick has shown flashes of his pass-rushing prowess, he hasn't been able to put it together just yet.
After recording 7.0 sacks in 12 games as a rookie, that number dipped to 4.5 sacks in 10 games last season. He recorded 33 and 34 total tackles, respectively, in his first two seasons in the NFL.
The Bears don't exactly have the strongest of groups at outside linebacker, so they're banking on Floyd being a force and making a leap in his third season. Chicago has to hope this injury doesn't slow him down too much and that he can make a big impact rushing the passer.
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