Chicago Bears guard James Daniels sustained a pectoral injury Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it is feared that he will be lost for the season, according to early reports by NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Though the third-year product out of the University of Iowa will have an MRI to confirm the extent of the possible damage, any time missed for the former second-round pick will be a significant blow to an offense that has increasingly grown dependent on him.

Though they came into the season ranked only 22nd in the league — according to Pro Football Focus' unit rankings — the Bears' offensive line has been a bright spot for the surprising 4-1 team. Having only given up eight sacks on the year, to go along with improved holes for the rushing attack, Chicago has performed well at controlling the line of scrimmage through the first quarter of the year.

With Daniels' absence, the Bears will likely continue with backup Alex Bars, at least for the short term. Originally signed off the practice squad, Bars was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, but suffered tears to both his ACL and MCL, which lead to him going undrafted.

While still rehabbing, Bars drew interest from the New England Patriots before Chicago locked him up with a two-year contract. Unfortunately for the former Irish lineman, his first game action did not go according to plan, as he gave up a sack on his first passing block.

For a team already operating with a quarterback position in flux, the loss of a key offensive lineman only adds to the uncertainty.