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For the first time in his five year professional career, Cody Whitehair will miss a game for the Chicago Bears. He’s already been ruled out for Sunday’s contest against the New Orleans Saints with the calf injury he suffered midway through their last game, so getting his first career start will be 2019 UDFA Sam Mustipher.
On that Monday nighter in L.A., Mustipher was thrown into the trenches for 26 snaps and while he did struggle a bit, he was also concerned with one of the greatest interior defensive lineman of all-time in Aaron Donald. He won’t face anyone nearly as good as Donald on Sunday, but the Saints are a good defensive team and coordinator Dennis Allen will no doubt throw a lot of different looks at the inexperienced Mustipher.
The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs Tweeted out some speculation about the Bears promoting UDFA Dieter Eiselen, who played guard at Yale, to serve as the back up center. I can only assume that Eiselen has been working out at the position as it seems like there is no one on the active roster or practice squad that has any in game center experience in either college or the NFL.
The Bears are also listing wide out Allen Robinson, who is still in concussion protocol, as doubtful, but that could change when they have their walk though on Saturday and/or pregame warm up on on Sunday. He’ll either be cleared and play, or remain in the protocol and be downgraded to out.
The four questionable Bears are Khalil Mack (ankle), Eddie Jackson (knee), Sherrick McManis (hamstring), and Cordarrelle Patterson (quad). Mack and Patterson were limited on Firday’s practice, while Jackson and McManis practiced in full.
The Saints only have three players on their injury report, but all three are listed as out. They’ll be missing wide receivers Michael Thomas and Marquez Callaway, and offensive lineman Nick Easton.
The Saints will also be missing wide out Emmanuel Sanders who is still on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.