The Chicago Bears have placed veteran guard/center Ryan Bates on injured reserve due to a combination of shoulder and elbow injuries, sidelining him for roughly the next month of the 2024 season.
Bates, who had been dealing with a shoulder issue since training camp, managed to play in Week 1’s win over the Tennessee Titans, rotating in at right guard with Nate Davis. However, after picking up a new elbow injury in that game, his condition worsened in practice, ultimately leading to his IR designation. Bates practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday but was downgraded for the Bears’ final practices ahead of their Week 2 prime-time matchup against the Houston Texans.
Bates will miss the next four games and is ineligible to return to the active roster until Week 6 when the Bears face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. To fill his roster spot, the Bears signed long snapper Scott Daly and flexed wide receiver Collin Johnson from the practice squad to the game-day roster for Sunday Night Football.
This marks a setback for the Bears’ offensive line, as Bates’ versatility in playing both guard and center will be missed, especially with upcoming crucial games.
Bears Depending Solely on Nate Davis at Right Guard
The Chicago Bears had high hopes for Ryan Bates when they traded a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills, expecting him to be a versatile starter or key rotational player on the interior offensive line. The 27-year-old Bates, capable of playing both center and guard, entered the 2024 season as a potential starting center to protect No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams. At worst, he was seen as valuable depth behind Coleman Shelton at center and Nate Davis at right guard.
In Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, Bates rotated at right guard, playing 38 snaps—more than twice as many as Davis, who played 18 in what appeared to be an open competition for the position. Unfortunately, Bates’ recent placement on injured reserve due to shoulder and elbow injuries disrupts Chicago’s plans for the next four games, leaving the Bears reliant on Davis to live up to his $30 million contract and solidify the right guard spot. Should Davis struggle, the Bears will have limited options until Bates is healthy again.
Bill Murray, who earned a spot on the 53-man roster after a solid preseason, is the top backup guard. However, Murray has yet to play any regular-season offensive snaps, making it a considerable gamble to promote him in place of Davis. Fortunately, Davis showed some promise in Week 1, allowing just one pressure and one quarterback hurry, but the Bears now need him to maintain that level of play over full games to stabilize the offensive line during Bates’ absence.
Can Bears’ Interior OL Survive Without Ryan Bates?
Ryan Bates’ placement on injured reserve leaves the Chicago Bears with a more precarious situation on the interior offensive line, particularly at center. With Bates unavailable, the Bears are now locked into Coleman Shelton, who had a tough Week 1 performance against the Tennessee Titans. Despite showing some strength in run-blocking, Shelton struggled in pass protection, giving up a sack, a hurry, and two pressures. A key moment came just before halftime, when Titans linebacker Ernest Jones IV overpowered Shelton, hitting Caleb Williams and forcing an incomplete pass on 3rd-and-goal. The Bears had to settle for a field goal, going into halftime down 17-3.
Bates was expected to provide depth at both guard and center, and his absence removes the Bears’ main fallback option if they wanted to bench Shelton. With Bates out, the only other center on the roster is Doug Kramer Jr., a 2022 sixth-round pick who has shown promise in preseason but has yet to play a regular-season snap in the NFL. Depending on Kramer could be risky given his inexperience.
Given the critical nature of the center position and the importance of protecting Caleb Williams, the Bears might explore adding reinforcements through free agency or trade. In the meantime, the team faces an uphill battle, especially with a strong Houston Texans defensive front looming in Week 2. How the interior line holds up will be crucial for the Bears, as their protection issues could impact the offense’s ability to sustain drives and score points.
