LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears are now without both of their top two draft picks.
Coach Matt Nagy on Wednesday said quarterback Justin Fields was out of practice due to a groin injury, while second-round pick, offensive lineman Teven Jenkins, was facing back surgery.
The injury to Fields is considered minor but Jenkins has been out all of training camp after suffering back injury symptoms during the four days rookies were allowed to practice just before the start of regular training camp.
Nagy didn’t consider Fields’ injury serious and holding him out of practice was precautionary. He wasn’t certain about Fields’ status for Saturday’s preseason game against Buffalo at Soldier Field.
“I’d say it’s too early to go there,” Nagy said. “I just think that for him right now, again, we want to be able to get to that point where he’s able to play in that game. That’s very important.”
The back injury with Jenkins is a far more serious matter. Jenkins missed the final three games of his final season at Oklahoma State with a lumbar issue.
“You know we tried to hope to avoid the surgery with him, and we tried several treatments, but the goal is to get him back this season so that’s the most recent update with him,” Nagy said.
Jenkins was able to go through offseason work at Halas Hall without a problem until those four days prior to the start of training camp. The Bears had hoped to have Jenkins start at left tackle but now veteran backup Elijah Wilkinson is playing the position and the Bears have signed 39-year-old former Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters to compete for the spot. Peters is expected at camp later this week.
DESHAUN WATSON: The FBI is investigating allegations that Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson sexually harassed and assaulted women during massages, his lawyer confirmed on Wednesday, as well as allegations that one massage therapist sought to extort the star quarterback.
Attorney Rusty Hardin validated recent comments made by Tony Buzbee, lawyer for the 22 women who have sued Watson, that suggested the FBI was investigating the claims the massage therapists have levied against Watson. However, Hardin said that the FBI investigation started with a focus on whether one of Buzbee’s clients had attempted to extort Watson. Hardin held the news conference on Wednesday, he said, only to respond to his counterpart’s claims in an interview with the website League of Justice published the day before.
A spokeswoman for the FBI’s field office in Houston declined to confirm the existence of the investigations described by Hardin and Buzbee. Investigations by Houston police, in conjunction with the Harris County District Attorney’s office, are also ongoing, Hardin confirmed on Wednesday.
In lawsuits filed earlier this year, 22 women accused Watson of harassing and assaulting them during massages. Watson had denied all the allegations, and Hardin has said any sex acts that occurred between Watson and massage therapists were consensual.
JETS: Guard Alex Lewis is retiring from playing football, according to a person with direct knowledge of the decision. The 29-year-old Lewis last practiced on Aug. 5, when he came off the field with what Coach Robert Saleh said was a head injury. The offensive lineman was placed on the exempt/left squad list the following day.
ESPN first reported Lewis’ retirement Wednesday. The person who confirmed the move to The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity because neither Lewis nor the team had announced the decision.
Lewis was entering his third season with the Jets, who acquired him from Baltimore for a seventh-round draft pick in 2019. He took over at left guard that year when Kelechi Osemele was injured and started 12 games. Lewis, whom Jets General Manager Joe Douglas knew from their time together with the Ravens, was rewarded for his solid play with a three-year, $18.6 million contract extension.
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