Bears’ Will Montgomery Out For Season With Broken Fibula

If someone were to describe an offensive lineman, they would be talking about versatile Bears lineman Matt Slauson. Slauson also knew just how uneasy he felt.

“I think he’s a very talented player. I think it just stepped him up a little bit”.

Yet when he returned home Sunday evening still wired and fried beyond his expectation, Slauson needed a way to decompress.

“Adrian Amos I think just gets better every week”, Fox said.

“He’s more experienced as a rookie than Harold is, but I think he had to pick his game up a few, especially from a communication standpoint, making sure Harold knew what he was doing and the corners were involved on the field at that time”. It definitely took me a long time to come down, though.

And Slauson’s spin at center may not be finished. However, he’ll need to have surgery, the Tribune reported.

Chicago Bears center Will Montgomery did fracture his fibula on the third play of Sunday’s 22-20 victory over the Oakland Raiders, but X-rays on safety Antrel Rolle’s injured right ankle were negative, Bears head coach John Fox announced Monday.

The Bears drafted center Hroniss Grasu from Oregon in the third round this year, but Fox wasn’t ready to commit to starting him at Arrowhead Stadium yet.

“I think everybody in our locker room, in our football building, has confidence in him”, Fox said. “At a few point, we will get to find out”, said Fox.

Whether “some point” turns out to be Sunday or December or 2016 remains to be seen. It is unknown whether Slauson will stay at center going forward, or if the Bears will juggle their line elsewhere. “… He had most of his reps as a left guard”.

The Bears will be taking on a major challenge next week, as they will play the Kansas City Chiefs.

Slauson has also encouraged Grasu to seek out tape of guys like Casey Wiegmann and Kevin Mawae, accomplished former centers who excelled despite size deficiencies.

“I obviously have a lot of faith in his abilities, having coached him before”, Fox said. So I think it was pretty incredible what he was able to do. And as far as bracing against a really big guy, I think he’d be fine with that. He’s been one of the Bears better run blockers, consistently opening holes for Matt Forte up the middle where the Bears have gained the majority of their rush yards.

At cornerback, veteran Tracy Porter started and played the entire game in place of Alan Ball, who was active but listed as questionable with a groin injury. Moving Slausen to center also creates a hole at left guard which would be filled by Patrick Omameh who started 16 games for the Bucs last season and held his own Sunday with a -0.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. The Bears already were without starting left tackle Jermon Bushrod due to a concussion and shoulder injury.

“It wasn’t all hunky-dory”, Fox admitted.

That approach must continue, no matter how the new roles are distributed.