The Chicago Bears will be without their starting center Lucas Patrick for the foreseeable future.
Head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed that Patrick injured his right hand and he’ll be missing some time. Eberflus said there’s no timetable for his return.
According to multiple reports from this morning, Patrick suffered a broken right thumb that will require surgery.
While Eberflus wouldn’t provide a timetable for his return, both the Chicago Tribune‘s Brad Biggs and the Sun-Times‘ Jason Lieser believe Patrick should be back before Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.
With Patrick sidelined indefinitely, it leaves another question along the offensive line. Sixth-round rookie Doug Kramer once again saw reps at center with the first-team offense during Friday’s practice.
Eberflus said Kramer is “super smart, able to make all the calls but “he has to learn leverage.”
Another option is Sam Mustipher, who started all 17 games at center for the Bears last season. He already has a rapport with quarterback Justin Fields, and he’s someone who figures to be an emergency backup at the position.
