Cole Kmet among five Bears ruled out for Week 8 vs Ravens
The Chicago Bears are making the trip out East to face the Baltimore Ravens, and will get a rested and healthy Ravens team, who just had the week off due to a bye.
While the Ravens could be getting Lamar Jackson back, the Bears are going to be without a few key players on both sides of the ball for Sunday's Week 8 matchup.
As the Bears announced in their Friday injury report, tight end Cole Kmet will be out for Week 8, missing his first game of 2025. Along with Kmet, four others are ruled out, and four more are questionable for a huge Week 8 matchup.
Bears rule out Cole Kmet among five players who'll miss Week 8 vs Ravens
Kmet, dealing with a back issue, is only one of the Bears players who won't be on the field this week. Running back Roschon Johnson is out for Sunday's matchup with a back issue of his own, while offensive tackle Braxton Jones is missing Week 8 with a knee issue.
One of the more concerning injuries is to Kyler Gordon. The defensive back began the week with no designation at Wednesday's practice, but was limited on Thursday with a groin/calf issue, before not participating in Friday's practice and being ruled out.
Tyrique Stevenson is also out for Sunday's matchup against the Ravens, as he's dealing with a shoulder issue and hasn't practiced all week.
Defensive lineman Austin Booker has a knee injury, as does Amen Ogbongbemiga; both are questionable for Week 8. Cairo Santos was a full participant in practice with a right thigh issue and is also questionable.
The only other main injury to monitor is D'Andre Swift. He's questionable with a groin issue that he had dealt with heading into Week 7, and after logging back-to-back limited practices, he's once again listed as questionable.
DJ Moore is off the injury report as well, some good news for Caleb Williams, as his pass catchers are in store for a huge day against a depleted Ravens defense.
Colseton Loveland will also get his first crack at the starting job, with Kmet out. It's a big test for the 10th overall pick, as a strong week could have him locked into a starting spot going forward.
The Bears will look to get to 5-2 with a win over Baltimore, as the Ravens are expected to get Lamar Jackson, their superstar, MVP quarterback, back after missing the last few weeks due to a hamstring injury.
Lions Get Bad News on Next Opponent’s Star Player
The Detroit Lions are locked in a tight race for supremacy in the NFC North, and could be facing a big challenge in their coming game against a division rival.
The Lions are in their bye week this weekend, a time they will use to rest and hopefully recover from some of the injuries that have been mounting, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But this week will also give the rival Minnesota Vikings the chance to get their starting quarterback ready for the matchup against the Lions next week.
Lions Expected to Face J.J. McCarthy in Next Week’s Game
As The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported, McCarthy is in position to return to his starting position next week against the Lions. McCarthy has missed the last five games with a high ankle sprain, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Friday that the second-year quarterback is making good progress toward his return.
“He got some work today and he will hopefully get some work throughout the early part of the week, which will lead him into a full week of preparation,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell added that McCarthy would spend the bye week getting back into rhythm and rebuilding a rapport with his wide receivers.
“For J.J., it’s going to be about the commitment that he’s made throughout his rehab of getting back to those concrete fundamentals and techniques that allow his feet and eyes to work together and find completions to any one of our five eligibles, whether it’s a receiver or T.J. (Hockenson) or even Aaron Jones or Jordan (Mason) or Zay (Zavier Scott) out of the backfield,” O’Connell said.
The Vikings struggled with veteran Carson Wentz under center. The ailing veteran completed 15-of-27 passes for 144 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, playing through some obvious pain.
The Vikings put a lot of faith in McCarthy, allowing veteran Sam Darnold to leave in free agency after he led the team to a 14-3 record last year following a season-ending injury for McCarthy. The second-year quarterback showed some promise in his start to 2025, but the high-ankle injury has raised new concerns about whether he might be too injury-prone.
Lions Could Get Some Help on the Injury Front
While the Lions will have to face McCarthy next week, they will also have some help on the way as their own players recover from injuries. Jimmy Liao of USA Today’s Lions Wire reported that Detroit will have several players returning over the coming weeks, including safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph next week, with cornerback Terrion Arnold and running back Sione Vaki returning the next week.
They will have more returns in the weeks that follow, including cornerback DJ Reed, defensive lineman Marcus Davenport, and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez.
While the returns will help bolster a Lions defense that has now faced two years of mounting injuries, the team could also look to bring in outside help. Some insiders predict the Lions will seek defensive help at the trade deadline, boosting depth in their secondary or defensive line.
