Jan 2, 2021; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Dazz Newsome (5) misses a reception against Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Antonio Johnson (27) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bears lost a rookie to injury during OTAs, and he’ll be out until training camp.
Injuries are part of the equation in football practice, even sessions as light as NFL OTAs. The Chicago Bears lost a rookie to an injury during Tuesday’s practice, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has reported wide receiver Dazz Newsome suffered a broken collarbone.
Newsome will have surgery on Thursday, and relative good fortune of a clean break means he’s facing an eight-week recovery time. Thus, he should be ready sometime early in training camp.
Newsome played four years at North Carolina, topping 1,000 yards with 10 touchdowns a junior in 2019. His 188 career receptions are third in school history. He ran a 4.34 40 at his Pro Day, and the Bears took him in the sixth round (No. 221 overall) of April’s draft.
The Bears can still get something out of Dazz Newsome as a rookie
Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney are locked in as Chicago’s top two wide receivers. After that, with Anthony Miller still around barring a trade, it looks to be a wide open competition to fill out the depth chart. Newsome returned punts in college, so that may give him an edge.
There’s never a good time for a significant injury, and for Newsome breaking his collarbone on June 2 will cost him valuable time during the remainder of OTAs. But as long as he remains on track to be cleared early in camp, he’ll be able to play in preseason games and cement his spot on the Bears’ 53-man roster. Guys like Damiere Byrd, Riley Ridley, Marquise Goodwin and Javon Wims aren’t good enough to beat Newsome out if he’s healthy.
While the attention is on when the Bears will start rookie quarterback Justin Fields, Newsome has a bright future too. A broken collarbone during OTAs doesn’t have to derail the most optimistic ideas of what he can do as a rookie.