Pat O’Donnell may not be the Bears best player every week, but Sunday against the Seahawks he was definitely their most active.
Unfortunately, after one of the busiest days a punter has ever had, O’Donnell is now battling an injury. NFL Network’s Rand Getlin reported O’Donnell is day-to-day with a knee injury.
#Bears punter Pat O'Donnell has a knee sprain and is day to day, a source said.
— Rand Getlin (@RandGetlin) September 28, 2015
With an offense that struggled to get more than three yards on any play, O’Donnell was constantly being put to use. The Bears punted on all 10 of their possessions against Seattle, becoming the first team to punt 10 straight times to start a game since 1991.
In fact, O’Donnell’s punt yardage dwarfed the total offensive output by the Bears, 477-146. The only thing preventing O’Donnell from racking up even more stats was the defense’s inability to get off the field.
Because of his booming leg, some have started to ask why O’Donnell isn’t used for kickoffs as well. With Robbie Gould kicking the ball, the Seahawks returned a kick for a touchdown Sunday.
Has Pat O'Donnell ever been asked to try and kick off? Find it hard to believe he couldn't kick it out of the end zone.
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) September 27, 2015
The Bears don’t have a backup punter on the roster if O’Donnell isn’t healthy to play against the Raiders Sunday.
