DENVER — Tight end Adam Shaheen, whose strong training camp had made the position one of the Bears’ strongest, suffered a grisly right ankle injury on the team’s first drive of the season Saturday night.
He limped to the sideline, where he was examined by Bears trainers. He stood up in pain behind the bench near the 50-yard line, and was eventually carted off the field to the locker room. He was on crutches after the game.
Early in the second quarter, the Bears said outside linebacker Leonard Floyd hurt his right hand and was ruled out for the rest of the game. He wore a cast on it in the locker room afterwards.
Coach Matt Nagy said he didn’t believe either player had a fracture. The players will have MRIs at Halas Hall on Sunday.
Floyd, a former first-round pick, had just begun feeling in peak physical form after recovering from offseason knee surgery. While a hand injury isn’t as concerning as Shaheen’s ankle, it’s a significant development, considering the Bears’ lack of depth at outside linebacker. Aaron Lynch, who the Bears signed to play opposite Floyd, hurt his hamstring on the first day of training camp. He hasn’t practiced since. This week, coach Matt Nagy said the former 49ers edge rusher had “a few setbacks there a little bit ago, but he’s back on track, and he’ll be ready to go.”
Defensive Akiem Hicks didn’t play because he woke up with a sore knee on Saturday, Nagy said. The Bears sat him out for precautionary reasons.
Shaheen was hurt when he was hit by Broncos quarterback Isaac Yiadom — who was flagged for lowering his helmet. The tight end was staggered for a second and caught his right ankle in the turf as he went to plant his feet.
