Coach Matt Nagy wants to keep this a secret for as long as possible, which will probably be till Wednesday, but it’s not looking good for two of his best players heading into the wild-card game Sunday at the Saints.
On Monday, Nagy declined to give updates on inside linebacker Roquan Smith and wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who left the game against the Packers with significant injuries.
Smith hurt his elbow in the first quarter and was ruled out after testing it in a drill on the sideline; Mooney exited with an ankle injury.
“Those two guys right now, they’re both playing at an extremely high level — one being a rookie, the other one being somebody who might be playing as well as any defensive player in the NFL,” Nagy said.
Mooney was the 25th receiver picked in the draft, a fifth-round selection at No. 173 out of Tulane, but he finished seventh in the rookie class with 631 yards on 61 catches. He had four touchdowns.
Smith has had a dominant season. He finished sixth in the NFL in tackles (139) and fourth in tackles for loss (18). He also had four sacks (third on the Bears) and two interceptions.
The Bears also are keeping an eye on cornerback Jaylon Johnson (shoulder), who has missed the last three games.
