Bears Provide Highly-Anticipated Alex Leatherwood Update
The Chicago Bears have questions to answer before their second matchup with the Green Bay Packers. One of them is figuring out what to do on the offensive line. The unit suffered some injuries in the loss to the New York Jets. Riley Reiff, who’d taken over the starting job in recent weeks, left the game early with a shoulder issue. Larry Borom stepped in for him but soon suffered an ankle injury of his own. Now the status of both players is in doubt for Sunday. That leaves head coach Matt Eberflus with a decision to make. This might be the time to give Alex Leatherwood his shot.
There are some options to consider. One would be shifting Teven Jenkins outside to right tackle, the position he played in college. Michael Schofield could then take over at right guard. However, Jenkins is at his most effective at guard. Moving him would be counterproductive. That is why Leatherwood is the path of least resistance. He has plenty of experience playing right tackle both in college and his rookie year for the Raiders. Chicago claimed the former 1st rounder off waivers in the spring. They felt his talent was worth it. He’s had months to get acquainted with the blocking scheme and the offensive system. Eberflus confirmed Leatherwood is definitely in play for the game.
The Alex Leatherwood debut will depend on practice.
One thing about him is he can always be counted on as a run blocker. His size, power, and length made him a constant asset since his days at Alabama. His glaring issue that got him kicked out of Las Vegas so quickly was his pass protection. It was ugly last year, surrendering almost 70 pressures. The Raiders felt he was a lost cause. Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles felt otherwise. This is the perfect time to find out where the young blocker is at. It would be at home without any issues of crowd noise. The Bears are likely to run the ball often too.
Regardless of the final score, it could be a great way to get Alex Leatherwood some confidence. It might also give the team an idea of what they’re working with. This would be his first official game action since last year. If he does well, the team may have something to be excited about going into 2023. Leatherwood is only 23 years old. He still might have a bright future ahead of him. The talent was never a question. It’s whether he could overcome his issues with technique.