Getty Bears right guard Nate Davis.

The Chicago Bears are already facing availability issues with veteran right guard Nate Davis again after just two padded practices in this year’s training camp. And while it is unclear when Davis will return to practice, his latest injury has sparked rumors about the Bears pursuing one of the top free agents still on the market.

Davis bowed out of July 27’s second padded practice during individual drills due to an injury, forcing the Bears to break up their center competition between Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton and instead move Bates to right guard to fill in for the injury Davis.

After practice, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Davis is dealing with a “strain” — though, he did not specify what type — and is considered “day-to-day” in terms of returning to the practice field. The Bears will practice again on Monday, July 29.

“He’s day-to-day. We’ll see how it goes,” Eberflus said. “When a guy strains something during that time, we always pull them to make sure we can get the full rest for that particular day and then get them back to the next practice as fast as we can.”

While Davis could return as soon as Monday, his past availability issues compounded with his new injury have fueled chatter about whether the Bears have a strong enough offensive line in place for rookie quarterback Caleb Wiliams in 2024. Aaron Leming of 247 Sports even went as far as to circle back to a popular fan-favorite target for the Bears and advocate for them to sign veteran center Connor Williams as a solution.

Connor Williams Can Strengthen Bears’ Interior OL Depth

Leming isn’t the only one who thinks Williams would fit nicely with the Bears’ current offensive line. Fans have been calling for Chicago to kick the tires on the 27-year-old center since before the official start of the 2024 offseason, some stalwart in their belief that he can provide the Bears with a long-term solution at their weakest line position.

It is not hard to see why Williams appeals to the fandom. After starting his career as a left guard for the Dallas Cowboys, he has a breakout season at center for the Miami Dolphins in 2023. He was a terrific run-blocking asset for the Dolphins’ zone-blocking scheme and allowed just one sack and six pressures in 497 total snaps, earning him an elite 90.5 run-blocking grade and an 86.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

In all likelihood, a team would have signed Williams by now if not for the fact that he tore his ACL in Week 14 and had his Pro Bowl-caliber season cut short. But fortunately, Williams just worked out for the Seattle Seahawks and passed his physical, so there is a clear indication that he is healthy enough to practice again, should the Bears want him.

If the Bears signed Williams, they would have a solution to their Nate Davis problem. Davis’ contract is too expensive for the Bears to ditch, but Williams joining the center competition would allow the Bears to be more flexible with Bates and his guard utility.

“Versatility on the offensive line is something that we have now and we didn’t have before as much, so the depth is crucial,” Eberflus said Saturday. “I always say, a pair and a spare at each position and that’s what we did today [with Davis out].”

Nate Davis’ Availability Remains Problem for Bears

The Bears may simply proceed with the current depth they have on their offensive line, but it does not change that Davis has become a problem for them since his signing.

The Bears signed Davis to a three-year, $30 million contract during 2023 free agency, taking a big swing on a former Tennessee Titans starter in hopes of strengthening their offensive line. Unfortunately, the problems with Davis began early in camp when both an undisclosed injury and a personal matter (sick relative) caused him to miss time.

Davis ended up missing two of the Bears’ first three games after the death of a family member, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. He then returned in Week 4 and started the next three games, but he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 6 that kept him off the field for the next four games. In total, he played just 11 games in 2023.

Davis could still renew faith in his signing with a strong 2024, but his new injury does not inspire much confidence from the fans or the team.

“Availability is everything in this league,” Eberflus said. “So you’ve got to be available to practice. You’ve got to be able to go through hard in terms of you doing hard better during training camp, and that’s all part of preparing for the first part of the season and being able to do that, to callous yourself. That’s your individual responsibility to the football team, and when you’re not out there, guess what? That doesn’t happen.

“So availability is important at every position. And sometimes guys get injured and that’s the way it goes and there’s some things you can do, but you have to get back as fast as possible because, to me, there’s a lot of competition on this roster.”