Chicago’s availability picture changed twice before the final whistle.
Jonah Jackson was cleared to play against the Patriots, giving the Bears a needed pregame boost on the offensive line. Kyle Monangai, meanwhile, was officially inactive for the third straight game because of thumb and toe injuries. Then, in the fourth quarter, tight end Cole Kmet went down with a right knee injury and was carted off the field, turning a night that began with one lineup reinforcement into one more injury question.
Jackson entered the game without an injury designation after dealing with hip and quadriceps issues earlier in the week. That mattered for a Bears offense trying to piece together its personnel against New England, especially with Monangai unavailable again. Chicago had already been managing Monangai’s absence for more than two weeks, and there is optimism he could return within the next week or two, but he was not available for this matchup.
The Bears also had to play without linebacker T.J. Edwards, who was out again after attempting to go through warm-ups. D’Marco Jackson filled in for him, another reminder of how quickly Chicago’s lineup has been forced to shift from one week to the next.
Kmet’s injury arrived late, after he had already been involved in the offense. He caught an 8-yard pass from Caleb Williams before being tackled low by Robert Spillane and Christian Gonzalez. With 5:34 left in the fourth quarter, Kmet could not put weight on his right leg and needed assistance to leave the field on a cart. The Bears later ruled him out.
Before exiting, Kmet had three catches for 28 yards. As he left for the training room, he gave the Soldier Field crowd a thumbs up.
That sequence left Chicago’s win with two very different roster signals attached to it: Jackson back in the lineup, and Kmet now facing a new injury concern.