In the words of linebacker and teammate Lance Briggs, you can't replace a Henry Melton. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bears will attempt to do just that, after losing their star defensive tackle for the season.
It was a huge win for the Bears on Sunday. They went into the Steel City and pummeled the plummeting Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a dominating statement by the Mark Trestman coached team, that has now improved to 3-0 on the season.
The defense was stellar, shutting down Ben Roethlisberger and the once elite Steeler offense. Melton played a huge role, acting as the run stopper and contributing with two tackles before going down. As it turns out, Melton was felled by the worst of injuries to a professional athlete; a torn ACL.
Melton was placed on Injured Reserve, and will miss the remainder of the year. Even worse is that he was playing under the Bears Franchise Tag, meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent come seasons end.
Luckily for the Bears, they still have Stephen Paea, an outstanding nose tackle, who may now have to make the transition to a three technique, lining up outside of the guard. Undrafted rookie free agent Zach Minter is Melton's main backup, but is not yet ready to make the leap to starter. Four-year veteran, Nate Collins, will move into Paea's position, while everyone settles into their new roles.
Melton was a major piece to this defense, and the Bears will spend the next fifteen weeks getting used to things without him. However, if Jay Cutler and Matt Forte continue their high level of play, Chicago is a sure bet for the playoffs and could even be a sleeper team for the Super Bowl.
Hopefully, Melton's loss won't end up being catastrophic down the stretch.
Follow @TheNFLInjuryRpt
It was a huge win for the Bears on Sunday. They went into the Steel City and pummeled the plummeting Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a dominating statement by the Mark Trestman coached team, that has now improved to 3-0 on the season.
The defense was stellar, shutting down Ben Roethlisberger and the once elite Steeler offense. Melton played a huge role, acting as the run stopper and contributing with two tackles before going down. As it turns out, Melton was felled by the worst of injuries to a professional athlete; a torn ACL.
Melton was placed on Injured Reserve, and will miss the remainder of the year. Even worse is that he was playing under the Bears Franchise Tag, meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent come seasons end.
Luckily for the Bears, they still have Stephen Paea, an outstanding nose tackle, who may now have to make the transition to a three technique, lining up outside of the guard. Undrafted rookie free agent Zach Minter is Melton's main backup, but is not yet ready to make the leap to starter. Four-year veteran, Nate Collins, will move into Paea's position, while everyone settles into their new roles.
Melton was a major piece to this defense, and the Bears will spend the next fifteen weeks getting used to things without him. However, if Jay Cutler and Matt Forte continue their high level of play, Chicago is a sure bet for the playoffs and could even be a sleeper team for the Super Bowl.
Hopefully, Melton's loss won't end up being catastrophic down the stretch.
Follow @TheNFLInjuryRpt
Looking for fantasy football advice?
