Alshon Jeffery Injury: Updates on Bears Star's Hamstring and Return

Updates from Monday, Sept. 22

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported on Alshon Jeffery's status for Week 3:

Earlier, Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported the latest on Jeffery's health for Monday night's game:

Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune also reported on the pre-game expectation for Jeffery's status for Week 3:

Updates from Saturday, Sept. 20 

Zach Zaidman of the Chicago Bears Radio Network provides an update on Alshon Jeffery's Week 3 status:

Updates from Thursday, Sept. 18

Will Carroll of Bleacher Report weighed in on Alshon Jeffery's injured hamstring and his status:

Updates from Tuesday, Sept. 16

Zach Zaidman of the Chicago Bears Radio Network provided comments from Marc Trestman on Alshon Jeffery's status:

Updates from Sunday, Sept. 14

The Chicago Bears confirmed that Alshon Jeffery is active for tonight's game:

Earlier Michael C. Wright of ESPN reported on Alshon Jeffery's status for Sunday night's game vs. San Francisco:

John Mullin of CSN Chicago also reported on Jeffery prior to Sunday's game vs. San Francisco:

ESPN's Adam Schefter had also reported there was doubt Alshon Jeffery will play tonight:

Updates from Friday, Sept. 12

Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune and Zach Zaidman of the Chicago Bears Radio Network provide updates on Alshon Jeffery's Week 2 status:

 Zaidman passes along comments from Jeffery:

Updates from Thursday, Sept. 11

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on Alshon Jeffery's activity at Bears practice:

Jeffery's teammate, Brandon Marshall, spoke about their efforts to get back on the field for Sunday (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN):

Dickerson also provided head coach Mark Trestman's thoughts on the wide receiver's status:

Original Text

Chicago Bears star wide receiver Alshon Jeffery missed Wednesday's practice with a hamstring injury. 

Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune had the news:

The 2013 Pro Bowler broke out last season in his 14 games started with the Bears. Jeffery finished the year with 89 receptions for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns, all career highs for the now third-year receiver. 

While the severity of Jeffery's injury has not been announced, his impact on the team makes his potential loss a significant one. Along with Brandon Marshall, Jeffery makes up one of the top receiver tandems in the league.

Jeffery also had a sore foot during the offseason. Campbell reported that injury back in July:

Though the season is still young, Jeffery has been more than just a weapon on the field; he's also a great player for young players to learn from.

2014 first-round pick Kyle Fuller lined up across from the Pro Bowler during training camp, as Zach Zaidman of the Chicago Bears Radio Network notes:

With the return of a healthy Jay Cutler to the offense this season, Jeffery has been a huge target for the quarterback already. Coach Marc Trestman spoke about Jeffery and his chemistry with Cutler, per Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com:

"

His catch radius is very evident out here. You can see it. He's got big hands. He's got long arms and he's focused on making plays.

... Jay's got a real comfort level with both Alshon and Brandon [Marshall] in terms of where to throw the ball when they're covered, knowing that it'll either be their ball or nobody's ball. 

"

Following a breakout sophomore season, Jeffery has just one year remaining on his rookie contract. The former South Carolina standout is eligible for a new deal following the 2014 season before he becomes a free agent after 2015.

After Marshall received a new contract earlier in the offseason, Mike Florio of NBC Sports noted Jeffery might be seeking a new deal:

"

The 24-year-old exploded in his second NFL season for 1,421 receiving yards on 89 catches.  Marshall had more catches (100 total) but fewer yards (1,295 in all), but some think Jeffery soon will be the better player, if he isn’t already.

So if Marshall is worth $10 million per year, what will Jeffery get? ... The Bears will need to pay Jeffery as much or more than Marshall, sooner rather than later.

"

All of that aside, Jeffery will simply be looking to return to the field after this injury. While a huge payday could be in his future, the need for his presence in the passing game is crucial for Cutler and the Bears offense.

If Jeffery is forced to miss any time, Marshall will likely be the one left to carry the load again. With backup wide receiver Marquess Wilson already suffering a broken clavicle during the offseason, the margin for error is extremely slim for Cutler.

Thanks to other weapons such as Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte, Chicago still has other offensive weapons. But if Jeffery is off the field for the Bears, the offense will be missing a huge piece.

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