5 Chicago Bears Players Who Need to Get Healthy During Bye Week

It may not seem like it, but there's plenty of time left in this season for the Chicago Bears to turn things around. 

One thing that has been holding the team back is the mountain of injuries throughout the year. Charles Tillman, Lamarr Houston and Matt Slauson aren't coming back, but the Bears could see some guys get healthy during the bye. 

With the Green Bay Packers on deck, here are the five players the Bears need to get healthy during their extended time off. 

Linebacker Lance Briggs

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When watching the Bears over the last few weeks, it's clear they are missing a vocal leader and a strong defensive presence on the field. 

Lance Briggs may not be the player he once was, but the Bears can still use his leadership qualities and on-field play. Right now, the defense looks lost as it continues to get thrashed by offenses. 

During the bye week, Briggs needs to get physically healthy and do a little soul searching. He didn't seem like he was into the season mentally before he got hurt and needs to regain his pride. 

Hopefully, the Bears will get a refreshed and refocused Briggs. If they have any shot at beating the Packers in Green Bay and salvaging this season, they are going to have to lean on him. 

Linebacker Jon Bostic

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If Briggs is the mental presence the Bears are missing right now, then Jon Bostic is surely the athletic player the Bears need back. 

Bostic was the team's most consistent linebacker before he got hurt. His ability to fly to the football was a main reason why the defense was respectable to start the season. Since he's been out, this has been a unit that has looked slow and very flat-footed. 

With Bostic back in the lineup, it allows for the backup linebackers to go back to their proper place on special teams. Guys like Christian Jones can fair well for one game but will ultimately get exposed against the likes of Miami and New England. 

As the season swings into the colder months, teams will look to run the ball more. Bostic is the Bears' best run-stuffing linebacker right now, and they need him back for Eddie Lacy and the Packers. 

Cornerback Kyle Fuller

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When Kyle Fuller was healthy, he was on a runaway campaign toward winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Since the hand and the hip injury, Fuller has been inconsistent, and teams know to pick on him. 

Before leaving the game against New England, it was clear Tom Brady's game plan was to attack a slowed Fuller by throwing out routes to Brandon LaFell. When Fuller is right, LaFell isn't even a threat to be any kind of explosive receiver. 

The Bears are going to need Fuller in the second half of the year. With Houston out for the season, they need all the cover corners they can get.

Fuller's partner Tim Jennings has been below average all season so the Bears really need Fuller to take on the other team's No. 1 targets with confidence. 

Safety Chris Conte

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Like it or not, Chris Conte is the best safety on this roster. When healthy, he's played the best, and the Bears are at a big disadvantage in the back end when he's out. 

It's been a rough season physically for Conte. It seems like every time he gets back on the field, he goes out with a shoulder or head injury. 

Conte needs to take the time off and rest his shoulder. The Bears absolutely need him on the field for the rest of the season. Conte is a much better option than Danny McCray or Brock Vereen right now. 

Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery

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Alshon Jeffery hasn't shown up on the injury report in a few weeks so this is pure speculation. Ever since the hamstring issue at the start of the year, he just hasn't looked the same. 

When dealing with a hamstring, a player or team may say he's healthy, but it never really goes away when you have to get right back up for another game the next week. 

Jeffery is a guy who plays hard so when you see him move lazily to the football, you have to wonder whether he's still hurting a little.

The Bears need him to be the explosive threat he was last year so a week off with no activity will do him and the team some good.