The Minnesota Vikings lost Jakeem Grant in the game against the Chicago Bears. The wide receiver, who has been one of their main contributors this year, suffered a knee injury midway through the fourth quarter and was carted off to locker room.
The “jakeem grant” is a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. He was injured during their game against the Vikings, and it is not yet clear when he will return.
Jakeem Getty On November 21, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois, Grant #17 of the Chicago Bears rushes for a first down against the Baltimore Ravens at Soldier Field. The Ravens won 16-13 over the Bears.
After losing Pro Bowl return specialist Jakeem Grant to a concussion during Week 15’s defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football, the Chicago Bears may need to find a replacement punt returner for the time being.
Grant was knocked out of Monday’s 17-9 defeat after smashing his head into the field late in the second quarter following a 4-yard rush on third down. At the conclusion of his run, Grant began to collapse and was hit in the back of the shoulder by Vikings defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, who blasted him to the ground.
Grant sat out the rest of the first half to be assessed for a concussion and was ruled out for the balance of the game at the start of the second half.
In the postgame press conference, Bears head coach Matt Nagy had nothing to say regarding Grant’s condition, informing reporters merely that he is in the league’s concussion protocol.
Watch a video Bears update Jakeem Grant’s condition after injury against. Vikings in this video. 2021-12-21T00:26:57-05:00
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Grant Has Grown Into A Pro Bowl Threat
Grant needed some time to adjust to life in Chicago after being acquired from Miami in October, but the 29-year-old wide receiver has blossomed into a valuable return weapon for the Bears in recent months.
Grant has the second-highest yardage average (13.2) among punt returners with at least 20 returns this season, and he just broke away for a 97-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. In his limited role for the offense, he has nine catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns, as well as five runs for 33 yards, including a 13-yard sprint against the Vikings before departing the game due to injury.
Grant was named to the 2022 Pro Bowl as a return specialist with outside linebacker Robert Quinn, the Bears announced earlier Monday. It’s the first time he’s been picked to a Pro Bowl roster in his six seasons in the NFL; however, he was made a second-team All-Pro with the Dolphins during the 2020 season.
After Grant’s departure, the Bears struggled.
The Bears didn’t have to wait long to feel the effects of Grant’s absence from the lineup. While they scored some of their only points of the game on the drive when he suffered his concussion, the offense looked to lose some of its cunning without him. After running twice with Grant early in the game, they only attempted one more receiver run on the night, getting three yards with Darnell Mooney.
However, the greater issue occurred in Grant’s area of expertise: punt returns.
After Grant was hurt, Damiere Byrd took over punt return responsibilities for the Bears, but he fumbled his first effort at recovering the ball, enabling the ball to ricochet off his hands and out of reach into a pile of on-field players. Despite the fantastic field position it afforded the Vikings, Minnesota was lucky to not give up any points after recovering it at the Bears’ 37-yard line.
If Grant’s injury prevents him from participating, the Bears could explore utilizing rookie running back Khalil Herbert for both kickoffs and punts. On two kickoff returns against the Vikings, he averaged 30.5 yards per return and showed off his strong hands with three catches for 34 yards on four targets from Justin Fields.
