Chicago Bears

James Daniels in Mix for Chicago Bears' Left Guard Job, Nagy Says

The Chicago Bears officially broke camp in Bourbonnais on Sunday afternoon, and with four weeks to go until their regular season kicks off, there is one big position battle that’s still raging.

That battle is taking place at the left guard spot, where rookie lineman James Daniels is competing for the job against veterans Eric Kush and Earl Watford, according to head coach Matt Nagy.

The four other positions on the line seem locked in, including Cody Whitehair’s status as the team’s center. According to Nagy and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, Whitehair is not involved in the left guard competition, even though Daniels has impressed scouts and coaches alike with his play at center early in the preseason.

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As for who has the advantage at the spot, it’s still unclear at this point. Daniels has gotten time at the position after battling through an injury early in camp, but Kush’s veteran status could give him an edge in the competition if the Bears want to slowly bring Daniels into the equation.

The Bears’ next preseason tilt will come Saturday when they battle the Denver Broncos. In the interim, they will hold a pair of practices with Denver in the coming week, giving the three competitors for the guard job a chance to showcase their stuff against an opposing defense.

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