After moving past rumors about coach Matt Nagy’s job status, the Chicago Bears had a week of relative peace following their Thanksgiving win against the Detroit Lions.
Now the 9-2 Arizona Cardinals come to town to try to disturb that calm.
We’ve got Week 13 updates all day from Soldier Field.
Get the latest Bears news on your phone, desktop and inbox
Be the first to read Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Bears each week
Week 13 inactives announced
Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith is active Sunday against the Cardinals.
Smith missed practices Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring injury but returned in a limited capacity Friday. He worked out at Soldier Field hours before the game to test out his hamstring before the Bears made the decision.
Bears rookie offensive tackle Teven Jenkins also is active for his first NFL game after the Bears activated him Saturday. Jenkins missed training camp and the first 11 games after having back surgery.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver Allen Robinson are officially inactive.
Bears coach Matt Nagy said Friday that Fields hadn’t been medically cleared to play, so Andy Dalton will start and Nick Foles will be the backup.
Robinson had been listed as doubtful as he recovers from a hamstring injury. He will miss his third straight game with the injury.
The Bears already ruled out defensive linemen Akiem Hicks (ankle) and Mario Edwards Jr. (ribs), wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (foot/ribs) and running back Damien Williams (knee). Defensive back Teez Tabor also is inactive for the Bears.
For the Cardinals, quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins are both active and will play for the first time since Week 8.
Murray has been out with an ankle injury and Hopkins has been out with a hamstring injury. Both were gameday decisions.
Wide receiver Andy Isabella, quarterback Trace McSorley, cornerback Jace Whittaker and offensive lineman Justin Pugh are inactive.
Miss anything this week? Catch up before kickoff (noon, Fox-32).
5 things to watch for as the Bears play host to the Cardinals, including Kyler Murray’s potential return and a crowd on edge — plus our Week 13 predictions
Column: Trevis Gipson has a big opportunity the rest of the season to prove he can be an edge rusher the Chicago Bears can build around
‘The entire body of work.’ As Bears Chairman George McCaskey reaches a pivotal juncture, is he readying the franchise for major changes?
Andy Dalton will start for the Bears against the Cardinals, and Teven Jenkins will be activated, opening the door for his NFL debut
Bears outside linebacker Robert Quinn is named NFC defensive player of the month: ‘His motor goes 1,000 miles per hour every play’
‘Fire Nagy!’ chants are likely to continue around the city — but at least one Chicago Bears player hopes they won’t: ‘I feel like it’s just making it worse’
Bears Q&A: Is sneaking into the playoffs somehow possible? Should Teven Jenkins start if he is ready? And is Tarik Cohen done for the season?
5 key developments coming out of the Bears mini-bye weekend as they wait for Justin Fields to heal — including Darnell Mooney’s focus, Kindle Vildor’s benching and Roquan Smith’s injury
Pregame notes
The Cardinals had extra time to prepare for the Bears coming off their bye week. They opened the season with seven straight victories before going 2-2 in their last four games, including 2-1 without quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray, who had a left ankle injury, could return Sunday after coach Kliff Kingsbury deemed him a game-day decision.
The Bears, however, won’t have starting quarterback Justin Fields, who isn’t medically ready to return from broken ribs. Bears coach Matt Nagy named veteran Andy Dalton the starter for the second straight game.
Dalton led the Bears to a 16-14 comeback victory over the Lions on Thanksgiving but will have a tougher test against one of the NFL’s top defenses.
“We’ve got to be consistent with what we’re doing,” Dalton said. “To have that last drive (against the Lions), to go on the long drive that allows us to win the game, kick the field goal right at the end, there’s stuff we can build off of for sure. We have to carry a little bit of that momentum into this week and where we’re going from here on out.”