NFL games played during the final week of preseason typically do not attract much national attention. Unfortunately, that was not the case in Thursday’s Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs contest, as Chicago safety Douglas Coleman III was unable to get off the field after assisting on a tackle near the boundary.
Patrick Mahomes did not play on Thursday night, nor did Bears rookie Caleb Williams or Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. In fact, the majority of starting players sat this one out. Still, just after halftime at Arrowhead Stadium, “Bears vs. Chiefs” was among the top trending topics (during the DNC, no less).
On the initial play from scrimmage in the second half, Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun completed a short pass to receiver Cornell Powell. Powell proceeded to take the pass up the right sideline before Coleman — running with about 15 yards of momentum from his strong safety spot — collided with the ball carrier to make the tackle after a nine-yard gain for K.C.
Kevin Warren: “Our focus remains the museum campus”.
Fellow players and coaches instantly alerted medical professionals to Coleman’s immobilized condition. At first, the hit did not appear particularly violent but following replay, Coleman bent his neck awkwardly upon contact with the Kansas City receiver (Powell was attempting a spin move at the time). Also, it was Coleman’s first tackle of the game.
After medical personnel tended to Coleman for several minutes, the facemask was removed from his helmet before he was placed on a stabilizing board. Then, a Kansas City Fire Department ambulance took the Bears defensive back from the field.
“When I was on the field, over there on the Chiefs sideline, he was moving his limbs and gave us a thumbs-up,” Eberflus said.
Coleman played high school football in Zachary, Louisiana before shining at Texas Tech under HC Kliff Kingsbury. As a senior in 2019, Coleman nabbed a conference-leading eight interceptions, which was good enough to earn him First-team All-Big 12 honors.
After two seasons in the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks, Coleman is still looking to make his NFL regular season debut. Over the current preseason, he has compiled four total tackles with a forced fumble.
Additionally, Coleman can be spotted in the background of HBO Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears. Playing in the same position group as All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson and Jonathan Owens (Simon Biles’ husband), Chicago’s defensive backfield has been frequently featured.
Thoughts and prayers are with Coleman and his family while the entire football community awaits an update.
Over the final week of NFL preseason, Bears safety Douglas Coleman exited Thursday's game in Kansas City with a possible neck injury.
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