NFC North

Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday. 

Dalton, who has been operating as the Bears backup behind Justin Fields, has appeared in six games this season and made four starts. In those appearances, he's completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,017 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. 

Fields, meanwhile, has proved the more dynamic of the two signal-callers. In his return to action last week against the Green Bay Packers, the rookie passed for 224 yards and two touchdowns while rushing nine times for 74 yards. 

With Dalton sidelined, Nick Foles figures to assume the primary backup gig behind Fields. 

The Bears (4-9) host the rival Minnesota Vikings (6-7) on Monday, with Minnesota looking to keep pace in the playoff hunt.

The Chicago Bears may be short-handed for Monday's NFC North clash against the Minnesota Vikings.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Bears placed six players on the league's reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, including wide receiver Allen Robinson and safety Eddie Jackson. Joining them are tight end Jesse James, running back Ryan Nall, linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe and wide receiver Isaiah Coulter.

The COVID-19 list additions aren't the only issue facing the Bears.

Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk noted eight players also missed Thursday's practice because of illness. Running back David Montgomery was the headliner of that group, but running back Khalil Herbert, tight ends Cole Kmet and Jesper Horsted, wide receiver Jakeem Grant Sr., guard James Daniels, offensive tackle Teven Jenkins and nose tackle Khyiris Tonga also missed practice.

What's more, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, defensive coordinator Sean Desai and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor were all absent because of COVID-19 protocols.

Head coach Matt Nagy already missed a loss to the San Francisco 49ers earlier this season because he was in the NFL's COVID-19 protocol. Tabor filled in as the head coach for that game.

This has been a trying season in Chicago.

The Bears are just 4-9 overall and 1-7 in their last eight games. They blew leads against the 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers during their recent losing trend, otherwise the outlook for their season could be much different.

Chicago's final four games are largely just about playing out the rest of the schedule and developing rookie quarterback Justin Fields with an eye on the future.              

Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, defensive coordinator Sean Desai and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor on the COVID-19 list on Thursday, head coach Matt Nagy announced.

It could leave the coaching staff extremely short-handed before the team's Week 15 game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.

Each person will need two negative tests at least 24 hours apart in order to come off the list.

The Bears have also placed several players on the COVID-19 list over the past week, including Larry Borom, Mario Edwards Jr., Eddie Goldman and Artie Burns.

Chicago was already struggling, with losses in seven of its last eight games to fall to 4-9. The team has clinched a losing record for the first time since Nagy became the coach in 2018.

With the top coordinators unavailable, Nagy must take on an even bigger role this week to prepare his team against a tough divisional opponent.

Quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo has experience as an offensive coordinator for three different teams and could help on that side of the ball, while senior defensive assistant Mike Pettine has been both a head coach and defensive coordinator in the NFL.   

The Green Bay Packers have donated over $270K to the United for Waukesha Community Fund to benefit the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade attack and their families.

The total of $270,650 includes $135,325 donated from 42 Packers players and coaches, which was matched by Packers Give Back. The team's donation to the fund was being managed through the Waukesha County Community Foundation.

Over $3 million has been donated to the fund from close to 12,000 individuals, including one donor who gave a matching $1 million donation.

"We were all heartbroken after the senseless tragedy in Waukesha and we worked with our players to help determine the best way to have an impact as an organization," Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said.

He added, "After receiving pledged donations from our players and coaches, the organization was proud to match their donations. Our thoughts remain with the victims, along with their families and the Waukesha community, as they continue to grieve and heal from this horrific event."

Six people were killed and many more were injured after a driver in an SUV plowed through the crowd during the parade on Nov. 21.

"It's heartwarming that the players, coaches and Green Bay Packers Give Back are demonstrating such generosity," Shelli Marquardt, president of Waukesha County Community Foundation, said. "Their gift lets the people of Waukesha know their team is rooting for our community."

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday that the broken pinkie toe he has played on for a month is "not gonna be a problem" or prevent him from playing.

Rodgers told reporters after the Packers' 45-30 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday that his toe felt "worse" and that he took a "step back" during the game.

He still ended up completing 29 of 37 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Rodgers' injury is expected to last for the rest of the campaign.

Rodgers could choose to have surgery. But that would require a pin to be placed in his toe, and he wouldn't be able to play until it healed. Therefore, the reigning NFL MVP will reportedly wait until the offseason to decide on whether he needs a procedure.

The 38-year-old sounded upbeat prior to the Bears game, as the Packers' bye week helped him rest and recuperate.

"I've got to see how it reacts on Sunday when I get back out there and play," Rodgers told reporters last Wednesday.

"But this was really, really positive, the time to heal and not doing anything for now going on 10 days. That's been really, really helpful. So we're hoping that we can get on the other side of this."

That apparently didn't happen based on Rodgers' postgame comments.

The veteran signal-caller could get a scheduling break down the road if the Packers get a bye through the Wild Card Round.

The top AFC and NFC seeds each move directly to the divisional rounds, and the Packers control their own destiny to do just that as they look for their fifth Lombardi Trophy.

At 10-3, the Pack are first in the NFC and have the same record as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, but winning out would give them a tiebreaker over either team at worst.

For now, Green Bay will look for win No. 11 when it visits the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Coaching agent Trace Armstrong refuted a report about his interest and contact with the team regarding a management role with the Chicago Bears.

Armstrong, who spent six seasons in Chicago as a player, said Sunday he has "the utmost respect" for the Bears but that rumors of his conversations with the franchise are untrue:

CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported Armstrong "is very interested in the potential of helping steward his former franchise into better days." According to La Canfora, the former defensive end is also "a huge proponent of Ohio State coach Ryan Day."

The report laid out how Armstrong would run the Bears' football operations with a general manager working under him. Team president Ted Phillips sits atop that pyramid right now.

La Canfora reported Armstrong "deeply believes" Day can become a successful coach in the NFL, thus making him a likely candidate in any coaching search.

Coaching salaries at the top programs in college football are soaring through the roof.

Ohio State signed Day to a three-year extension in February 2020, but the $7.6 million he'll begin making in 2022 now qualifies as a below-market salary. Considering he has a 33-4 record with two Big Ten titles on his resume, the Buckeyes would presumably be willing to rework his deal again.

But the opportunity to leave year-round recruiting behind might be tantalizing for Day.

In the event he would consider NFL coaching jobs, the Bears are an obvious landing spot because he'd get to reunite with former OSU star Justin Fields. His ability to develop young passers would also fit well with an organization that has been desperate for a true franchise QB.

Whether Day moves on from Ohio State or not, a coaching change feels inevitable in Chicago. The Bears are third in the NFC North at 4-8 and on track to miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.

In the event Nagy is fired, general manager Ryan Pace could be on shaky ground, too if ownership wants to wipe the slate clean and start over.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will reportedly be dealing with discomfort in his left pinky toe for the remainder of the 2021 season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported doctors cannot completely numb the toe for him to play because he needs to feel his foot to plant and throw.

The Packers first listed him on their Week 10 injury report with a toe problem. After the reigning MVP described the injury as "COVID toe," the Wall Street Journal's Andrew Beaton wrote how painful inflammation of the area can result from a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Rodgers responded to the article and said his toe was actually fractured, showing it to the camera at a remote media call:

With Green Bay heading into its Week 13 bye last week, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported the nine-time Pro Bowler was putting off surgery for the time being:

Green Bay had a taste of Jordan Love as the starting quarterback for one game already, and the result was a 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He went 19-of-34 for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

No team is separating itself from the pack, so Green Bay arguably has as good a shot as anyone of winning a Super Bowl. Getting to that point will hinge largely on Rodgers' health.