Bears RB Nall says he'll be ready if needed vs. Vikings

With David Montgomery in concussion protocol, the Bears could be awfully thin at running back when they host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.

One of their options is Ryan Nall, the 24-year-old Oregon native who spent the first year and a half of his pro career on the Bears' practice squad.

Nall, who enjoyed a solid three-year career at Oregon State, was promoted to the active roster midway through last season. He appeared in eight games, but carried the ball just twice for 8 yards.

Last week in a loss at Tennessee, Nall saw his first extended playing time after Montgomery exited.

The 6-foot-2, 239-pound Nall caught 4 passes for 35 yards, one of which turned into a 6-yard TD that trimmed the Titans' lead to 24-10 late in the fourth quarter.

Nall believes coach Matt Nagy kept him around due to a "positive mindset (and) attitude."

"My first year and a half, my mindset wasn't going to be, 'Woe is me. I'm not playing (so) why should I care?'" Nall said. "It's gonna be, 'How can I take this and learn from this and be better so when my number does get called I'm gonna be ready?' "

Nall is a north-south runner who doesn't figure to break many big runs, but he might be better than Montgomery at picking up that tough yard or two on short-yardage situations.

If Montgomery can't go, the Bears may also turn to Cordarrelle Patterson or Lamar Miller.

Patterson picked up 57 yards on 15 carries in the first three games but has been used sparingly since, gaining just 31 yards on 14 attempts in the last six games. Miller, who missed 2019 after tearing his ACL, is on the practice squad.

Montgomery's status will be updated Thursday.

Furrey-ous:

Just before Javon Wims attacked Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in Week 8, Bears wide receiver coach Mike Furrey had gathered his wide receivers on the sidelines and told them to leave the Saints' cornerback alone.

Furrey didn't want anyone retaliating and earning a 15-yard penalty just because Gardner-Johnson had poked Anthony Miller in the eye.

But that advice fell on deaf ears as Wims viciously smacked Gardner-Johnson in the helmet two times on the ensuing Saints possession. Wims' actions earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, an ejection and a two-game suspension.

Said Furrey: "I told Javon (that) the most disappointing thing that occurred from that event was the fact that I'd just sat there on the bench prior to that play and I told every single one of ya, 'Do not get involved with 22. Do not retaliate, don't put your hands on him, don't head butt him. Get back in the huddle.'"

"When someone's trying to protect you from maybe ruining your career, you need to listen."

Wims' suspension will end after the Bears host Minnesota on Monday.

No contract talk:

Wide receiver Allen Robinson leads the Bears with 57 catches for 712 yards, putting him on pace to slightly better his 2019 numbers of 98 receptions for 1,147 yards. Those are solid numbers for a solid pro, one who is in the final year of a three-year, $42 million deal.

If the Bears and Robinson don't come to terms on an extension, it means the 27-year-old would become a free agent. Robinson was asked Tuesday about his contract situation, but said he's completely focused on helping his 5-4 team snap a three-game losing streak.

"Unfortunately we're in the situation that we're in," Robinson said. "But in the league you're going to have obstacles and adversity. And that's what we're facing.

"We can either pack it in or we can pick it up. I'm going to try my best to be able to help pick this thing up. I'm putting the (contract talk) behind me. That's none of my concern at all right now. When we get there, we get there."