Running back Swift misses Bears practice with a ‘little bit’ of a groin injury

Bears running back D’Andre Swift sat out practice Wednesday at Halas Hall due to a groin injury. Coach Matt Eberflus said Swift is dealing with “a little bit of a groin strain” after Sunday’s loss against the Green Bay Packers.

The head coach was “hopeful” that Swift will be good to go for this week’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Eberflus said the most important thing for Swift will be rest.

“We’ve got to give him some rest,” Eberflus said. “Those guys torque their legs and do a really good job and he’s a high-twitch guy, so we’ve just got to do a really good job of resting him the next day or two to make sure he’s ready to go.”

Swift ran for 71 yards and a touchdown Sunday against the Packers. He did not appear to suffer an injury during the game, which made his addition to the team’s injury report a bit of a surprise.

With a new offensive coordinator in Thomas Brown calling the shots, the Bears also used backup Roschon Johnson more frequently against the Packers. If Swift were to be unavailable against the Vikings, Johnson would likely take on lead-back duties.

Swift wasn’t the only player who sat out practice Wednesday. Offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (calf), guard Ryan Bates (concussion) and safety Elijah Hicks (ankle) also did not participate.

Bates suffered a concussion in the first half on Sunday and never returned to the game. Hicks injured his ankle late in the contest.

Additionally, offensive lineman Teven Jenkins returned to practice Wednesday in a limited capacity. Jenkins injured his ankle on Nov. 10 against the New England Patriots.

Jenkins’ potential return would be a big boost for the Bears offensive line. The Vikings defense blitzes at the highest rate of any team in the league. The Bears got both of their starting tackles back healthy last week. If Jenkins returns this week, Bates would be the only starter in question along the offensive line.