Podlesh injury is “bad,” Quigley to get chance

Per the Chicago Tribune:  

“I am very concerned,” special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “It’s a bad injury for a punter to have.”

Podlesh’s injury is to his left hip and that is not as concerning as it would be if it was on his right side because he kicks with his right leg. But it’s still troubling and that it what led the team to bring in Matt Dodge, who punted for the Giants in 2010, for a tryout Tuesday. The plan right now is to evaluate Quigley and it would not be surprising if the Bears brought in multiple punters for tryouts next week depending on how the rookie from Boston College performs.

“This is going to be a good test for him,” Toub said. “We’ll see if he can handle it.”

Podlesh became the first punter in franchise history to complete a season with a net average greater than 40 yards. He replaced veteran Brad Maynard, who was with the team for 10 seasons and has the third-most punts in NFL history. Maynard, 38, played for the Browns last season and had a tryout with the Eagles last month.

But if a vested veteran like Maynard is on the roster in Week 1, he can claim for termination pay if he is cut. Therefore, the Bears could be on the hook for a full season of pay to Maynard or a similarly experienced punter even if they kept him on the roster for only one or two weeks. That’s an expensive short-term rental.

“We’ll figure out what we need to do,” Toub said.