{"id":134625,"date":"2022-08-08T12:59:07","date_gmt":"2022-08-08T16:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=134625"},"modified":"2022-08-08T12:59:07","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T16:59:07","slug":"chicago-bears-nicholas-morrow-gets-honest-challenges-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/08\/08\/chicago-bears-nicholas-morrow-gets-honest-challenges-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Bears LB Nicholas Morrow Sounds Off on Being ‘The Man’ in the Middle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last season, new Chicago Bears middle linebacker Nicholas Morrow<\/a> could only watch as his team, the Las Vegas Raiders, prepared for the upcoming season. Morrow suffered a foot injury that would cost him the entire 2021 campaign. The Raiders went on to make the postseason, but Morrow still could not get on the field.<\/p>\n

Now that he is fully healthy, and manning a critical role for a new team in the Bears, Morrow has embraced and met all of the challenges that have come his way.<\/p>\n

Chicago Bears LB Gets Honest on Challenges of Leadership<\/h2>\n

The Green Dot<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest challenges Morrow has encountered in training camp has been fielding some tough questions about a key teammate\u2019s absence. Linebacker Roquan Smith<\/a> has been present but a non-participant at practice. He is mired in a contract dispute with the Bears in what many have termed a \u201chold-in\u201d.<\/p>\n

Morrow has met with the media twice since camp started. He has been asked about Smith\u2019s unchanged situation both times.<\/p>\n

To his credit, Morrow answered the questions \u2013 as he does with every question \u2013 thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce the call gets in, we\u2019re all responsible for it,\u201d Morrow told reporters on July 30, \u201cSo we all got to get it, and we all got to do our jobs and know what we got to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

He did allude to studying film with Smith during the latter\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I want to play with him? Yes. But it\u2019s not really in my control really.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Smith off of the Field, former Indianapolis Colts linebacker \u2013 and a Matt Eberflus<\/a>‘ protege \u2013 Matthew Adams<\/a> has stepped up. And defensive coordinator Alan Williams<\/a> named Joe Thomas<\/a> as a standout for leading the team in takeaways.<\/p>\n

That is not the Bears predicted three-man group. Adding to that difficulty, Morrow says Eberflus\u2019 H.I.T.S. principle<\/a> is delivering on being the toughest experience for many of the players at camp.<\/p>\n

Morrow\u2019s response? \u201cLet\u2019s do it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid of it. I think one thing I\u2019ve understood is that, in the game of football, you can talk scheme. And that\u2019s fun. I\u2019ve been a part of scheme-heavy defense\u2026.and I think last year, being with Gus [Bradley] was the first time I’ve been a part of a team where it\u2019s like, \u2018hey, we\u2019re going to play with players, we\u2019re going to play with effort, and we\u2019re going to run to the football.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Nicholas Morrow is up next@Hyundai<\/a> | #BearsCamp<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/nwBAMwaLgB<\/a><\/p>\n

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 6, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n