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Chicago Bears center Lucas Patrick had season-ending toe surgery recently, coach Matt Eberflus announced Wednesday at Halas Hall.
Patrick hasn’t played since he left the Oct. 24 win over the New England Patriots with the injury. The Bears put him on injured reserve that week, and Sam Mustipher has started at center in the last four games.
It was Patrick’s second surgery in four months. He had surgery on his hand during training camp and couldn’t snap the ball — and therefore play center — early in the season. He spent the first two games in a right guard rotation with Teven Jenkins, then started two games at right guard and two games at left guard.
His lone start at center — the position the Bears signed him to play — was the game during which he was injured. He played only 10 snaps in that game.
Eberflus said Patrick still has been around Halas Hall helping an offensive line that has started seven combinations of players this season.
“He’s been in every meeting, been engaged,” Eberflus said.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles signed Patrick to a two-year, $8 million contract this offseason after Patrick started 34 games over five seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Poles talked multiple times about viewing Patrick as a tone setter, but now Patrick must do that from the sideline.
“You can feel his effect already,” Poles said in April. “He’s got energy. He’s got toughness. There’s just a presence about him. And then you can feel everyone else coming. And that was the thought process was these catalysts that kind of bring the whole group along.”
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