Missouri Tigers linebacker Chad Bailey ruled out for rest of 2023 season with injury
One of Missouri football’s most experienced players will be forced to sit out the rest of the season, likely bringing an end to his long Missouri career.
Chad Bailey, a team captain and middle linebacker for the Tigers in his sixth season of college football, will not play for the remainder of the season due to a core injury that has intermittently kept him from the field since training camp.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz announced the news during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Now out of eligibility, and with no mention of plans to apply for a medical waiver, that means Bailey’s long MU career is likely over.
“Chad has had a recurrence of that injury that he had in the summer,” Drinkwitz said, “and we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of him, so he’ll be out the remainder of the season.”
Per the head coach, Bailey will stay with the team through the remainder of the season to help “coach the linebackers.”
“We’ll get a second opinion on what’s the next step for him, and hopefully we can get him healthy enough to pursue his dream of playing at the next level,” Drinkwitz said.
Bailey was part of coach Barry Odom’s 2018 recruiting class, arriving from Missouri City, Texas, as a four-star recruit. He has since played in 48 games for Missouri over the course of six seasons, recording 140 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
The middle linebacker missed portions of fall camp before with a core injury, but he managed to suit up five times for Missouri in the 2023 season. He missed the first two games but appeared in every game between Kansas State in Week 3 and Kentucky in Week 7.
He did not play against South Carolina or Georgia.
Bailey announced ahead of the Tigers’ final game of the 2022 season that he was returning for his sixth and final year of eligibility.
Chuck Hicks, who is next in line on the depth chart and has played most of MU’s snaps at the position this season, is likely to continue to start for the Tigers at “Mike” linebacker.
“I mean, just that situation in general is terrible,” Hicks said. “Especially when you know he’s the captain, great football player, great linebacker, great role model for this team. I wish he could be playing.”
Drinkwitz also announced that wide receiver Luther Burden III and defensive lineman Realus George Jr. will be questionable to play in MU’s game against Tennessee on Saturday in Columbia.
