Breaking: Ryan Bates Back in Mix: Bears Activate OL, Add Practice Squad Talent
The Bears addressed their shaky offensive line injury situation with Saturday call-ups from the practice squad, while officially removing guard Ryan Bates from injured reserve.
Tackle Jake Curhan and linebacker Carl Jones Jr. came up from the practice squad for Sunday’s game with the Patriots at Soldier Field. Curhan was up last week, as well, and got into the game due to injuries.
Jones is an undrafted linebacker from UCLA making his first game appearance with Chicago. He had 57 career tackles for UCLA and 78 for Boise State. An injury to linebacker Noah Sewell makes the move with Jones necessary, for special teams and backup purposes.
Bates was on injured reserve with shoulder and elbow injuries after the opening win over Tennessee.
“It’s been frustrating for me,” Bates said Friday, after coach Matt Eberflus announced he would be removed from injured reserve. “This is kind of the first time where I’ve been in this situation where I’ve been on IR. This is my first time on IR. First time having an injury that kind of takes me out of multiple games.
“So it was a learning experience for me in terms of kind of challenging my mentals and kind of getting in the right mindset cause early I was in a bad headspace. I just wanted to be out there. I wanted to be playing with the boys. You know how it is.”
If Bates moves in at right guard, then the Bears likely would move Matt Pryor to right or left tackle. They’ll also be playing backup Larry Borom, who started last week at left tackle due to the knee injury to Braxton Jones, one which will keep the starter out again this week.
Another option would be just one move from last week’s lineup and that would be playing Curhan at right tackle and leaving Bates on the bench. Curhan played 17 snaps last week.
Starting right tackle Darnell Wright suffered a knee injury last week.
