Bear Digest

Bears Moves Include Signing D-Lineman Off Packers Practice Squad

Return man DeAndre Carter has been placed on season-ending IR and the Bears have added two players, including a former Packers defensive tackle.

Gene Chamberlain

Jonathan Ford didn't play for the Packers in the regular season after being drafted in 2022 and now he's been signed off the practice squad by the Bears.
Jonathan Ford didn't play for the Packers in the regular season after being drafted in 2022 and now he's been signed off the practice squad by the Bears. / MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Bears injury report will come out Thursday but they've made roster moves to address some ahead of that, including plucking a Packers practice squad player.

Return man DeAndre Carter has gone on season-ending injured reserve with a hamstring issue suffered in Sunday's loss. With Carter out, they'll likely have Josh Blackwell on returns again after he filled in there Sunday following the injury.

The Bears also have signed two players, one to the practice squad and one to the regular roster as a result of injuries.

They picked up Royce Freeman for the practice squad. The veteran running back has averaged 3.8 yards a carry for a six-year career with Denver, Carolina, Houston and the Rams.

Freeman, nicknamed "Rolls Royce," is a much bigger back than the others on the roster, at 6-foot, 238 pounds. He also returned kicks in college but hasn't done this in the NFL.

Freeman also is adept at catching out of the backfield. He had 43 receptions in his second season with Denver. According to NFL reporter Howard Balzer, they had worked out Freeman when they signed Demetric Felton last week. They also worked out former Patriots back Tony Jones Jr., defensive end Truman Jones and kicker Brayden Narveson.

Adding backs might mean they can't anticipate the return of Roschon Johnson from concussion yet. They had to use Travis Homer as backup running back last week.

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Starter D'Andre Swift played with a quad injury last week, as well.

The other injury concern in the game was defensive tackle Gervon Dexter's right knee. He had to go into the injury tent after a 49ers touchdown and came out with a brace on it. He was in for only 13 plays and two special teams plays Sunday.

The Green Bay practice squad defensive lineman they signed away to their regular roster is 2022 seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford. In his three seasons, Ford hasn't appeared in an NFL game.

The 6-foot-5, 338-pound defensive tackle was on the Packers practice squad in 2023 and was on injured reserve from the end of training camp until being activated Oct. 21. They released him then and put him back on the practice squad.

Ford had 60 tackles, nine for loss, and three sacks while at Auburn.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.