Former Iowa Receiver Adds Needed Depth

Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who had been cut by the Minnesota Vikings, signed in Chicago where the receiver group is in shambles because of injuries.

The injury depleted Bears wide receiver corps on Thursday had an unexpected addition.

Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, a fifth-round pick in 2021 who failed to make the roster this year, signed Thursday in Chicago.

Smith-Marsette is 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and caught five passes for 116 yards in eight games and one start for Minnesota last year.

Bears fans will remember him from the final game last year as 103 of his receiving yards and three of the catches came against Chicago in the season finale. He caught a 44-yard third-quarter touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins that pulled Minnesota back within 14-10 after the Vikings initially trailed 14-3.

A former Iowa standout, Smith-Marsette ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and had a 37-inch vertical leap. His four kick returns for a 20.8-yard average

Smith-Marsette didn't have great production at Iowa as a receiver until his junior year with 44 catches for 722 yards.

In his final season, 2020, he had 25 catches for 345 yards. He averaged 14.7 yards per catch for his career and scored 14 touchdowns on passes and four more on runs from scrimmage. He had three TD runs in 2019, when he averaged 9.8 yards per 11 rushes.

Smith-Marsette became expendable when the Vikings traded with the Eagles for Jalen Reagor.

For the Bears the move is for depth both at receiver and returner. Velus Jones Jr., their rookie receiver, missed practice again on Thursday and hasn't been involved since the team's second preseason game. Coaches haven't said what his injury is.

Jones is both their receiver and return man.

The Bears still don't have Jones, Byron Pringle (quad injury) or N'Keal Harry available and Tajae Sharpe is out for the year on injured reserve. On Thursday, they put Harry on injured reserve with the ability to return. He had surgery due to an ankle injury. 

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