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Shemar Turner Prepared to Emerge for Bears from a 'Dark Tunnel'

Shemar Turner's return from an ACL tear took almost a year but now he's feeling up to providing the relief the team needs with key players missing.
Gene Chamberlain|
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner called his surgery and rehab a "dark tunnel" but now he's out into the lgiht.
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner called his surgery and rehab a "dark tunnel" but now he's out into the lgiht. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams isn't the only Bears player making a likely return this week.

During the dog and pony show Thursday that was Caleb Williams' "return press conference," Shemar Turner quietly and simply described his own battle to return from a much more serious injury, one requiring not three or four weeks to overcome but instead nearly a full year.

Turner suffered an ACL tear in last year's 47-42 miracle win over Cincinnati and this week could be playing against the Falcons and helping to stop running back Bijan Robinson. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen labeled it more of a breaking-in week for Turner rather than expecting huge immediate production.

“I think just having a plan for the number of snaps that he would play in the game, I think that's the biggest thing," Allen said. "Any of these guys that might be coming off of PUP or haven't played a lot of football, we kind of did the same thing with (linebacker) Noah (Sewell) a little bit last week. He played, and yet I think he had 22 snaps in the game.

""With all these guys that might be coming off, all of them would have a limited role to start with.”

A limited role for Turner is definitely better than what happened to him after midseason in 2025. It was surgery, rehab and constant rehab through the offseason, then toiling at practice without being eligible to play until now.

"It's definitely like walking through a dark tunnel," Turner said. "I'm starting to come out on the lighter side of it. But I mean, it's ups and downs."

Turner might find it difficult stepping in after so long away from actual games, and with almost no NFL experience. He played only 74 defensive plays as a rookie. The Bears moved him outside after an initial period at tackle. Less than half of his 74 plays were outside on the edge, although he'll likely be playing there with defensive end Montez Sweat suspended and teammate Dayo Odeyingbo suffering from a quad injury.

The switch last year let him move to a position he played often in college.

"Sure, that's like home for me. It's second nature to me," he said of defensive end. "I can wake up and just play defense every day. It's just like brushing your teeth, almost. That's how it is for me."

The Bears have few other options at end beyond Turner. James Lynch will likely get some reps with Austin Booker besides Turner. He has been a stalwart against the run but not much pass rush help. But Turner, as a second-round pick, represents a possible player of future impact and not just a stop-gap for this season.

"It's definitely an opportunity, a big opportunity that I have right now to go out there and show what I can do," Turner said. "Especially with guys down right now, they do need me.

"So it's up to me to go out there and to prove to my coaches and everybody on this staff, right, that I am a guy, and I can go."

It's even possible edge Jamree Kromah might play for the first time this season, and that defensvie tackle Jayden Loving could be active, though not certain. Both excelled in preseason and have sat inactive.

“I think the No. 1 thing that popped off about both those guys is just their effort and tenacity, you know, on every single play," Allen said. "They played extremely hard. They were productive. You don't forget those things.

"There's a reason why they're here on the team, on the 53-man roster. We saw enough that said, hey, look, at some point in time, we said this at the beginning of the year, whoever the 69 players—53 on the active and 16 on the practice squad--they're on the football team and we're going to have to count on them at some point.'

Turner is more likely to get a higher level of reps than either of those two rookies if they are active. He's a player they moved to end and from tackle and just as he showed signs against Washington of being able to play there, he suffered the injury agains Cincinnati.

The Bears defense is calling it an all-hands-on-deck game. They'll need Turner, and possibly more to find a way to contain Atlanta's second-ranked running game and the passing of Michael Penix Jr.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

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.