Bear Digest

Surprising Bears player moves could signal trouble for offense

The Bears on Saturday activated one player who has been out all year but a key player expected to return for the first time this season was left watching from the side.
Gene Chamberlain|
Travis Homer carries the ball during running back drills at training camp. Homer has been activated from injured reserve.
Travis Homer carries the ball during running back drills at training camp. Homer has been activated from injured reserve. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The player the Bears activated from injured reserve was probably not on anyone would expect, and it could signal concerns by the coaching staff.

Running back Travis Homer has been brought back from injured reserve for Sunday's game with New Orleans.

The Bears could have also activated defensive end Austin Booker and  linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. However, both of those players are fully recovered from inuries and remain on injured reserve.

It's Booker's potential as an impact edge rusher, after a strong  preseason, that has excited Bears fans for weeks. He's ready, and he continues to be out despite going through full practices for two weeks.

Booker's window for being activated is 21 days and he still can return next week. After the 21 days he would be on injured reserve the rest of the season. It's apparent the Bears plan on using rookie Shemar Turner some more this week at defensive end after using him there exclusively last week.

Homer's activation is somewhat alarming because one injury concern for this week is running back D'Andre Swift and a groin issue that occurred during the Monday night game with Washington. He is questionable for Sunday's game, or a game-time decision.

"It’s something that happened in the game," Swift said Friday about his  injury. "That’s it. Wednesday we had a walk through so did the whole walk through and was limited yesterday. I’m good though."

Whether he's good to go through a full game will be the  question, as such injuries can be easily aggravated.

In that case, they might need Homer because he is known as a strong pass blocker. Swift has been ranked the best pass blocker among running backs in the NFL by Pro Football Focus for much of this season, so losing him would be a blow in two ways for the attack. Having Homer available would be a huge help because backup running back Kyle Monangai has struggled as a pass blocker according to PFF.

Not activating Ogbongbemiga is almost as surprising as Booker being kept out.

The Bears are without strongside linebacker starter Noah Sewell due to a concussion. Ogbongbemiga has experience playing there. This means the Bears will most likely lean on rookie Ruben Hyppolite II for strongside help when they use someone at this position. They like going nickel defensive packages more than base but against the Saints more base might be necessary because New Orleans has run the 10th most times in the league.

Hyppolite has been in four games and played just 18 snaps of defense. Their fifth linebacker is D'Marco Jackson, a former Saints player.

The Bears announced they have signed defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon to the practice squad after releasing him from the active roster on Friday. This was part of the reason Booker's ascension to the regular roster was expected.

They have also elevated kicker Jake Moody and defensive tackle Jonathan Ford from the practice squad for the game through standard elevation. Moody will kick because of the thigh injury plaguing Cairo Santos, who had been ruled out for the game on Friday.

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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.