Bears Designate Star OL For Return. The Bears have activated guard Ryan Bates from injured reserve, according to KPRC’s Aaron Wilson. This adds depth to a Chicago offensive line that has faced numerous injuries this season.
Bears Designate Star OL, Bates now has 21 days to practice with the team before he must be moved to the active roster, or he will revert to season-ending injured reserve.
He signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Bears this offseason, benefiting from a surge in the offensive guard market. Although he didn’t win the starting right guard position during training camp, Bates played 38 snaps compared to starter Nate Davis‘ 18 in Week 1 before injuries to his shoulder and elbow put him on IR.
Davis has since made only two additional starts at right guard due to a groin injury, with veteran Matt Pryor stepping in as the primary player in that position since Week 3. Pryor began the season as the Bears’ backup right tackle, meaning Bates could contend for a starting role upon his return.
However, Chicago’s offense has shown improvement recently, scoring over 35 points in Weeks 6 and 7, though they only managed 15 points against the Commanders in Week 8. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron may prefer to maintain the current offensive line setup instead of making further changes.
Additionally, starting left guard Teven Jenkins was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury, so Bates could serve as a viable replacement if he can quickly reintegrate into the offense this week.
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