Rejoice Chicago Bears fans! Austin Booker is finally making his return to the field.
The Bears announced that they would be activating Booker from the IR after starting the season on it. His 21-day practice window was set to end this week, so Chicago was forced to make a decision on him quickly.
They also announced that rookie second-round pick Shemar Turner will be placed on IR. Turner tore his ACL and is expected to be out for the rest of the season. Turner did not play much during the season, appearing in only five games and recording six tackles and two tackles for loss.
Turner's news is another hit on the draft class, but Booker returns at the right time
Chicago's pass rush off the edge has been poor at best. Montez Sweat is picking up steam, with two weeks in a row where he has had a sack in each. The signing that has seemed like a massive miss is Dayo Odeyingbo, who has only one sack this season after the team gave him a three-year, $48 million contract in the offseason.
Earlier in the day, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that defensive end Jonathan Garvin was signing to the Bears' practice squad. While Garvin won't play much, he at least gives Chicago insurance at the position.
The bad news about Turner is once again another reminder that this Bears' draft class has been rough. He joins cornerback Zah Frazier as a member of the 2025 class on the IR together.
Booker's timing couldn't be better for a Bears team that needs to start generating more sacks and pressures off the edge. They are about to head into a tricky part of their schedule, when everyone is needed, sitting at 4-3 on the season.
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Chicago hopes to have Booker look like the same guy who got four sacks in two preseason games this season. That doesn't mean a sneaky trade move couldn't be made by Bears general manager Ryan Poles to bring in some reinforcement.