Adrian Colbert’s battle for the Chicago Bears’ in-season roster is over.
According to the team’s official transaction wire for August 21, the Bears placed the 29-year-old Colbert on season-ending injured reserve and waived former Los Angeles Rams tight end Jared Pinkney with an injury designation on Monday.
Colbert had been vying for one of the backup spots in the safety room after originally signing a reserve/future contract with the Bears in January before last season ended. While he played ample snaps (54) in the first two preseason games and was their third-highest-graded defender (85.1) by Pro Football Focus’ metrics against Tennessee, his placement on injured reserve effectively ends his bid to make the 53-man roster.
Meanwhile, Pinkney signed with the Bears on July 31 ahead of their first padded practice of training camp, but his long-shot odds to make the team worsened when Chicago brought in veteran Marcedes Lewis on August 5 to be their third tight end. He did not play in Saturday’s second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts after catching one pass for two yards and logging special teams work in the first contest.
If Pinkey clears the waivers without being claimed, he will automatically revert back to the Bears’ injured reserve list — where he will either remain for the season or negotiate an injury settlement, when healthy, to be released back into the open market.
Can A.J. Thomas Secure Backup Safety Job in 2023?
With Colbert no longer in the picture, the Bears’ competition for the backup safeties jobs behind Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker has now been trimmed to a shortlist of second-year or rookie players: A.J. Thomas, 2022 seventh-round pick Elijah Hicks, 2023 seventh-rounder Kendall Williamson and undrafted rookie Bralen Trahan.
As long as Thomas doesn’t slip up in the preseason finale against Buffalo, one of those backup jobs should be his for the taking after the way he has played this summer.
Thomas snagged a goal-line interception from Titans quarterback Malik Willis in the preseason opener, one play after Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. muffed a punt and gave possession to Tennessee at Chicago’s own 25-yard line. While he did allow a 21-yard reception in coverage, it was a performance that showed improvement for Thomas after he spent the entire 2022 season as a member of the Bears’ practice squad.
Thomas then added another five solo tackles in the second game against the Titans and allowed one reception on two targets for 14 yards. More important for the backups, he was also a regular participant on special teams in both games, logging 17 total snaps and getting action with every third-phase group aside from the field-goal kicking unit. He has yet to record a special teams tackle this preseason, but changing that against the Bills on Saturday could all but secure him a place on the 53-man roster.
Will Bears Give Preference to Draft Picks in Safety Battle?
Unfortunately, Thomas’ ability to make the 53-man roster could come down to how dedicated Bears general manager Ryan Poles is to keeping his drafted players.
Hicks is a returning member of the Bears’ 2022 active roster and was quite active on special teams as a rookie, recording five tackles and earning an 82.5 grade from PFF. He has done nothing to shake their faith in him over the first two preseason games, either, so he is likely safe to make the roster as their backup safety behind Brisker.
As for Williamson, the rookie seventh-rounder is coming off a performance against the Colts in which he recorded a second-most six tackles, two defensive stops and his first tackle for a loss. His coverage skills continue to need work after allowing four catches on four targets for 67 yards, but he appears to have developmental potential as a hard-hitting run defender that could tempt the Bears into keeping him for the 53-man squad.
Ultimately, the Bears’ decision-making at the safety position could come down to whom they believe will have the best chance of clearing the waivers and making it back to their practice squad. Williamson would seem to be that guy, but the Bears did house Thomas on their practice squad for all of 2022 without having him poached.
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Bears Place Veteran Safety on Season-Ending IR, Release Ex-Rams TE