Getty The Bears have added WR Reggie Roberson Jr. to their practice squad.
With wideout Byron Pringle on the injured reserve list, the Chicago Bears are signing former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Reggie Roberson Jr. to their practice squad. The Bears confirmed the signing via Twitter.
The Bears had brought defensive backs Isaiah Pryor and Tevaughn Campbell in for tryouts, but ultimately went offense and added a wideout. Roberson, 23, was signed by the Titans after the 2022 draft as an undrafted free agent out of SMU.
The 6-foot, 200-pound wideout suffered a torn ACL in 2020, and while he recovered nicely, catching 51 passes for 625 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games as a senior, he never quite looked the same. “What he can do deep is what defines his game and he should get back to that once he’s all the way back from the knee. I think he’s going to be fine,” an AFC scout told NFL.com about Roberson in 2021.
In addition to another wideout, the Bears might want to add another cornerback to help fill in for starter Jaylon Johnson, who is currently out with a quadriceps injury.
Johnson on His Quad Injury: Nothing I Want to Rush
In a September 26 appearance on 670 The Score’s Parkins & Spiegel Show, Johnson spoke about the injury that kept him out of action for Chicago’s Week 3 win over the Texans.
“it’s coming along,” Johnson told co-host Danny Parkins. “It’s something, really, that shocking to me. I’ve never experienced a quad injury, so for me, it’s just going through the process and just trying to get better each and every day. Of course, I’m ready and hungry to play, but I feel like it’s nothing that I want to rush and make worse. I feel like I don’t have too much experience with this, so I just wanna do it the right way. … When my body is ready, I’ll be back out there for sure.”
Johnson said he sustained the injury while running in coverage.
“I just running, covering and it initially felt like I got kicked, so I kind of stopped and just kinda walked out,” the 23-year-old corner revealed. “I went to cover again, I was running again, and I was like: ‘I know I didn’t get kicked this time.’ And (there was) a deep pain in my leg, and I was like: ‘Something ain’t right.'”
Johnson has been lights out in his two games active, allowing just one catch for 9 yards on 63 coverage snaps, per PFF. It remains to be seen how much time he’ll miss with the quad injury, but it’s clear he wants to get back out there.
What Does Bears’ CB Depth Look Like?
With Johnson out Week 3, the Bears turned to undrafted rookie Jaylon Jones to fill Johnson’s spot on the outside, while rookie second-rounder Kyler Gordon moved to the inside. Kindle Vildor played on the other side, allowing five receptions on eight targets for 77 yards and a touchdown, per PFF.
Behind that trio, there’s fifth-year vet Lamar Jackson and UDFA Josh Blackwell out of Duke.The Bears also have defensive backs A.J. Thomas, Harrison Hand and Davontae Harris currently on their practice squad.
Clearly, it’s a young bunch, so hopefully for the Bears, Johnson’s quad heals up quickly.