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The Chicago Bears have signed a former Green Bay Packers roster hopeful to replace one of their injured tight ends in a pair of roster moves for Week 8.
According to the team’s transaction wire for October 24, the Bears signed second-year tight end Joel Wilson to their practice squad and placed 29-year-old tight end Tommy Sweeney on the practice squad/injured reserve list in a pair of corresponding moves.
Wilson — a 2023 undrafted free agent — spent time on the Packers’ practice squad in 2023 and then contended for a place on their 53-man roster in 2024’s training camp. During this year’s preseason, he caught six passes for 45 yards on eight targets in his three games of action; though, he has still not taken his first regular-season snap.
Now in Chicago, Wilson will add another layer of depth to the position to account for the loss of Sweeney, who will miss at least four games with an undisclosed injury. He will compete with fellow tight end Teagan Quitoriano — signed on September 24 — for elevation opportunities, should the Bears ever need reinforcements on game day.
All three of the Bears’ tight ends on their active roster are healthy, or at least none are listed on the injury report for Week 8’s game against the Washington Commanders. The team has one more practice on October 26 before it will issue its final injury report, but it seems unlikely Chicago will need to call up a tight end in the immediate future.
Bears Injuries in Secondary Loom Large vs. Commanders
The Bears are healthier in some respects coming out of their bye in Week 7. Starting cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has returned to the practice field as a limited participant, a sign that he is improving from the calf injury that he sustained during practice ahead of Chicago’s previous game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in Week 6.
The Bears also returned backup cornerback Terell Smith to practice for the first time since he suffered a hip injury in Week 3’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts on September 22. While Smith began the week as a limited participant, the Bears upgraded him to a full participant for Thursday’s practice, signaling he could return to the field in Week 8.
Unfortunately for Chicago, the injury report is not all good news for its secondary.
Starting strong safety Jaquan Brisker remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol with the concussion he sustained in Week 5’s win over the Carolina Panthers. While he had an additional week to recover with the bye, the league has still not cleared him to return to the field following the third known concussion of his three-year NFL career.
The Bears have also kept slot cornerback Kyler Gordon on the sideline for the first two practices of the week with the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Week 6’s win.
Chicago should provide an upgrade on both Brisker and Gordon by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on October 25 — when their final injury report for Week 8’s matchup is due.
Bears Could Make More Roster Moves for Week 8’s Game
The Bears might not call upon one of their practice-squad tight ends in Week 8 against the Commanders, but they could still make a few more roster moves before game day.
If either Brisker or Gordon — or both — are unable to play, the Bears could elevate one of their defensive backs from the practice squad. Chicago elevated Tarvarius Moore and Ameer Speed against the Jaguars in Week 6, but Moore has already expended two of his three allotted elevations this season, giving the team something to consider.
The Bears could also activate offensive tackle Larry Borom and/or running back Travis Homer from injured reserve before the game. They designated both players to return to practice at the start of the week, but both were full participants for Thursday’s practice and could complete their moves back to the 53-man roster with a full session on Friday.
The Bears would need to make corresponding roster moves if they activated Borom or Homer from injured reserve. Those moves would likely come on Saturday, October 26 — when the team traditionally announces its elevations and IR activations.
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