The Chicago Bears broke the bank to trade for the best defensive tackle in the NFL in Jeffery Simmons, then had to send an unlikely starter in the position group to the injured reserve list (IR) just days later.
Chicago announced on Wednesday, November 4 that defensive tackle Kentavius Street will miss at least the next four games due to a knee injury he suffered against the Seattle Seahawks in the Bears’ 17-point win over the defending Super Bowl champions on “Monday Night Football” less than 48 hours ago.
Street waited eight years for his chance to start on a regular basis, which he got this season, starting seven of the team’s first eight games and playing in all of them.
He tallied nine tackles, including two tackles for loss, and one sack in an admirable half-season of work after the team decided to part ways with Gervon Dexter Sr., the Bears best DT last season, via a trade with the Atlanta Falcons before the year began.
Jeffery Simmons Replaced Kentavius Street in Bears’ Starting Lineup Against Seahawks
Losing Street is not as big of concern for Chicago after Simmons’ dominated the Seahawks’ offensive front in his debut with the Bears to the tune of six tackles, including two tackles for loss, one sack and one pass breakup. His arrival led to Street’s demotion from a seven-game starter to a top reserve.
That said, Street’s absence is still going to be felt for at least the next four weeks, and longer if his injury extends beyond then. Simmons will continue to start alongside veteran Grady Jarrett. However, the position group isn’t overly deep after that with Street exiting the rotation.
Neville Gallimore is likely going to function as the first option off the bench, while sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg was a healthy scratch against Seattle and spent the game on the inactive list. He was one of Chicago’s preseason standouts but has played just 100 total snaps in seven appearances this season, 72 of them on defense and 28 more on special teams.
The other third-string DT is second-year player Shemar Turner, a second-round pick in 2025 who played just 74 defensive snaps during his rookie campaign before an ACL tear ended his season. Turner has played 38 snaps on defense across three appearances for the Bears this year.
Bears Have Been High on Kentavius Street Since Preseason
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen spoke highly of Street during the preseason, affirming his affinity for the defensive tackle by elevating him into a regular starting role alongside Jarrett after Dexter left for Atlanta.
“Quite honestly, I think he was the most productive tackle we had throughout the course of training camp,” Allen said on September 2. “He’s got the suddenness and the explosiveness off the ball that we’re looking for to create penetration and disrupt the line of scrimmage.”
Street, now 30 years old, inked a one-year deal in Chicago worth a total of $1.48 million and will be a free agent next March.
Bears Send Breakout Starter to IR After Jeffery Simmons’ Debut