After spending over a month on the team’s practice squad, the Chicago Bears have moved veteran running back Lamar Miller up to the 53-man roster Sunday, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. With starting running back David Montgomery ruled out for the Bears’ Week 10 contest against the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago is turning to Miller, who will see the field for the first time since the 2019 preseason.
The #Bears plan to elevate veteran RB Lamar Miller from the practice squad for MNF, source said, his first action since tearing his ACL before the 2019 season. David Montgomery has been ruled out with a concussion.
Miller tore his ACL in the Texans’ third preseason game of 2019, missing the entire season. Houston released him this past March. Miller was drafted in the 4th round (97th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, and the seven-year veteran made the Pro Bowl during his most recent season in 2018.
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Lamar Miller Will Make His Bears’ Debut vs. Divisional Rival
Miller will make his debut against the Minnesota Vikings in what will be a huge game for the Bears. At 5-4, Chicago needs a win to remain relevant in the playoff picture, particularly after the NFC North leading Green Bay Packers moved to 7-2 with a win over Jacksonville Sunday. The Vikings have won two in a row, and at 4-5, they are just one game behind the Bears in the North. Thus, it will be a crucial contest with potential playoff implications for both teams, and if Miller can become a solid contributor on an offense that has struggled all season, he’ll likely see his role expand.
“When he was playing at his highest level, he was one of the best running backs in the NFL,” Bears head coach Matt Nagy said about Miller this week. “There’s an excitement of the possibility of him being able to fill a role for us. I do love those stories.”
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Lamar Miller Will Be Reunited With Bears’ Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor
Matt Nagy announced Friday he would be turning play-calling duties over to Bears’ offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, and Miller could be a huge benefactor of the move. Lazor was the OC in Miami in 2014 and 2015, when Miller was the Dolphins’ top back. In two seasons with Lazor as his OC, Miller amassed 1374 total yards and nine touchdowns in 2014, and 1269 total yards and 10 scores in 2015.
When Lazor was calling plays for the Dolphins in 2014, Miami was ranked seventh in offensive DVOA and second-best in rushing offense DVOA, so it will be interesting to see what he does with a beyond porous offensive line in his debut against the Vikings Monday night. Cordarrelle Patterson and Ryan Nall will likely see increased snaps in Montgomery’s absence, but considering Lazor’s history with Miller, it wouldn’t be a surprise to the newest addition to the Bears’ backfield play a significant role his first time out.
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Bears Add Play-Making RB to Active Roster