Bears Cut 2 Players, Bring in Nephew of MLB Legend for Workout

The Chicago Bears are reshuffling their roster a bit.

The Bears officially released wide receiver and punt returner Nsimba Webster, and they also waived inside linebacker Rashad Smith from the practice squad. Webster’s release was no surprise. The team added him before the start of the season with the hope he would be a suitable replacement for the injured Tarik Cohen in the return game, but that hasn’t been the case.

When Chicago sent a sixth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for wideout and returner Jakeem Grant, it was clear the writing was on the wall for Webster. Smith was released from the practice squad in order to make room for running back Artavis Pierce, who the Bears re-signed after David Montgomery went down with a knee injury.

In addition to these recent roster moves, the Bears brought in defensive end Austin Larkin in for a workout.

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Austin Larkin: Background, Stats & Brief History

Larkin’s football career began when he walked on to the Notre Dame football team in 2014. He didn’t play that year, but got his footing enough to get a feel for the game, and he kept going, catching the eye of the Purdue coaching staff. He transferred, and Larkin spent his junior and senior seasons with the Boilermakers, where he accumulated 42 total tackles (4.5 for loss), a forced fumble and 2.5 sacks in 18 games.

He signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2018, but he was eventually released and didn’t play that season. He caught on with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019, and was signed to their practice squad before being elevated to the active roster. He played in two games for the Falcons, registering one tackle. He landed in Carolina with the Panthers after that, and found himself in a similar situation. He made the PS and was eventually called up, playing in nine games in 2020, netting 12 total tackles (one for loss).

Larkin comes from an athletic family. He is the nephew of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, a 12-time All-Star who spent the entirety of his storied career with the Cincinnati Reds, playing from 1986 to 2004.

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This Could Spell Trouble for Akiem Hicks

The Bears showing interest in a defensive end could be a sign of a potentially nagging or significant injury for Akiem Hicks, who went down with a groin injury on the first play of Chicago’s Week 4 contest against the Detroit Lions. Bears head coach Matt Nagy has not provided an update, but it didn’t look good.

If Hicks were to miss a few weeks — which is possible considering how groin injuries tend to linger — Chicago will likely move DE Margus Hunt up from the practice squad to fill his roster spot. Thus, it’s looking like the Bears may have been kicking the tires on Larkin as a potential practice squad addition if Hunt gets elevated again.

Hicks has 10 tackles (one for loss) four QB hits and 0.5 sacks in what has literally been three games and one snap, but he turns 32 in November, and injuries like this one are bound to happen. We’ll see how it shakes down for Hicks this week, but if he goes down, he’ll be missed.

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