NEWSLETTER
With the Bears’ wide receiver corps resembling an infirmary – after that infirmary was attacked by a bunch of rabid linebackers – it was to be expected that moves on that front would be happening soon.
Sure enough, the Bears signed WR/return man Mario Alford today, and now, breakout camp favorite Tanner Gentry is going to get his shot:
#Bears are promoting WR Tanner Gentry from the practice squad to the 53-man roster
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 12, 2017
Gentry, 22, signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent, and then signed onto the practice squad before Week One. Now he gets a chance.
Gentry presumably only narrowly missed making the 53-man roster out of camp anyway, and with Markus Wheaton recovering from a broken finger, with Kevin White going on IR, and after Cam Meredith was already lost for the season, his presence was more or less necessary. Gentry might not be the best player who was available to the Bears at this time, but he already knows the playbook, already has familiarity with the quarterbacks, and can theoretically slide right into the mix as necessary without needing a week or two to catch up.
Here’s hoping he gets a real shot, and keeps showing what he did at Wyoming and over the summer. The Bears don’t need him to be a star. But if he can (together with the other receivers and the solid tight end group) help extend the field just a little bit for the running game, that would be a win. Gentry has shown an ability to go get it deep, which could really help an offense that saw Mike Glennon average only 5.3 yards per attempt in Week One.
