Marqui Christian’s trek around the NFL has him on the brink of returning to Chicago.
The former Bears practice squad defensive back is coming back, according to Patrick Finley of the Sun-Times:
The #Bears are signing safety Marqui Christian to the practice squad, per a source.
He was a special teams standout with the #Rams who spent summer camp here.— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) October 23, 2020
Once the transaction is official, it will mark Christian’s third stint with the organization. Chicago signed Christian as a free agent in August shortly after Jordan Lucas opted out of playing due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. After serving a two-game suspension to start the year, they released and re-signed Christian to the practice squad. That was a short-lived return, as Christian ended up moving on to the New York Jets shortly after joining the Bears’ practice squad. And now, he is back after playing just 12 special teams snaps in the Jets’ Week 3 loss to the Colts.
The timing for Christian’s return seems ideal. Defensive back/special teams ace Sherrick McManis missed Thursday’s practice with a hamstring injury, as did starting slot cornerback Buster Skrine, who was nursing an ankle issue. Safety Deon Bush was upgraded from a non-participant in last week’s practices to a limited one on Thursday. So with the Bears’ injury situation being what it is among secondary members who also dabble in special teams, it makes sense to bring in a guy who can do both. Bonus points for bringing back a guy the team is already familiar with and who has already been in the building.
And double bonus points for signing someone who knows a thing or two about a thing or two the Rams could throw in the Bears’ direction on Monday Night Football.