Roy Robertson-Harris’ career arc has been fun to follow.
His climb from an undrafted free agent outside linebacker from UTEP to a versatile rotational defensive lineman has been a treat. Robertson-Harris is one of those diamond-in-the-rough types teams dream about signing and developing. And from an organizational perspective, the Bears can count Robertson-Harris’ signing and development as a success story for the front office, coaching staff, and player.
Unfortunately, this particular chapter appears to be ending on a sour note because of what appears to be a season-ending shoulder injury:
#Bears DL Roy Robertson-Harris will likely miss the remainder of the season as shoulder surgery looms.https://t.co/hVFH7ZKZLt
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) November 9, 2020
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports Robertson-Harris will have season-ending shoulder surgery. Robertson-Harris suffered a shoulder injury during Chicago’s Week 8 loss to the Saints. He then missed practice in the following week leading up to the Bears’ game against the Titans. Even though he had just 10 tackles, 5 QB Hits, 1 tackle-for-loss, and no sacks, Robertson-Harris was a key lineman who started six of the team’s first eight games. So his loss is a hit to the team’s depth.
Biggs adds the surgery could happen as soon as Wednesday. If it happens, then a 5-6 month recovery puts Robertson-Harris in a position to be cleared for activity next spring. Unfortunately, for the Bears, Robertson-Harris might not be with the organization at that point.
Robertson-Harris is a free-agent-to-be who had 5.5 sacks, 6 tackles-for-loss, and 21 quarterback hits in 31 games as a reserve in 2018-19. Some team could see his production in spot duty, dream on his upside, and give him a well-deserved large contract. And it could be one that a Bears team expected to pressed against the cap might be unable to match. Projecting what teams might in a post-pandemic offseason feels like a fool’s errand in early November. But it’s something to keep in mind for later.
In the meantime, the Bears need to dig up potential replacements for when Robertson-Harris goes on IR. With that in mind, it’s worth notting Biggs’ mentioning Tyler Clark and Anthony Rush are visiting this week.