NEWSLETTER
A much-maligned position group at Halas Hall is getting some help.
The Chicago Bears activated wide receiver N’Keal Harry from injured reserve on Monday. This move will not come with a corresponding transaction, as the Bears were already rolling with a 52-man roster because of left guard Cody Whitehair’s placement on IR last week. When the Bears put Whitehair on IR, they also opened a 21-day window in which they have to activate Harry. And Harry could re-join the game-day roster as soon as Thursday’s game against the Washington Commanders. Harry hasn’t done much in his NFL career to this point, but a standout at Arizona State and first-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2019 has un-tapped potential. Potential that the Bears were hoping to extract when they sent a 2024 seventh-round pick to New England to create the change-of-scenery trade for Harry.
Harry went on IR in September with an ankle sprain that he suffered during training camp. Surgery to repair Harry’s injury was expected to keep him out until November, but it looks like he is about to beat those early estimations by a few weeks. Good on Harry for his efforts in the rehabilitation process. And kudos to the marvels of modern medicine.
Soon enough, Harry’s new lease on a football life will begin. And you have to believe he’ll get ample opportunities to climb up the depth chart. Darnell Mooney is starting to hit his stride. But receivers like Dante Pettis and Ihmir Smith-Marsette haven’t done much to carve out roles for this team. That has left the door open for the 6-4, 225-pound Harry to be the type of big-bodied athletic pass-catcher who could provide a different dynamic for this Bears offense. At a minimum, it is nice to have another option on the depth chart — one with a unique prospect pedigree and all the motivation to live up to his 2019 pre-draft status.
