As expected, the Bears have officially placed wide receiver Brandon Marshall on injured reserve, ending his 2014 season, the team announced today (Twitter link). In a pair of related roster moves, Chicago promoted wideout Josh Bellamy from the practice squad to the active roster, and signed linebacker Jonathan Brown to the taxi squad.
Marshall, 30, left last Thursday’s game against the Cowboys with a rib injury and was hospitalized for several days. The veteran receiver broke multiple ribs and also sustained a lung injury, making it an easy decision to shut him down for the rest of the season, particularly with the club no longer in the playoff hunt.
With Marshall out for Chicago’s last three games, it could open the door for second-year wideout Marquess Wilson to assume an increased role in the team’s offense. Wilson entered the season hoping to establish himself as the No. 3 receiver behind Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, but missed a good chunk of the year with a fractured clavicle.