A pair of former Falcons running backs were involved in two Bears transactions today. According to the team (Twitter links), Chicago has placed Jacquizz Rodgers on injured reserve due to a broken arm, with veteran free agent Antone Smith joining the Bears’ roster to fill the open spot.
After spending his first four NFL seasons in Atlanta, generally serving as the team’s No. 2 running back, Rodgers signed with the Bears this offseason. However, he got off to a slow start, averaging a career-low 2.9 yards per carry in the early going, and now will be sidelined for the rest of the year with his arm injury.
To replace Rodgers, the Bears added another former Atlanta running back — Smith was a big-play specialist for the Falcons over the last two seasons, racking up an incredible 289 rushing yards on just 28 carries (10.3 yards per attempt), adding another 232 yards through the air on 15 receptions. Smith found paydirt seven times on his 43 touches.
Smith and the Falcons worked out an injury settlement in September after he was cut by the club, allowing him to reach free agency and sign elsewhere.