The Bears made the decision to place linebacker Jerrell Freeman on IR on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Freeman entered Chicago’s concussion protocol on Sunday while also suffering a pectoral injury. The latter would pose a bigger threat to his returning this season. The starting inside linebacker is out until at least November as a result of this transaction.
Chicago signed linebacker Jonathan Anderson off its practice squad, per Schefter.
The 31-year-old Freeman, a 2016 UFA signee who came over from the Colts, led the Bears with 110 tackles despite playing in only 12 games due to a four-game suspension for a positive PED test.
This marks the latest injury setback to a Bears linebacker corps that’s endured a few this offseason. Danny Trevathan spent the offseason recovering from a torn patellar tendon — his second serious knee injury in three years — and Pernell McPhee‘s knee troubles induced DC Vic Fangio to describe the former Raven as not being the same player he was pre-injuries.
Chicago has Nick Kwiatkoski and Christian Jones as inside linebacker options while Freeman recovers from his head injury. Kwiatkoski will be the starter while Freeman’s out, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes.