The Bears on Saturday activated rookie tackle Teven Jenkins from injured reserve and flexed linebacker Bruce Irvin and receiver Rodney Adams from the practice squad to the active roster.
Jenkins had been on IR since the start of the regular season after undergoing back surgery in mid-August. The second-round pick from Oklahoma State returned to practice Nov. 15, beginning a three-week window to activate him.
"It's good to have him back out there and for him to get some of these live reps and get back into the mix," said quarterback Andy Dalton. "Dealing with injury and not having those opportunities to be out there is obviously tough for a rookie. But we've been able to see some really good things from him, and just getting him comfortable with everything we're doing out there."
Fellow rookie tackle Larry Borom, a fifth-round pick from Missouri, describes the bond he has developed with Jenkins as "a pretty tight one."
"Man, I'm glad to see him out there just doing it," said Borom, who has started the last four games at right tackle. "He's been through a lot. He's somebody I can call a brother for sure. To see him out here doing what he loves, it means the world to everybody."
While it's unclear what role Jenkins will fill Sunday, coach Matt Nagy is confident that the 23-year-old will be able to handle anything he's asked to do.
"Mindset-wise, that's what I've been impressed with with Teven is, I really believe he's grown a lot from the day he got here until now, mentally, with just understanding how this game works," Nagy said.
Irvin, meanwhile, is set to make his Bears debut after being signed to the practice squad Nov. 19 when Danny Trevathan was placed on injured reserve.
Irvin has appeared in 121 NFL games with 92 starts in nine seasons with the Seahawks (2012-15, 2020), Raiders (2016-18), Falcons (2018) and Panthers (2019). He has recorded 308 tackles, 52.0 sacks, 64 tackles-for-loss, three interceptions, 16 forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Irvin was selected by the Seahawks with the 15th pick in the first round of the 2012 draft out of West Virginia. After registering a career-high 8.5 sacks with the Panthers in 2019, he returned for a second stint with Seattle in 2020 but tore his ACL in the second game of the season.
Adams excelled in the preseason, ranking fifth in the NFL among receivers with a team-high 161 yards on 10 receptions, including a 73-yard touchdown against the Bills, just hours after his wife had given birth to the couple's first child. However, he failed to make the 53-man roster and was signed to the practice squad.
Several Bears players and coaches have helped design special footwear for the team's My Cause My Cleats game on December 5th. Take an exclusive look at each person's custom spikes, which have been created to support a charitable organization of their choice.