The Bears on Thursday re-signed veteran tight end Bradley Sowell and waived rookie running back Kerrith Whyte Jr.
Sowell's contract was terminated Monday to make room on the roster for the Bears to elevate defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson from the practice squad in advance of their Monday Night Football road game against the Washington Redskins.
Sowell originally joined the Bears in 2017 after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Colts (2012), Cardinals (2013-15) and Seahawks (2016), appearing in 66 games with 23 starts as an offensive tackle.
Sowell appeared in all 32 games as a reserve tackle in his first two seasons with the Bears. This offseason he was switched to tight end, a position he hadn't played since his freshman year at the University of Mississippi. To prepare to play his new position, Sowell shed 35 pounds by working out twice a day, eating "as perfect as a human can eat" and running in the heat and humidity near his home in Mississippi this summer.
Sowell played in the Bears' first two games this season but was not targeted with a pass.
Whyte was selected by the Bears in the seventh round of this year's draft (No. 222 overall). The speedy running back appeared in 37 games the past three seasons at Florida Atlantic, rushing for 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns on 232 carries and catching 22 passes for 227 yards with two TDs. He also averaged 26.1 yards on 81 kickoff returns with two touchdowns.
Whyte established career highs in all rushing categories with 134 attempts, 866 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in 12 games last season. The 5-10, 200-pounder also averaged 28.7 yards on 19 kickoff returns with one TD.
