Bears Bracing to Lose Rookie for ‘At Least a Month’ Due to Injury

The Chicago Bears are “bracing” for the possibility that they may need to shut down second-round rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner for the remainder of their 2025 training camp, according to The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.

Turner — the No. 62 overall pick in April’s NFL draft — has not practiced since suffering an ankle sprain near the end of the Bears’ first training camp practice last Wednesday. He had been expected to compete for a role in the Bears’ interior defensive line rotation.

In Monday’s training camp rundown, though, Biggs reported that the Bears believe that Turner could stay sidelined for “at least a month” as he recovers from his ankle injury. He also cast doubt on whether Turner would be ready for the start of the 2025 season.

“Second-round pick Shemar Turner will be out for some time,” Biggs wrote Monday. “The defensive tackle left near the end of the first practice of camp Wednesday with an ankle sprain. The Bears are believed to be bracing for Turner to be sidelined at least a month, which could challenge the Texas A&M product to be ready for the start of the season and almost certainly precludes him from playing in preseason games.”

Could Shemar Turner Begin 2025 on Injured Reserve?

Turner will miss quite a bit for the Bears if his ankle sidelines him for the next month.

While the Bears have high hopes for what the rookie can bring to their defensive tackle rotation in 2025, Turner needs to prove the Bears can trust him with his assignments inside Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme before they will give him much playing time.

The remaining camp practices and preseason games would have provided Turner with good opportunities to carve out a role, but he will now miss out on those chances.

Now the question is whether the Bears will take things a step further with Turner and place him on the injured reserve list with a return designation before the season starts.

The Bears can place two players on injured reserve with designations to return at the 53-man roster cutdown deadline on August 26, which would make sense for Turner if the team feels he needs a longer ramp-up period after missing the remainder of camp. He would miss at least the first four regular-season games, but the Bears could use that time to further evaluate him and determine where he might fit into their rotation.

Door is Now Open for Zacch Pickens to Make Roster

Turner has caught a bad break with his ankle, but the show must go on — and now it seems the door is open for Zacch Pickens, a 2023 third-round pick, to save his job.

Pickens has struggled to earn a meaningful role in the Bears’ defensive tackle rotation over his first two seasons. After playing in every game as a rookie, he missed time with injuries in 2024 and recorded just one sack and two quarterback hits in nine contests. He also slipped behind Chris Williams — an August trade addition — on the depth chart.

With a new coaching staff in town, though, Pickens could effectively wipe his slate clean and start over with whatever performance and skill set he brings to the table in camp.

The Bears have a few defensive tackles locked to make their 53-man roster between veteran Grady Jarrett and third-year starter Gervon Dexter Sr. Veteran run-stopper Andrew Billings, who missed the second half of 2024 with an injury, is also likely safe, but there could be as many as two spots available if Turner starts the season on IR.

Williams is the biggest threat to Pickens’ roster chances after overtaking him on the depth chart and recording three sacks in a rotational role last season, but Jonathan Ford — a former seventh-round pick for the Green Bay Packers — could push him, too.