Ben Johnson’s careful wording on Shemar Turner’s potential return could end up spelling trouble for the Bears’ defensive line
The Chicago Bears have a big decision to make later this week involving second-year defensive lineman Shemar Turner and Ben Johnson’s latest comments certainly raised my eyebrows.
The Chicago Bears have some big decisions to make later this week on the defensive side of the ball because time is ticking for the team to potentially activate two players from the PUP list and back onto the 53-man roster.
On Saturday, the Bears opted to use its last open roster spot to activate linebacker Noah Sewell from the PUP list. That decision proved to be ideal considering the Bears were going into Week 5 without rookie Keyshaun Elliott and then lost starting linebacker T.J. Edwards after he left the game with a hamstring injury.
The Bears now have two more decisions to make this week with second-year defensive end Shemar Turner and cornerback Kyler Gordon. Turner is the more pressing decision for Chicago to weigh after his 21-day practice window was opened a week earlier than Gordon on Sept. 23. That means the Bears have until Thursday to make a final decision on whether or not they bring Turner back.
Ben Johnson’s latest comments didn’t guarantee that Shemar Turner will be added back to the roster
Speaking with reporters on Monday, head coach Ben Johnson was asked about the status of both players, and his answer regarding Turner raised my eyebrows.
“Yeah, I think we have to make a decision here within the next couple days of whether we want to put him on the 53 or not,” Johnson said.
The reason this raised my eyebrows is because it wasn’t a guarantee that Turner will be activated. If he’s not activated back to the 53-man roster by Thursday, the team would have to place him on the season-ending injured reserve. Turner has been working back from a torn ACL he suffered on Oct. 26, almost a full year ago. He was a full participant last week during Friday’s practice for the first time and we’ll see how he looks on Wednesday before the Bears have to make a final decision.
As for Gordon, Johnson sounded more optimistic that the team’s top nickel will be back, saying he avoids any potential injury setback. It’s worth noting that Gordon has been a full participant in every practice since having his practice window opened.
“I think mentally he’s pretty sharp right now,” Johnson said. “We’re once again in the middle of this stress test, making sure that he’s physically prepared to play in football games.”
Bears will have a major depth problem on the defensive line if Shemar Turner isn’t activated
The other reason Johnson’s hesitancy to say for certain Turner will be activated worries me is the fact that the Bears have a major depth problem right now on the defensive line. Outside of Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, and the rare flash in the pan from Montez Sweat, no one has been productive off the edge for the Bears.
To make matters worse, Odeyingbo suffered a quad injury on Sunday and we still don’t know the extent of that injury. Odeyingbo leads the team with 14 pressures this season, rotating off the edge and inside.
The Bears also have another situation brewing with Booker, who was reportedly upset with his usage, according to Herb Howard. Booker played a season-high 44 defensive snaps on Sunday and ended the game with two sacks. With Odeyingbo injured and Turner possibly not getting activated, Booker will get his wish and see even more playing time.
“He’s active,” Johnson said of Booker. “I think he’s doing a really nice job. Good start to the season here. We just need to continue to see the consistency out of him. We really like the path that he’s on right now.”
I have no issue with Booker. He’s a determined player that wants more opportunities to make an impact, and he’s doing that once he gets those opportunities. The same can’t be said for Sweat, who’s been practically invisible all season.
And as for the depth, the rest of the team’s defensive ends have a total of two pressures on 52 pass rush snaps (one from James Lynch and one from Marcus Davenport, who has since retired).
If the Bears don’t activate Turner later this week and Odeyingbo misses any extended time, there’s going to be a major concern about the depth level at that position.
