Bears could be without second-round rookie for at least a month

You hate to see players take major injuries at any time of the year, but it's especially bad when they happen to rookies at the beginning of training camp. That's the unfortunate fate of Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, he is expected to miss the next four weeks or more with an ankle injury suffered on the first day of training camp.

Turner, selected with the 62nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, figured to be an early star in training camp for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defense. Strong and fast, and equipped with a nasty disposition, Turner started out behind veteran defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings on the depth chart and represents a solid depth piece with room to grow into a true game-wrecker.

Unfortunately, any development for Turner's game will have to be delayed. It cannot be understated just how vitally important training camp is for rookies. Missing even a few days can set a rookie back in their debut season.

Missing the entire event, as Turner is projected to, almost makes a player's rookie season a wash. Turner will now be expected to learn on the fly, without getting a chance to acclimate to NFL speed and power until he's in a regular season game. To use military parlance, it's like throwing a new recruit into battle without ever having let him train with blank rounds. Can he make it? Sure, but it's going to be a lot tougher than it already would have been.

Don't take this to be too much doom and gloom. Turner's career is not over, and he can still thrive in Dennis Allen's system. But any impact he was projected to make as a rookie will likely be much lower in reality.