Chicago Bears place defensive end on injured reserve

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Chicago Bears place defensive end on injured reserve

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Aug 4, 2026 8:02 PM ET

The Chicago Bears defense is getting hammered with injuries early in training camp.

On Monday, the Bears lost safety Coby White for eight to 10 weeks after he suffered a hyperextended knee during practice. The injury was concerning for the Bears, who have been without defensive backs Kyler Gordon due to a soft-tissue injury and Elijah Hicks due to a shin injury.

On Tuesday, the Bears added safety Marlen Sewell to the roster. Per Brad Biggs, the corresponding move to the Sewell signing was Chicago placing defensive end Jonathan Garvin on injured reserve. Biggs suggested the Bears don’t plan to bring in a veteran member of the secondary to replace Bryant early in the season.

“Bears morning roster move of adding S Marlen Sewell after placing DE Jonathan Garvin on IR is a signal the replace Coby Bryant plan isn’t coming from the outside,” Biggs posted on X. “Sewell is an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt. Spent some time this spring on Chiefs roster.”

Garvin, a 2020 seventh-round pick by the Green Bay Packers, signed with the Bears practice squad in October. He signed a reserve/futures contract in January.

Garvin last played in the regular season for the Packers in 2022. He’s recorded 32 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in his career.

The Chicago Bears need help at defensive end

Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat (98) leaves the field after an NFL International Series game.

Defensive end is another need for the Bears before the start of the regular season. The struggles of Chicago’s pass-rush have been well documented this offseason, and the team was hoping for a strong secondary to help the front seven.

Shemar Turner, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft, was expected to move from defensive tackle to defensive end in training camp. However, he started training camp on the PUP list.

The Bears defensive end chart includes Montez Sweat, Daniel Hardy, Jammer Kormah, Jeremiah Martin, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Turner.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles suggested he wanted to find out about the roster before looking for outside help. What the defense looks like now is a worry for the regular season.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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