GM Ryan Poles doesn’t know the meaning of the word rest. His past 48 hours have been nothing short of relentless. It started with him and head coach Matt Eberflus cutting down the roster from 80 to 53 players before the NFL deadline on August 30th. Once that was done, he and the Chicago Bears scouts had to scour the large array of newly-available players to see if there were any they’d want to bring in. When the dust settled, Poles claimed seven players. That is by far the most this team has done in many years. Then, almost as if to give one final bow, he orchestrated a workout for veteran guard Kelechi Osemele.
That name should be familiar to some. Between 2016 and 2017, Osemele was arguably one of the best interior offensive linemen in the NFL. He was a big, hulking presence that could bulldoze in the running game but had unique athleticism to handle pass protection too. Things went sideways for him in 2019 when a shoulder injury resulted in surgery with the Jets. Then after a strong start in 2020 with the Chiefs, he tore tendons in both knees. He soon disappeared, leading some to wonder if he was gone permanently.
Until now.
Interesting workout today: Veteran and versatile OL Kelechi Osemele worked out with the #Bears, I’m told. Comeback?
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2022
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
I sat down with KO and Penn 2 months ago for a 45 minute film room talking ball and it sure sounded like he missed it 👀 https://t.co/LjxY07rajG
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 1, 2022
I will enjoy watching Kelechi Osemele play this season. First play in a @Chiefs uniform ends with a 🥞 pic.twitter.com/icJGXXzjgO
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 11, 2020
Fun to see Kelechi Osemele back. Check out #70 going for the judo throw. pic.twitter.com/ovlAOXVncV
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 17, 2020
If healthy, Kelechi Osemele would be a big help.
There is something to remember about the Bears’ current offensive line group. It is young. Really young. Cody Whitehair has plenty of experience, but Lucas Patrick has only started 13 games at center. Teven Jenkins has never started a game at guard. Backup Ja’Tyre Carter is a rookie. The team could probably use a veteran backup with starting experience. Poles knows Osemele both from his time in Kansas City and division rival Las Vegas.
There is no denying the risks. Kelechi Osemele hasn’t played since October of 2020. He’s 33 years old and may not be the same after those knee injuries. That said, he had plenty of time to heal his body up. When healthy, he was a dominant presence on the interior. At the very least, he can be a quality backup to Whitehair and Jenkins. He makes for nice short-term insurance if injuries happen or the latter falters.
