It was curious when the final 53-man roster for the Chicago Bears included seven inside linebackers. There was no way that was going to stay the same. Some sort of move had to be forthcoming. Sure enough, that move is getting ready to happen. Just not the one a lot of fans probably expected. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the team is planning to place Danny Trevathan on short-term injured reserve.
The veteran had suffered from knee soreness for much of training camp, causing him to miss most of the preseason. While he looked fine in the finale against Tennessee, it appears the discomfort is still there. So they plan to shut him down so he can recover fully. This is where the acquisition of Alec Ogletree last month is looking more and more fortuitous. He has looked fantastic in camp and has plenty of starting experience.
He should fill in next to Roquan Smith quite well as Trevathan recovers.
Nothing official yet but the word circulating right now is the #Bears are placing ILB Danny Trevathan will be placed on short-term injured reserve. That adds some context to the team keeping seven inside linebackers on the 53-man roster through Tuesday's cuts.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 1, 2021
Look for Alec Ogletree to be the starter alongside Roquan Smith for the Week 1 game against the #Rams, the team that originally made Ogletree a 1st round draft pick.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 1, 2021
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This puts the status of Trevathan into question. Are the Bears simply delaying the inevitable at this point? He’s been a tremendous locker room presence for them but is now in his 30s. Last season was the first evidence that the linebacker may have lost a step. Too often opponents picked on him in coverage. With the team needing financial flexibility in 2022, wouldn’t it be best to consider parting ways sooner than later?
The presence of Ogletree offers them the perfect opportunity. He’s younger (29), healthier, and cheaper. Not to mention he’s far better in coverage, collecting five interceptions at one point in 2018. He seems quite comfortable in the Bears’ system. They have additional options like Christian Jones and Joel Iyiegbuniwe behind him. It is difficult to see the reasons for keeping Danny Trevathan beyond his experience and locker room leadership.
Cutting him won’t yield much salary cap space this year, but will be a big help in 2022. It will be interesting to see what the Bears do. Especially if Ogletree plays well in his absence.