The Chicago Bears knew they had to find help at wide receiver for Justin Fields. GM Ryan Poles had one problem. His resources were stretched thin. There wasn’t much money to spend in free agency, and only five draft picks. So he had to get creative. That meant he couldn’t afford to take any big swings. He’d have to bargain shop instead. His most notable addition on the veteran market was Byron Pringle.
On the surface, it made sense. Poles knew the former undrafted free agent from Kansas City. He was coming off a solid season with the Chiefs where he went over 500 yards with five touchdowns. However, things got off on the wrong foot almost from the jump. He was arrested down in Florida for doing donuts on the street with his young child in the back of the car. Then he suffered an injury in training camp that kept him out most of August.
Things didn’t improve much when the real games started. Through three weeks, Pringle has three catches for 33 yards. Now that will likely be the end of his contributions for the foreseeable future as the Bears placed him on Injured Reserve with a calf injury.
We have placed Byron Pringle on injured reserve and signed Joe Thomas off the practice squad.@Hyundai | #DaBearshttps://t.co/alZU3LdWaJ
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 27, 2022
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Replacing Byron Pringle won’t be difficult.
It’s not like his presence was felt much on the field anyway. The question is what the Bears will do with the snaps they gave him. Hopes are high that rookie Velus Jones is close to making his 2022 debut after nursing a hamstring injury for the past few weeks. He would be a welcome addition. Veteran Dante Pettis also figures to see increased opportunities with this development.
As for outside options, it doesn’t feel like anybody available is worth pursuing. At least none of the bigger names like Emmanuel Sanders or Odell Beckham. They could seek some additional depth. Mohamed Sanu is one such option. He’s been a solid possession receiver in the past. Adam Humphries and Keelan Cole are two others worth keeping in mind as well.
