There Is Finally A Shemar Turner Update And It Doesn’t Sound Good

The Chicago Bears have gotten some good news on the injury front lately. Dayo Odeyingbo looks healthy after recovering from his torn Achilles tendon last season. Ozzy Trapilo returned to practice far ahead of schedule and should end up playing sometime in the first half of the season. However, one mystery has persisted throughout the past month. Where is Shemar Turner? Since tearing his ACL last season, there have been almost no updates on his recovery. When he didn’t return close to the same time as Odeyingbo, it raised questions.

ACL injuries usually take nine months to recover from. Turner tore his in late October of last year. That means he probably should’ve been back by now, or at least getting closer to returning. Instead, it’s been radio silent. The first hint that things weren’t progressing as hoped was when the Bears signed veteran defensive end Marcus Davenport. That went against the team’s original statement that they wished to wait things out until Odeyingbo and Turner got back. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune finally dropped the other shoe.

Shemar Turner won’t be back for up to two months.

There’s no risk in the addition of Davenport on a one-year, $1.3 million contract. None of the money is guaranteed. Yes, he’s familiar with Allen and had some success playing for him with the Saints. Knowing the scheme helps a little, but let’s not make that into too much. A defensive end has to beat the offensive tackle across from him to get to the quarterback.

If the move works out for the Bears, Davenport could join a rotation in which he logs between 20 and 25 snaps a game. If he’s a depth addition that provides even a little bit of juice, it will be a good move.

But if the Bears have to lean on him, that means they’re not getting what they need from Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo and eventually Shemar Turner. It sounds like Turner might not be back in the mix until sometime in October.

The Bears played their hand poorly.

Their decision to do nothing at edge rusher for most of the offseason, while likely anticipating Turner’s return, hurts. By the time they finally decided to do something, the market was barren of any credible pass rushers. Davenport was the safest option because of his connection to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Yet the man hasn’t played a healthy season in four years. In fact, he hasn’t made it past half a season. He has four sacks in that time. There just isn’t any reason to think everything will suddenly get right with him in the mix.

Then again, Shemar Turner wasn’t much of a solution either. Even before his injury last season, the 2nd round pick wasn’t very effective. He didn’t generate much pressure in his limited opportunities. The one benefit he brought to the table was help against the run, but even that was modest. Now he’s apparently dealing with a knee injury that was worse than anticipated, meaning he may not be much good to the Bears whenever he does return.

It’s a sad situation.

Turner has capability. His mix of power and motor made for an intriguing prospect that could develop into a versatile lineman with some refinement. Sadly, his development was set back in a big way. There is no telling how long it will be before he becomes a genuine contributor in the rotation. It might be wise to write off 2026 for him and focus on 2027. That will hopefully be when he’s fully healthy again and gotten his confidence back. One can only hope the Bears aren’t foolish enough to bank on that alone.

The team has gone way too long without investing serious resources in their pass rush. They’ve been trying to get by with mid-tier free agents and non-1st round picks. It shouldn’t be surprising that the results continue to underwhelm. Maybe Austin Booker has his long-anticipated breakthrough this season. Maybe Jordan Van Den Berg invigorates the interior. The truth is this unit is poorly constructed and Turner’s return, whenever it happens, won’t change that.