Wide receiver Byron Pringle’s slow start with the Bears hit another roadblock. He exited with a calf injury after just two snaps against the Texans on Sunday, and it was severe enough for the team to put him on injured reserve.
That knocks Pringle out for at least the next four games, meaning he can’t return any sooner than the Oct. 30 game at the Cowboys.
He has two catches for 33 yards and played just 26 snaps over the first three games. His most extended playing time was getting 34% of the snaps against the Packers in Week 2 and he was no higher than fourth in the pecking order at receiver behind Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis.
Pringle, 28, was general manager Ryan Poles’ second-most expensive addition in free agency this year. He signed a one-year, $4 million deal after catching 42 passes for 568 yards and five touchdowns with the Chiefs last season.
Very little has gone right since he signed, though.
Pringle was arrested on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and driving on a suspended license in April, prompting Poles to say, “I know him very well. It’s not a reflection of who he is at all. You don’t want your guys in the news at all. At that point, it’s disappointing.”
Pringle has also been hurt for most of his time with the Bears. He injured his quad muscle early in training camp and was out most of the preseason.
The Bears already have wide receiver N’Keal Harry on injured reserve with a sprained ankle. He is eligible to return next week against the Vikings, but that’s probably unrealistic.
The Bears signed linebacker Joe Thomas from their practice squad to fill Pringle’s roster spot. Thomas played 26 snaps against the Texans and made five tackles.
It could be a positive for the Bears that they put Pringle on IR, but kept running back David Montgomery on the active roster.
Montgomery left the Texans game with an ankle injury, and coach Matt Eberflus declined comment when asked if it was severe enough to warrant putting him on IR. Eberflus described Montgomery as “day-to-day” and said it was plausible that he could play against the Giants on Sunday.
