Bears put TE Bennett on IR, sign TE Housler, QB Blanchard

Bears tight end Martellus Bennett will miss the final four games of the season.

The Bears moving Martellus Bennett to injured reserve this week with a rib injury was a step with some obvious potential implications, both short-term and long-term. He missed the win at Green Bay on Thanksgiving and was limited during Chicago’s overtime loss to San Francisco on Sunday. His targets decreased from 11.6 per game in October to 5.8 in November, as No. 2 tight end Zach Miller asserted a greater presence in the offense. Bennett was helped off the field after fumbling on a third-quarter catch, but returned to the game.

Bennett declined to speak to reporters after the game, a trend since the Bears’ victory over the Rams on November 15.

Monday, coach John Fox described Bennett as “truly day-to-day”, and said he would re-evaluate him on Wednesday.

Bennett has been stellar during his career with the Bears, with 208 receptions and 14 touchdowns to his credit, but he has often been at the center of controversy.

It’s possible that fans may have seen the last of Bennett since he is a free agent at the end of this season.

Bennett couldn’t match the production of last season, when he reached career highs with 90 catches, 916 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

He played four seasons for the Cowboys and one with the Giants before coming to the Bears in 2013.

The Bears figure to weigh all the above when deciding whether to trade or cut Bennett, particularly if he is strident about an extension for a second-straight offseason.

The Bears also brought quarterback Matt Blanchard back to the practice squad and released Justin Worley.

Housler has appeared in 61 games with 27 starts over five seasons with Arizona (2011-14) and Cleveland (2015), collecting 106 receptions for 1,139 yards (10.7 ypr) and one touchdown.