The Chicago Bears have finally filled out their 53-man roster for Week 5, and the move comes with linebacker Noah Sewell back in the mix.
Sewell was activated from the PUP list on Saturday after finishing his recovery from the torn Achilles he suffered in Week 17 last season. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin noted that his 21-day activation window was set to expire next Wednesday, October 14, so the timing lined up neatly for Chicago. With rookie linebacker Keyshaun Elliott sidelined by a quad injury this week, the Bears had a clear opening to bring Sewell back, especially with Elliott having handled special teams duty so far this season.
Chicago also elevated running back Zavier Scott from the practice squad, a move that stands out mostly because Kyle Monangai is out with a toe injury for Sunday’s game. Scott got the call over preseason standout Salvon Ahmed.
The roster shuffle matters in part because the Bears had been operating with 52 players ever since left tackle Braxton Jones landed on injured reserve after the knee injury he suffered in Week 3. Head coach Ben Johnson said earlier in the week that the team would be back at full strength before the Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, and that’s now been addressed.
Sewell’s activation also clears up one lingering question around the Bears’ PUP situation: it does not signal anything about Kyler Gordon. Gordon was the player many assumed would be the one to return first, ahead of Sewell or defensive end Shemar Turner, but Chicago has been careful with his recovery. The Bears want Gordon healthy not just for the return, but for what comes after it.
Johnson kept his plans vague when asked earlier in the week which of the three defensive players would come off the PUP list first.
"We'll let this thing play out" , Johnson said..."We'll make a decision at the end of the week ... we've got a lot of things in flux right now with the roster this week."
That uncertainty is gone now, and Gordon and Turner were both downgraded to out for Sunday after being listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report. The simplest explanation is the right one: Sewell had the open spot, Gordon still has time left on his activation window, and the Bears can wait another week.
Barring something unexpected, Gordon should be activated next week, and Chicago will have to make another roster move to clear room for him.
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