Shemar Turner’s first game of 2026 might end up carrying a lot more weight than anyone expected.
The Bears activated the defensive lineman to the 53-man roster, clearing him for his season debut after he spent months working back from the ACL injury that ended his year in 2025. And with Chicago headed into Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons short-handed on defense, Turner could be thrown straight into a major role.
That urgency is real. Montez Sweat is suspended for two games after violating the NFL’s PED policy, and Dayo Odeyingbo is also unlikely to play because of a quad injury. With two of their top three pass rushers unavailable, the Bears are asking Turner to help fill a hole that suddenly got a lot bigger.
For Turner, just getting to this point is a step. Chicago barely saw him last season after taking him in the second round. He played in five games, finished with six tackles and two tackles for loss, then went down in the Bears’ Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
He sounded grateful, and a little antsy, after practice on Thursday.
"Definitely exciting, definitely nerve-building," Turner said. "Definitely more exciting than nerves.
Coming from not playing, this is gonna be a testament to everything I've been through these last few months. I think that's pretty much all."
Now comes the hard part: turning return day into production.
Austin Booker is the next man up and currently leads the Bears with four sacks, but Chicago has lost five sacks between Sweat and Odeyingbo. The pass rush has been better than it was a year ago, yet the Bears still need someone to step into the void and actually create disruption.
That’s where Turner comes in. The flashes were enough in college to make him a second-round pick, but the NFL is a different test, and Chicago can’t wait forever for him to turn promise into impact. He doesn’t have to post a sack in Week 6, but he does need to show he can get to the quarterback and make life uncomfortable.
Against a strong Falcons team, that opportunity may come fast. And with the Bears potentially missing multiple defensive starters, Turner won’t just be making his debut - he may be asked to help decide the game.
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Chicago was held to only 81 rushing yards in last weeks loss to Green Bay, a sign of how much the backfield has missed its depth and rhythm. Swift now figures to absorb a heavy workload against Atlanta while also managing his own physical concerns, which puts even more pressure on the Bears to find answers in a run game that has already started to lose its balance. [Read more 🡒]