Bears Activate Shemar Turner Before Week 6 Roster Deadline

Chicago is bringing defensive lineman Shemar Turner back to its active roster ahead of its Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, restoring a defensive option after months of rehabilitation from a torn ACL. The Bears activated the second-year player from the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, shortly after the league suspended defensive end Montez Sweat for two games. Turner, a 2025 second-round draft pick from Texas A&M, had been sidelined since suffering the knee injury in October of his rookie season.

Chicago placed him on the PUP list in July, forcing him to miss the entire training camp, according to Sports Yahoo. The roster decision also carried a firm deadline. Wednesday marked the final day for Chicago to promote Turner to its 53-man roster; otherwise, he would have returned to injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Chicago had designated Turner to return to practice after its Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He subsequently completed a series of full practice sessions, paving the way for his activation.

Across five career games, Turner has recorded six tackles, including two tackles for loss, according to Sports Yahoo. His return gives the Bears another defensive line option as the team prepares for Atlanta. The timing coincides with uncertainty surrounding defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who left Chicago's 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday with a quadriceps injury. His availability for the upcoming game remained uncertain in the source report.

Sweat's two-game suspension adds another personnel challenge for Chicago's defense. The league suspended him for violating its performance-enhancing substances policy, leaving the Bears to adjust their defensive line rotation while Turner returns to the active roster.