Chicago Bears Place RB Michael Bush on IR
Published by Ben Chodos on December 18, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have placed running back Michael Bush on the injured reserve list, ending his 2012 season.
The Chicago Sun-Times’ Sean Jensen reported the news via Twitter.
#Bears announce they have placed RB Michael Bush on injured reserve and have signed RB Kahlil Bell.
— Sean Jensen (@seankjensen) December 18, 2012
Bush suffered a rib injury in a Week 14 game against the Minnesota Vikings and was forced to sit out this past weekend’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
He will finish his first season in Chicago with 411 yards on 114 carries (3.6 yards per attempt) and five touchdowns.
The Bears signed Bush to a four-year deal this offseason after the former Louisville standout opted to leave the Oakland Raiders and hit free agency.
Bush excelled as a complementary back to Darren McFadden while in Oakland. He had the most productive season of his career last year, when he was cast into a starting role for much of the season when McFadden was out due to injury.
In 2011, Bush racked up 977 yards on 256 carries and scored seven touchdowns. This made him a sought-after free agent, and the Bears hoped he would continue to excel in Chicago.
He has not been a disappointment, but he has certainly not stood out either.
Now, the Bears must rely on Kahlil Bell and Armando Allen to spell Matt Forte.
Chicago cut Bell—who has just 131 career attempts since debuting in 2009—in October, but will now need him in case another running back goes down.
The Bears will be hoping that the running backs can stay healthy and perform, as they risk missing the playoffs if they lose to either the Arizona Cardinals or the Detroit Lions in the final two weeks of the season.
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