Bears Sign Royce Freeman, Place Deion Hankins on Injured Reserve

Lake Forest, Illinois — The Chicago Bears made two significant roster moves at running back before their final training camp practice on Wednesday. The team announced the signing of Royce Freeman and placed Deion Hankins on injured reserve due to a knee injury.

Freeman, a former third-round pick in 2018, started his career with promise, rushing for over 500 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season. However, after three years with the Denver Broncos, he struggled to meet expectations and has since played for several teams, including the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Dallas Cowboys. He briefly joined the Bears’ practice squad last December. Throughout his career, Freeman has accumulated 1,792 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 79 games, along with 86 receptions for 532 yards and one touchdown.

In a preseason game last Sunday, Hankins suffered his knee injury. Despite the situation with injured players like D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson, Hankins started with quarterback Caleb Williams and the first-team offense. He managed three carries for 10 yards before leaving the game due to his injury.

The Bears continue to adapt as they navigate injuries, looking forward to upcoming challenges in the season.