- The Chicago Bears have announced that LB Jerrell Freeman has been placed on IR, putting a big hole in the middle of a much-improved Chicago defense. Freeman has a pectoral injury but is also dealing with a concussion.
- Last season, Jerrell Freeman earned an overall PFF grade of 93.9, the highest in the league despite missing some time suspended for PED use. Freeman’s grade wasn’t just the best of 2016, but the fifth-best we have given to a linebacker over the past decade.
- Freeman notched 59 defensive stops in 2016, the fourth-best among all linebackers despite missing time suspended.
- Second-year linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski figures to see the biggest bump in playing time with Freeman out. He played 458 snaps as a rookie but struggled in coverage, allowing a catch on 84.6 percent of targets and a passer rating of 110.7.
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