Bears LB Jeremiah Attaochu out for season with torn pectoral

Bears linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu suffered a torn pectoral on Sunday and will miss the remainder of the 2021 season, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday.

Attaochu, who signed a two-year deal with the Bears this past offseason, has played on close to 40 percent of the team’s defensive snaps so far this year. In his five games this year, he tallied two tackles and a quarterback hit. PFF has Attaochu graded as having a serviceable 62.0 grade this season.

Chicago marked the sixth team he has played for in his 8-year career, most notably having spent four seasons with the Chargers from 2014 to 2017. Prior to coming to the Bears, he had 8.5 sacks in his last two seasons with the Broncos.

The 28-year-old edge rusher had played in a rotational role with the likes of Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Trevis Gipson. With his absence, expect Gipson to see an increase in reps for the foreseeable future. The second-year defender has excelled in a limited role, notching two sacks in the last two weeks.

Pelissero is reporting that the Bears will sign rookie UDFA Sam Kamara (6’2”, 288) from their practice squad to take Attaochu’s spot on the 53-man roster. Kamara flashed in the preseason after transitioning form a defensive lineman at Stony Brook to outside linebacker.