LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears may be adding reinforcements to the running back and defensive line positions. 

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon at Halas Hall to start the game week preparation for a Monday night matchup against the Washington Commanders. He stated the 21-day practice window will open for running back Travis Homer and defensive end Austin Booker. 

The Bears placed Homer on injured reserve with a calf injury in late August to help finalize their 53-man roster. Booker injured his knee in the preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 17 and was placed on short-term IR after the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

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If Homer returns, he would provide a veteran presence on special teams. According to Pro Football Reference, Homer played 37.9% of the special teams snaps last season.

As for Booker, his pass-rush ability could be a welcome addition to this Bears defense. 

Before Booker’s knee injury, Johnson recognized the impact the second-year pro had created. 

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Booker finished with four sacks against the Dolphins and Bills in the preseason.

“He’s another guy where, I thought you felt the pass rush there, particularly in the game setting,” Johnson said. “I saw it in practice and the joint practices as well. He was a guy that was able to affect the quarterback. That’s something that we talked about as a unit here today. Points of emphasis, where can we improve. Obviously, it’s the penalties, it’s the run game, but affecting the quarterback, we’re not doing a good enough job of it. That’s really where I saw Booker making the biggest impact there in the preseason. We’ll have to see where he is now back on the practice field.”

The Bears enter Week 6 tied with the Carolina Panthers for the fewest sacks in the NFL (5). In the matchups with the Lions and the Raiders, the defense failed to bring down the quarterback. 

Given the inconsistency with the Bears’ pass rush, adding Booker to the defensive rotation might just be what the Bears need to help elevate the unit.