Bears activate rookie tackle Larry Borom from IR

Rookie right tackle Larry Borom, who was put on injured reserve after hurting his ankle in Week 1, returned to the Bears’ active roster Saturday. He and veteran Elijah Wilkinson, who came off the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday, are the candidates to start Sunday against the 49ers.

Borom returned to practice this week and played a prominent role before Wilkinson returned. Wilkinson was the starter after Germain Ifedi went to IR two-and-a-half weeks ago, but was forced to sit out Sunday after he rested positive for the coronavirus hours before the Buccaneers game.

More notably Saturday, the Bears did not put outside linebacker Khalil Mack on IR. The team said this week that Mack would not play Sunday but claimed it had yet to make a decision about whether to sit him for three games — plus the team’s bye week — by putting him on IR. Mack can return as early as the next game.