Bears WR N’Keal Harry won’t play vs. Commanders

N’Keal Harry is healthy — and a healthy scratch.

The Bears wide receiver, who was returned to the roster this week after having surgery on a high-ankle sprain in August, will not be on the game-day roster against the Commanders. Fellow receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who fumbled in the final two minutes with the Bears down by eight against the Vikings, will play.

Other Bears inactives include defensive lineman Kingsley Jonathan, cornerback Lamar Jackson and tight end Jake Tonges. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who practiced in full Wednesday, will play, as expected.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy both said this week that they weren’t sure whether Harry, a former first-round pick for whom the Bears traded a 2023 seventh-round selection in July, would be on the active roster. He has participated in only one full practice with the team — Wednesday’s quick red-zone session. Harry said Wednesday he hoped to play, but wasn’t sure whether he would.

“N’Keal, he’s hungry,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said on the team’s pregame show on WBBM-AM. “He’s fighting us to get back on that field as soon as possible. There’s multiple kind of checkpoints we’ve got to get through to make sure he’s in a good spot. He’s really, really close.”