Bears lose Tinoisamoa for the season

Veteran linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa will miss the remainder of the season as he will undergo surgery on his right knee, possibly microfracture surgery.

Tinoisamoa was injured on Sunday night at Atlanta after missing three games following the tearing of the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

“It’s a shame you didn’t get to see him play for more of an extended period of time,” said coach Lovie Smith, who coached Tinoisamoa as a rookie in St. Louis.

Tinoisamoa will be placed on injured reserve at some point. The good news for the Bears is they got Hunter Hillenmeyer back on the field today for the first time since suffering two fractured ribs at Seattle on Sept. 27.

Smith said the Bears will make a decision on who to play at middle linebacker–Hillenmeyer or Nick Roach–later in the week. The other is likely to play strong side.

Tinoisamoa is the second Bears linebacker to be lost for the season. Brian Urlacher went down in the opener with a wrist injury.