Wolfe will miss the remainder of season with lacerated kidney

Running back Garrett Wolfe is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a lacerated kidney.

Wolfe was hospitalized for three nights following the Arizona game on Nov. 8, and while the hope was that he would be able to return before the end of the season, that’s not a possibility. Wolfe is expected to make a complete return, though, and general manager Jerry Angelo expressed a desire to see him receive more opportunities last week.

“He’s a great kid and it’s unfortunate,” Angelo said. “I was hoping he would start integrating more into the offense and [offensive coordinator] Ron [Turner] was using him more in practices, and he’s done a good job on special teams. I wanted to see him take another step as a runner.”

The Holy Cross and Northern Illinois product had 22 carries for 120 yards this season, ranking him second behind Matt Forte. He caught two passes for 12 yards, but his most prominent role was on special teams. He’s tied for third with nine tackles, eight of which are solos.

It’s unknown if the Bears will place Wolfe on injured reserve. Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa was ruled out for the season with a knee injury after the Atlanta game five weeks ago but he remains on the 53-man roster. One of them figures to be placed on inured reserve at some point, though, so the club can sign a third running back. The Bears didn’t have a problem going with just Forte and Adrian Peterson for a few weeks, but will probably want some type of insurance on the roster in the event a need arises. Kahlil Bell, an undrafted free agent from UCLA who spent time previously with Minnesota, is a candidate to be promoted from the practice squad.

Wolfe, 25, was placed on injured reserve after 13 games last season with a pulled hamstring. He is under contract through 2010.