As expected, the Bears placed rookie safety Brandon Hardin on the injured reserve list and wide receiver Johnny Knox on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Sunday. They also cut nine players, including defensive tackle John McCargo and rookie quarterback Matt Blanchard.
Hardin is out for the season after suffering a neck injury making a tackle in the second preseason game against the Washington Redskins on Aug. 18. Hardin also did not play last season at Oregon State after suffering a shoulder injury in preseason practice.
Being placed on the PUP list means Knox will be out for at least six weeks, though it is probably more likely than not that he will miss the entire season. Knox still is recovering from spinal fusion surgery after suffering a severe back injury against the Seattle Seahawks last Dec. 18 at Soldier Field.
There were no surprises among the other cuts as the Bears trimmed their roster to 77, with two more cuts due today to reach the 75-player maximum as mandated by the NFL. Blanchard, a local product from Lake Zurich who was 25-0 as a stater at Division II Wisconsin-Whitewater, looked like a practice squad candidate, but now won’t even get a shot in the final preseason game against the Browns, which is normally a showcase for rookies and players on the bubble.
The other cuts were defensive tackle John McCargo, linebackers K.C. Asiodu and Adrien Cole, wide receivers Terriun Crump and Chris Summers, defensive end Derek Walker, safety Trevor Coston and guard Nick Pieschel.
The Bears will play the Browns on Thursday night in Cleveland, then cut the roster to 53 by 8 p.m. Friday.
