Bears add veteran running back as injuries impact depth chart

The Chicago Bears have signed veteran running back Royce Freeman following the quad injury to rookie Deion Hankins.

Hankins was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.

Freeman spent time on the Bears’ practice squad last season. The seventh-year pro has played for six teams, including the Denver Broncos, who selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Freeman has appeared in 79 games with nine starts, totaling 471 carries for 1,792 yards and 10 touchdowns in that span.

Whether he has enough time to make a push for the final roster remains to be seen. Veteran D’Andre Swift is the incumbent starter, while rookie Kyle Monangai has impressed enough to be a virtual lock for the final 53-man squad.

Travis Homer and Roschon Johnson (if healthy) both have better odds to make the Bears’ roster, too.

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