The Chicago Bears have placed starting center Lucas Patrick on the injured reserve list, the team announced on October 27.

In other roster news, the Bears have signed former Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Gerri Green to their 16-player practice squad. In a corresponding move, they also cut wide receiver Reggie Roberson from the practice squad.

Patrick left Chicago’s Week 7 game against the New England Patriots with a toe injury in the first quarter and never returned. Now, the veteran offensive lineman will miss at least the next four games.

Patrick was one of the Bears most versatile players on the O-line, playing 154 snaps at left guard, 105 snaps at right guard, and 10 snaps at center, per PFF. Patrick also broke the thumb on his snapping hand during training camp, but he managed to make it back in time for the regular season, and had started all seven of the Bears games leading up to the toe injury.

What’s Bears’ Plan With Patrick Out?

Patrick was injured during his first game starting at center for Chicago. The Bears had just benched Sam Mustipher, who served as the team’s starter at the position last year and for the first six games this season, and Bears head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed heading into Week 8 that Mustipher will return to the starting role in Patrick’s absence.

“It’ll be that, for sure,” Eberflus said when asked if Mustipher will start. The third-year offensive lineman will be backed up by Dieter Eiselen, who was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad on October 26.

When asked about the extent of Patrick’s toe injury, Eberflus refused to get specific, so it remains to be seen when the veteran will return to Chicago’s starting lineup.

Who Is Bears’ New DE Gerri Green?

Green played his college ball at Mississippi State from 2015 until 2018. He appeared in 52 games for the Bulldogs, finishing with 161 total tackles (20.5 for loss), three interceptions, three forced fumbles, nine passes defensed and 8.5 sacks.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Green what is a sixth-round draft pick for the Colts (199th overall) in 2019, when Eberflus served as Indy’s defensive coordinator, but he was waived during final roster cuts that year. He wound up on the Colts’ practice squad later in the season, where he stayed until he was released again in 2020.

He landed with the Raiders after that, where he played on the practice squad for two seasons, getting waived in August of this year. He had a cup of coffee with the Tennessee Titans after that, and will now get an opportunity in the Windy City.

Green has never appeared in a regular season NFL game, but he has played during the preseason, most recently in 2022 with the Raiders. In 42 pass rush snaps, he registered six total pressures and six quarterback hurries, per PFF.