The Chicago Bears are signing recently-released Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Daurice Fountain to their 16-player practice squad, according to the NFL’s October 26 waiver wire.
The Bears had a spot free on their practice squad after elevating center Dieter Eiselen, who will serve as backup to starter Sam Mustipher. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed the team will likely be placing starting center Lucas Patrick on injured reserve after Patrick sustained a toe injury in Chicago’s Week 7 win over the New England Patriots.
“Lucas Patrick will likely go on IR later today,” Eberflus said on October 26. “We’re still determining the extent of that injury. We’ll figure that out as we go.”
Eberflus also gave an update on wideout Byron Pringle, who should be set to return to the lineup soon.
Daurice Fountain: Background & Stats
A fifth-round pick for the Indianapolis Colts out of Northern Iowa in 2018 (159th overall), the 26-year-old Fountain spent the bulk of his rookie campaign on Indy’s practice squad. An ankle injury sidelined him the following year in 2019, and he didn’t play at all that season.
He played in five games for the Colts in 2020, catching two passes on three targets for 23 yards, also contributing a bit on special teams.
After his contract with the Colts expired in 2021, he was signed by the Chiefs, where he spent most of the season on the practice squad. He did appear in two games for Kansas City last year, also on special teams.
At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Fountain is unpolished, but he has size, and he has displayed raw athleticism in the past.
NFL.com’s draft expert Lance Zierlein called Fountain an “explosive” prospect, while SB Nation wrote in their draft profile of Fountain that the “scores at his Pro Day were pretty insane. His 42″ Vertical Jump and 134″ Broad Jump scores would have both been the best for all wide receivers at the combine.”
“He’s a guy that I had before in Indy for a short time,” Eberflus said about Fountain. “So, we know him, understand what kind of guy he is. He’s an excellent young man and a good team guy.”
Fountain has also been following the Bears and quarterback Justin Fields. He tweeted this before Fields and the team balled out in a 33-14 Monday Night Football win over the New England Patriots:
Bears May Also Be Getting WR Byron Pringle Back Soon
In addition to their other roster moves, the Bears also designated Byron Pringle to return to practice, opening the 21-day window for his return. Pringle went down with a calf injury Week 3 in Chicago’s victory over the Houston Texans.
“Byron Pringle, he’s eligible, he’s going to be eligible,” Eberflus said. “We’re gonna open up his window, his 21-day window today. So we’re gonna see where he goes, in terms of his conditioning level. He’s been working with the strength staff and we’re gonna open his window up today for that. And again, if he does really well, we’ll see what happens later in the week. ”
The Bears have an NFC showdown against the Dallas Cowboys coming up on October 30, and it’s possible he could be ready by then.
