The Chicago Bears had an open spot on their practice squad on Monday when the Washington Commanders signed kicker Jake Moody to their active roster. It took them only 24 hours to fill that spot with a former Detroit Lion, much to the delight of Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the Bears are signing former Pro Bowl linebacker/special teamer Jalen Reeves-Maybin to their practice squad.
Bears Sign Former Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin on Tuesday
Reeves-Maybin spent most of his career with the Lions, playing seven of his eight NFL seasons in Detroit. He established himself as a core special-teamer, a locker room leader, and a fan favorite during his time as a Lion. This earned him the role of president of the NFL Players Association in March 2024.
The 30-year-old linebacker was selected to the Pro Bowl and won second-team All-Pro honors as a special teamer in 2023. He was the NFC's sole special teams player representative after playing in 82% of the Lions' special teams snaps. He ended up receiving a two-year, $7.5 million contract extension with the Lions after this, but after missing seven games with a neck injury in 2024, he was released to clear up cap space.
Reeves-Maybin has been without a team since then. There had been some reporting that the Lions might bring him back, but the league's new kickoff rule reduced his special teams contributions, leading to him remaining a free agent until now.
Per Pro Football Focus, Reeves-Maybin had a special teams grade of over 60.0 in all but one of his seasons in the NFL. He amassed 50 tackles on special teams throughout his career.
In his defensive snaps, the veteran linebacker has been more middling. His 16.1% career missed tackle rate and 57.0 defensive grade on PFF last year leave plenty to be desired. However, at this stage of the season, it's hard to imagine the Bears doing much better for a practice squad spot.
The Bears are chasing the top seed of the NFC North. For the final stretch of the season, where they will play Detroit in Week 18, having an experienced and competent veteran who is very familiar with Detroit could be a huge benefit.
Reeves-Maybin's postseason experience and special teams competence may serve as a valuable insurance policy for the Bears if the injury bug strikes in the final seven games of the season.