The Chicago Bears have been trying to fill out the back-end of the wide receiver group throughout training camp. There's no question that D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Luther Burden III lead the unit. However, it's taken a long road to get to this point.
Bears fans know the struggles of underwhelming skill-position production and mediocre quarterback play at best. New head coach Ben Johnson and potential star signal caller Caleb Williams are meant to overcome that justifiable sense of dread, yet not every recent skill-position transaction has worked out in the franchise's favor.
In fact, one wide receiver that couldn't stick in Chicago suffered an unfortunate injury that'll sideline him for the entirety of the 2025 season.
49ers placed WR Equanimeous St. Brown on the season-ending Injured Reserve List.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 8, 2025
Former Bears WR Equanimeous St. Brown Placed on IR Before 2025 Season
As reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, current San Francisco 49ers and former Bears wideout Equanimeous St. Brown was placed on the season-ending Injured Reserve list.
The brother of Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown, Equanimeous was with Chicago from March of 2022 until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, unfortunately going through another IR stint prior to the expiration of his contract. He appeared in 23 games for the Bears over two years, catching 26 passes for 385 yards and one TD.
St. Brown just signed with the 49ers on Tuesday after bouncing around a few different teams, so the news comes as a bit of a surprise. It's unfortunate nonetheless, and here's hoping that the 28-year-old receiver can bounce back. By all accounts, he's a great presence in the locker room and a valuable addition to a roster, making the injury all the worse.
For Chicago, this doesn't have much impact from an on-the-field perspective. All focus will be on Johnson's new-look offense and whether or not he can elevate a precarious group, so it's understandable if fans aren't overly concerned with former players.
Williams won't play in the preseason opener, but we'll still get a look at Johnson's schemes in the early-going. He won't show too much, yet it should still be enough to get everyone excited. There's a new era of Bears football in Chicago, and while it's unfortunate that St. Brown won't be part of it, here's hoping for a quick recovery.