Bears DL Shemar Turner Ready for His Opportunity After Season-Ending Injury

Shemar Turner is feeling a mix of emotions now that he is active on the Chicago Bears' 53-man roster. 

"Definitely exciting, definitely nerve building," Turner told media members after Thursday's practice. "Definitely more exciting than nerves. Coming from not playing, this is gonna be a testament to everything I've been through these last few months, I think that's pretty much all." 

The Bears' defensive lineman last played a football game on Oct. 26, 2025. Turner, the 62nd overall pick in last year's draft, played just 74 defensive snaps in five games before he tore his ACL in the Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. 

Turner also dealt with a major injury while he was at Texas A&M. Before his senior season, he had surgery to repair a stress fracture and had a rod inserted into his leg. The bone didn't fully heal, so he withdrew from the Senior Bowl. 

On his first day of training camp during his rookie season, Turner injured his ankle, sidelining him for the entire summer. He made his NFL debut in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys. He finished the year with just six total tackles. 

This latest injury, though, one that stole the rest of his rookie year, tested Turner. 

"It's definitely like walking through a dark tunnel," Turner said. "I'm starting to come out on the lighter side of it. But I mean, it's ups and downs.

Turner had his teammates there for support. That included the defensive linemen, and Turner said quarterback Caleb Williams would check in to make sure he was good and not alone in this process. The Bears' coaching staff also made sure to pull him to the side and talk to him to provide positive reinforcement. 

With Turner set to make his 2026 debut this week against the Atlanta Falcons, his expectations for himself are to win every down, not overthink anything and just take it play by play. 

Before his ACL injury, the Bears moved him out to play defensive end -- a position he know wells. 

"Sure, that's like home for me," Turner said. "It's second nature to me. I can wake up and just play defense every day. It's just like brushing your teeth, almost. That's how it is for me."

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen mentioned that Turner and any of the defensive players comings off the PUP list would have a limited role to start. With Montez Sweat suspended for two games for violating the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy and Dayo Odeyingbo dealing with a quad injury, Turner is the next man up on this Bears' D-line. 

"Yeah, it's definitely an opportunity, a big opportunity that I have right now to go out there and show what I can do," Turner said. "Especially with guys down right now, they do need me. So it's up to me to go out there and to prove to my coaches and everybody on this staff, right, that I am a guy, and I can go."