(670 The Score) Bears rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, head coach Ben Johnson said Monday.
Turner suffered the injury during the second quarter of the Bears' 30-16 loss to the Ravens on Sunday in Baltimore. A second-round pick of Chicago in the NFL Draft in April, Turner played in five games before the injury.
"He was a guy that we were really excited to finally get out on the field," Johnson said. "Because obviously we had high hopes for him, acquiring him with such a high draft pick. I thought that when we made that transition to defensive end, it certainly coincided with our ability to stop the run at a higher clip. We thought he was part of the solution there for us. I think he looked somewhat natural to play that spot for a guy that hadn't done a ton of it. So we were really excited to see what this next half of the season was going to look like as he continued to develop in that role.
"It's a shame that we're going to miss out on him. He has a physical presence and demeanor about him that you really appreciate. He plays the game the way we want, really all three phases to play. He loves football and I know he'll attack this rehab the right way."
In other injury news, the Bears expect defensive end Dominique Robinson to miss several weeks with a high ankle sprain. Rookie receiver Luther Burden III is in the concussion protocol.
The Bears will soon activate second-year defensive end Austin Booker (knee) from injured reserve. With Turner and Robinson sidelined, Booker is in line for a larger role on the defensive line.
The Bears (4-3) will visit the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) on Sunday.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.