The Bears have opened Amen Ogbongbemiga‘s practice window, per Marquee Sports Network’s Scott Bair.
The linebacker and special teams ace landed on injured reserve before the regular season with a knee injury. He returned to practice on thursday as a limited participant.
Ogbongbemiga, 27, is in his fifth NFL season and his second in Chicago. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers in 2021 and quickly carved out a spot on special teams. He signed with the Bears in 2024 and impressed enough to earn another two-year deal in free agency earlier this offseason.
Upon his return, Ogbongbemiga will likely return to a core special teams role, as he only has 144 defensive snaps in his career. The Bears do not necessarily need the boost – their special teams grade of 86.6 from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks seventh in the NFL – but he will add more experience to their coverage and return units.
Ogbongbemiga will have 21 days to practice with the Bears before he must be activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster. Otherwise, he will revert to injured reserve for the rest of the season.