When N’Keal Harry was traded to Chicago last month, it was seen as a new beginning for the wide receiver. But he’s now hit a snag. According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Harry left the Bears’ practice early on Saturday due to an injury, which Rapoport confirmed is a high ankle sprain. With the regular season only a few weeks away, a severe injury like this is a huge setback for a player trying to establish himself in a new offense. Harry was traded out of New England in July for a seventh-round pick in 2024, nearly a year after formally requesting a trade from the Patriots. The 2019 first-round pick did not see as much action as many expected in his three years with the team and was never able to find his place within the offense, finishing with just 57 catches for 598 yards. Harry joined the Bears for the 2022 season in the hopes of finding a spot in a wide receiver room with plenty of competition for snaps at the position. Harry stated after his first practice with his new team last week that the move was a “much-needed reset,” but with the news of the ankle sprain, it appears that his fresh start will have to wait for the time being. High ankle sprains typically take six weeks to heal, which means Harry would be out for at least the first two weeks of the season if that timeline holds. Not to mention he’ll miss out on valuable preseason reps that would have given him more chances to show the coaching staff that he can play as an every-day starter. Rapoport reported that Harry will see a specialist to get a final diagnosis of his injury, so he’ll have to wait to see how bad it is and how long he’ll have to wait before he can join his new team. NFL+ allows you to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and prime-time regular-season and postseason games, the best NFL programming on-demand, and much more on your phone or tablet! This is how you football, wherever you are! Find out more about NFL+.
