N’Keal Harry Activated Off IR Two Weeks Before Patriots Matchup

N’Keal Harry is back on the Chicago Bears roster ahead of his return to Gillette Stadium.

The Bears on Monday activated the ex-New England Patriots wide receiver off injured reserve, clearing him to make his season debut this Thursday night against the Washington Commanders. Next up for Chicago after that game is a Monday night trip to New England to take on Harry’s former team.

After a year’s worth of trade rumors, the Patriots finally dealt Harry in July, shipping the 2019 first-round draft bust to the receiver-needy Bears two weeks before the start of training camp. He suffered an ankle injury during an Aug. 6 practice and was placed on IR after cutdown day. Harry returned to practice last Wednesday but has yet to appear in a game (preseason or regular season) for his new team.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields said getting the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Harry back will allow him to “throw more 50-50 balls.”

“He would be a good matchup for smaller DBs,” Fields said, via ChicagoBears.com. “One-on-one, especially red zone, just throwing up a jump ball to him, that’s one of the things he does really well.”

Patriots fans would disagree there, as Harry never developed into the contested-catch weapon New England hoped he’d become. But his return can’t hurt the Bears’ passing game, which has been nearly nonexistent so far this season.

Fields has completed just 49 total passes through five games, and no Chicago wideout has more than 10 receptions. Darnell Mooney leads that group with 10 for 173 yards, followed by Equanimeous St. Brown (6-110-1) and Byron Pringle (2-33-0). Velus Jones, Dante Pettis and Ihmir Smith-Marsette have one catch apiece.

The Patriots will visit the Cleveland Browns this week ahead of their primetime matchup with the Bears.