Khalil Herbert Placed on IR by Bears with Ankle Injury; CHI Without 3 RBs vs. Vikings

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert has been placed on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury during a 40-20 win over the Washington Commanders last week, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin.

Herbert will miss a minimum of four games and will be eligible to return for a Nov. 9 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

The Bears enter a Week 6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings without three running backs in Herbert, Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer. Johnson (concussion) and Homer (hamstring) were previously ruled out.

Herbert injured his ankle after catching a pass from Justin Fields in the third quarter of the team's win over the Commanders. His leg bent awkwardly but he was able to walk off the field under his own power.

The 25-year-old has been Chicago's leading rusher this season, running for 272 yards on 51 carries in five games. He has also caught 10 passes for 83 yards and one score.

With Herbert, Johnson and Homer all sidelined, the Bears will turn to D'Onta Foreman and Darrynton Evans out of the backfield.

Foreman, who was selected in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Houston Texans, has also played for the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. He put together the best season of his career with the Panthers in 2022, rushing for 914 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games.

The 27-year-old has been mostly an afterthought in the Bears offense this season. He has appeared in just one game, rushing for 16 yards on five carries.

Evans, a 2020 third-round pick by the Titans, has been a depth player his entire career and hasn't played a single game this season. The Bears claimed him of the Miami Dolphins' practice squad this week.

The 25-year-old has rushed for 125 yards on 30 carries in 12 career games.

Quarterback Justin Fields will likely be called upon to use his legs far more often in the coming weeks. He has rushed for 191 yards and one touchdown in five games this season after rushing for 1,143 yards and eight scores in 2022.

If Fields can get the passing attack going this weekend, expect Darnell Mooney and DJ Moore to have a big impact for the Bears against a Vikings defense that has allowed 240 passing yards per game this season.

The Bears and Vikings are both 1-4 on the season, so Sunday's matchup will determine sole possession of last place in the NFC North.