Bears LB Jerrell Freeman Reveals He Played Season Opener with Torn Pec Muscle

Chicago Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman announced Thursday he played Sunday's season opener with a torn pectoral muscle.

Freeman posted a message on his Instagram page noting he suffered the injury on the first play of Chicago's 23-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons:

Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com noted that means Freeman played 55 snaps with the setback. The Instagram message also revealed Freeman suffered a concussion during the game.

The Bears announced Tuesday that Freeman was moved to injured reserve, and head coach John Fox said the injury will require surgery, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.

Losing Freeman is a significant blow for the Bears. Dickerson pointed out he led the team with 110 tackles in 2016 even though he was suspended four games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy.

It was the fourth time in Freeman's career he tallied more than 100 tackles, the other three of which came when he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

According to Dickerson, Nick Kwiatkoski will take Freeman's spot in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.