Cornerback Kyle Fuller will not play this season after the Bears decided not to activate the third-year pro by Wednesday's 3 p.m. deadline.
Fuller was placed on injured reserve Sept. 28 while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. He practiced for the first time Nov. 30 after being designated to return from IR, beginning a three-week evaluation period.
On Wednesday, the Bears opted to put Fuller back on injured reserve, meaning he will miss all 16 games this season.
Cornerback Kyle Fuller will not play this season after the Bears decided not to activate the third-year pro by Wednesday's 3 p.m. deadline.
"Any time a guy gets injured, it's disappointing," said coach John Fox. "It's nobody's fault. In this case, we just didn't deem him our best option for a roster spot, to move to the active roster right now."
Fuller told reporters Wednesday that his knee is still hurting.
"It's disappointing because you want to be out there," Fuller said. "I guess I've got to listen to my body. I'm not quite there yet. I still have pain in my knee. I just have to get that right and I'll be good to go."
On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio seemingly questioned Fuller's desire to get back on the field.
"Any time a guy's hurt, there are three stages to getting back to the field," Fangio said. "One is you've got to get medical clearance. Two, the player's got to say he's ready to go and feels confident and he's champing at the bit to go play. And then the coaches get involved and see if he's better than what the other choices are and if he really is back to being able to play. A has happened. B hasn't, so C is a non-issue."
During his session with reporters Wednesday, Fuller denied that he didn't show an eagerness to return to action.
"That was definitely not true," he said. "I think I've been communicating with the team and just letting them know how much I want to be back, showing them I'm working and trying to get back. It really just came down to not quite being ready to play. I think that's all it was.
"I just listen to my body. It tells me what I can and can't do. Right now I can't go out there and play. That's the bottom line, I guess."
Fuller played in 30 of 32 games during his first two seasons with the Bears after being selected with the 14th pick in the 2014 draft out of Virginia Tech. He has recorded 129 tackles, six interceptions, 24 pass breakups, three tackles-for-loss and three forced fumbles. Fuller led the Bears with two interceptions last season after tying for the team lead with four in 2014.
