Urlacher could miss 3-4 weeks; Bears sign DeCicco
The Bears signed linebacker Dom DeCicco to the 53-man roster Tuesday, bringing back a player who had been released three months prior with an injury settlement, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
The signing suggests that the team expects to be without linebacker Brian Urlacher for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Tribune cited two unnamed sources that referred to Urlacher's injury as a Grade-2 strain, though the Bears haven't commented on the severity of the injury.
Urlacher hurt his right hamstring during overtime of the Bears' 23-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and head coach Lovie Smith told reporters Monday that Urlacher had a pulled hamstring.
DeCicco isn't likely to fill Urlacher's role should the veteran sit out against the Vikings. The Bears finished Sunday's game with Nick Roach in the middle and Geno Hayes in Roach's normal spot at strong-side linebacker. Pro Bowl weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs played in the middle at Arizona, but has settled into an outside linebacker spot and would not be shifted in the event of an injury, Smith said during training camp.
The Bears play at Minnesota before hosting the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 16.
