Bears waive Jeremy Langford after claiming Taquan Mizzell

ByJeff Dickerson ESPN logo
Sunday, September 3, 2017

CHICAGO -- The Bears waived former starting running back Jeremy Langford, the team announced on Sunday.

Langford's roster spot went to undrafted running back Taquan Mizzell, who the team claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens.

As Matt Forte's primary backup in 2015, Langford -- selected in the fourth round that year out of Michigan State -- rushed for 537 yards and six touchdowns. Langford became only one of three Bears players in franchise history with 100 receiving yards, one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown in a single game.

But Langford, 25, fell out of favor last season when he suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 at Dallas. With Langford out for four weeks, the Bears turned to rookie Jordan Howard, who rushed for 1,313 yards -- the second-highest total in the league.

Langford returned for the final nine games but underwent ankle surgery in the offseason and had to rehab on the side during the Bears' voluntary offseason program. Langford then reinjured the ankle at the beginning of training camp and missed a sizable portion of camp.

Langford carried the ball 10 times for 29 yards in the final weeks of the preseason.

The Bears also claimed receiver Tre McBride (Titans) and long-snapper Andrew DePaola (Buccaneers) off waivers Sunday and waived tight end Ben Braunecker and long-snapper Jeff Overbaugh.