Chargers Trade WR Dontrelle Inman To Bears

The Chargers have traded wide receiver Dontrelle Inman to the Bears, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Los Angeles will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in the deal, based on Inman production this season. Dontrelle Inman

On Sunday against the Panthers, Mitch Trubisky completed just four passes out of seven attempts. The Bears have multiple issues to address on offense, and that includes a lack of receiving weapons. Enter Inman, a pass-catcher with experience who has not seen a ton of action so far in 2017.

Inman has been with the Bolts for the last four seasons following a post-college stint in the CFL. The 28-year-old had a breakout campaign in 2016, with career-highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (810), and touchdowns (four).

Despite that performance, he slipped in the Chargers’ pecking order this year thanks to the re-emergence of Keenan Allen and a lingering hamstring injury. Hamstring issue aside, there wasn’t a clear path for Inman’s usage to improve now that first-round pick Mike Williams is with the team. The Bolts saw this coming, which is why they first started shopping Inman over the summer.

Top receivers Kevin White and Cameron Meredith have both landed on IR with major injuries. Markus Wheaton, meanwhile, is out through at least Week 9 with a strained groin. Given the lack of options in Chicago, Inman could slot in as the Bears’ WR2 behind Kendall Wright and ahead of Josh Bellamy, Tre McBride, and Tanner Gentry.

Inman has extra incentive to produce as he approaches unrestricted free agency. In the interim, he’s playing on the one-year, $2.746MM deal he received as a restricted free agent tendered at the second-round level.

The trade deadline is on Oct. 31. We’ve been seeing more trades than ever in the NFL, so this could be an eventful week.

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