Bears Elevate Stephen Carlson for Seahawks Game
Chicago adds tight end Stephen Carlson to the active roster after Cole Kmet's season-ending knee injury.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Football
The Chicago Bears elevated tight end Stephen Carlson from the practice squad for Monday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks. The move follows a knee injury that ends Cole Kmet's season.
Why it matters
The Bears needed additional tight end depth after losing Kmet for the remainder of the season. Carlson's elevation provides immediate roster help for the Monday night contest.
Carlson has 28 career NFL appearances, including seven starts, and has recorded six catches for 62 yards and one touchdown on nine targets. The extraction does not specify his expected snap count against Seattle.
The players
Stephen Carlson
Carlson is a six-foot-four, 240-pound tight end from Princeton who spent his early career with the Cleveland Browns before joining Chicago's practice squad.
Cole Kmet
Kmet is a Chicago Bears tight end whose knee injury has ended his season and created the depth need that prompted Carlson's elevation.
The details
Carlson, a 29-year-old undrafted player out of Princeton, was elevated under the standard gameday process and will revert to the practice squad after the game. He will serve as TE3 behind rookie third-round pick Sam Roush, who moves into the TE2 role behind Colston Loveland.
Timeline
Carlson played two seasons with the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and 2020.
Carlson appeared in one Bears contest in 2023.
The Bears announced the elevation on November 2, 2026.
Season Trajectory
Carlson's elevation is a standard use of the NFL gameday practice-squad rule to cover a depth gap after an injury. It keeps Chicago's tight end group functional for the rest of the season without a permanent roster commitment.
Carlson is a short-term depth option who will revert to the practice squad after the Seahawks game. Fantasy managers and roster watchers should expect Sam Roush to see more tight end snaps behind Loveland.
The takeaway
Routine practice-squad elevations like Carlson's show how teams use short-term roster moves to cover injuries without long-term commitments. Readers tracking the Bears should watch how Roush and Carlson share tight end snaps over the coming weeks.
Further reading
Explore more Chicago Bears coverage for context on the roster and season.
