(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski, USA TODAY Sports)
CHICAGO, Ill., — Running back Ian Wheeler became a fan favorite in the 2024 preseason, pushing for a chance to earn a spot on the Chicago Bears' 53-man roster. But in the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, Wheeler's chances came to an unfortunate halt.
Wheeler tore his ACL in that preseason finale in Kansas City, ending his rookie year early. Now, nearly a year later, Wheeler played in a game for the first time since that injury, finishing with 20 yards rushing and 14 receiving yards. He did have a touchdown called back due to an illegal formation call.
But for Wheeler, getting back on the field again felt good.
"It felt good," Wheeler said after the game. "It felt good to get out there and compete. It took me a second to get back in the groove. Practice isn't the same as a game, but it felt good to really go out there, get hit, make contact, and play ball again."
His story was documented on one episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Chicago Bears" series, where Wheeler's injury was shown. It was an emotional moment for Wheeler and his family, even watching it back as it aired.
"I watched it just because my mom was watching it at home. So when the episode came out, you already knew what happened, obviously," Wheeler said. "It was different. It was uncomfortable. That was a really long moment. It was something that like was uncomfortable but was my reality. So I can't be upset about it."
The moment was captivated by general manager Ryan Poles calling Wheeler into his office to let him know that he was not only being put on IR but that his door was always open and his phone was always on in case Wheeler wanted to talk.
That moment stuck with Wheeler as he was grateful for Poles extending that invitation to him as well.
"Extremely grateful," Wheeler said. "Being an undrafted guy, being from a smaller school like Howard, him seeing the talent that I have and thinking I can make an impact on the team moving forward, that meant a lot."
While Wheeler wasn't able to play at all last season, he was around the team and seen in the locker room towards the end of the year. It was a lengthy rehab for the running back, but he did stay on schedule and didn't suffer any setbacks.
That helped him be ready for offseason work earlier this year.
"Long. Really long," Wheeler said. "A lot of BFR (Blood Flow Restriction), a lot of single-leg stuff. No major setbacks. It was just a long process. It's almost a year now, so it's just honestly a mental grind more than anything."
Wheeler is in a similar spot this preseason, attempting to win a job in a loaded backfield, and he's grateful to be in this spot.
"A lot of the stuff that we do every day happens in silence," Wheeler said. "So it's not too much different. Same thing with practice, you guys don't see all of that. So just being able to, even if I'm in the training room or meeting rooms, just knowing that this would get me to the position where I am and be able to compete for a roster spot again."