CHICAGO -- Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman revealed on Thursday that he played 55 snaps with a torn pectoral muscle during Chicago's 23-17 Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Freeman posted a message on his Instagram account that said he tore his pectoral on the first play of the game last Sunday.
Freeman was credited with a team-high 10 tackles against Atlanta, but the Bears placed him on injured reserve Tuesday. The Bears said his pectoral tear will require surgery.
The veteran linebacker also suffered a concussion in the Falcons game.
Freeman became the third Chicago starter to land on injured reserve, joining wide receivers Cameron Meredith (knee) and Kevin White (shoulder fracture).
Second-year linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski is expected to take Freeman's spot in the starting lineup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Chicago also elevated third-year linebacker Jonathan Anderson to the active roster Tuesday.
Losing Freeman for the year will be tough for the Bears to overcome. The 31-year-old linebacker led the team with 110 tackles last year, despite being suspended four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
After spending four seasons in Indianapolis following a three-year stint in the CFL, Freeman signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Bears with $6 million in guarantees in the spring of 2016. There is no guaranteed money left on Freeman's deal for the 2018 season.