The Washington Football Team is signing running back Lamar Miller from the Chicago Bears practice squad, according to Nicki Jhavbala of the Washington Post.
Miller won’t be available to play in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. He will need to pass the NFL’s six-day pre-entry COVID-19 testing protocols before the deal is made official and he could join the Washington Football Team.
The decision to sign Miller comes one day after Washington unsuccessfully placed a waiver claim for running back Dontrell HIlliard, who was awarded to the Houston Texans. Hilliard was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Monday. The Texans were ahead of Washington on the waiver priority order.
Washington is in need of depth in the backfield as their star rookie running back Antonio Gibson continues to nurse a turf toe injury. Gibson missed last week’s win over San Francisco. His status for this week’s game against Seattle is uncertain after missing practice Wednesday.
Miller’s signing also raises doubt about Gibson’s availability for Week 16.
Gibson leads Washington with 659 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Washington has relied on JD McKissic and Peyton Barber to replace Gibson’s production in his absence. However, McKissic is more suitable as a pass catcher out of the backfield while Barber is a ground-and-pound back.
The two are more of a complement to Gibson than being capable in the featured back role. That’s a role Miller has been more accustom to in his nine-year career. He was the lead back for six consecutive years from 2013-2018 with the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans.
Miller had two 1,000-yard seasons in that span. A torn ACL forced him to miss the 2019 season. He initially signed with the New England Patriots in 2020 but was released during final cuts. He was signed to the Bears practice squad in October and appeared in one game this season.
