Story by
Ex-Northwestern Defensive End Earns Practice Spot with Bears
- Story by
- Ex-Northwestern Defensive End Earns Practice Spot with Bears
A former Northwestern Wildcats defensive end/defensive lineman is getting the NFL call from the ascendant Chicago Bears.
Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports that Earnest Brown IV has been inked to the Bears' practice squad. Fishbain also notes that Chicago put defensive tackle Kentavius Street on its injured reserve list. A knee injury compelled him to depart the Bears' 34-17 Week 8 victory over the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks. Street had been a starter in seven of Chicago's first eight contests, suiting up for 40% of the team's snaps.
Advertisement
Tight end Stephen Carlson joined the Bears' active 53-man roster.
Brown joined Northwestern in 2016 as a four-star recruit out of Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas.
While with the Wildcats, Brown played in three bowl games, racking up a total of 71 tackles (45 solo, 26 assisted), 18.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
Tennessee Titans defensive end Earnest Brown IV (99) hits the tackle pad during training camp at Vanderbilt Health Football Center Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Earnest Brown IV's Pro Football Journey — Including a Super Bowl Win
The 6-foot-5, 295-pound vet was selected with the No. 174 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He promptly won Super Bowl LVI with L.A., although he played sparingly in just five games during that charmed 2022 season.
Advertisement
Brown appeared in seven games for the Rams the subsequent season. All told, he record 14 tackles (five solo, nine assisted) and 1.5 stuffs for two yards in his 12 games with Los Angeles.
The Rams released Brown in Jan. 2024 and then re-signed him to their practice squad. He hit free agency that offseason, joining first the San Francisco 49ers and later the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He suited up for three games while on Tampa Bay, who eventually cut him and re-signed him to their practice squad.
Last year, Brown was a practice squad signing with the Dallas Cowboys. He had been with the Tennessee Titans on a reserve/futures deal earlier this year, but the team waived the 27-year-old in August ahead of the 2026 regular season.
Will he actually ever crack second-year head coach Ben Johnson 's 53-man roster this season, or is he doomed to linger as extended defensive insurance?
Advertisement
The Bears are clearly going all-in this season, after trading a pair of future first-round picks to the Titans for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons and a fifth-round selection. Chicago general manager Ryan Poles sought to shore up his defense thanks to the emergence of 2024 No. 1 pick quarterback Caleb Williams as a bona fide difference-maker. While Williams and most of his top offensive weapons remain on his rookie-scale salary, it's imperative that the Bears at least give him the best chance to win.
Brown could give Chicago's defense a bit of a different look, but he faces an uphill battle to even earn rotation run.
