CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears placed tight end Martellus Bennett on injured reserve because of a ribs injury and signed tight end Rob Housler, the team announced on Tuesday.
Bennett is tied for ninth in receptions (53) among NFL tight ends. He made the Pro Bowl in 2014 after catching a career-high 90 passes for 916 yards and six touchdowns.
Bennett injured his ribs in Chicago's loss to Denver on Nov. 22, and subsequently missed the team's next game versus the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving.
Bennett told reporters he did not watch the Bears' surprise victory at Lambeau Field live on television, opting instead to receive treatment at his home. The veteran tight end was active last week for the Bears' overtime loss to San Francisco, but he briefly left the field in the third quarter before returning to finish the game.
Bennett was not made available to the media after Sunday's loss because a team spokesperson said he was having X-rays taken. Bears coach John Fox called Bennett, "truly day-to-day" on Monday.
Even before the ribs injury, Bennett's production had trailed off from last year. He skipped the Bears' voluntary offseason program over a contract dispute. He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $5.09 million next season before reaching free agency in 2017.
Housler appeared in 61 games with 27 starts over five seasons with Arizona (2011-14) and Cleveland (2015). The 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end has 106 receptions for 1,139 yards and one touchdown.