CHICAGO -- Chicago Bears running back Kevin Jones will miss the season after tearing ligaments in his left ankle in the preseason finale Thursday against the Cleveland Browns.
Plagued by injuries in Detroit and barely able to play in his first season in Chicago, Jones was expected to have a bigger role alongside Matt Forte. Instead, he suffered another setback.
The latest occurred in the first quarter on a late hit by Marcus Benard following a 6-yard run. Jones is expected to undergo surgery next week, the team said Friday.
Jones missed the final three games of the 2006 season and the first two of 2007 with Detroit because of a foot injury. Then he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee late that season, and noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews told him he would need up to 10 months to get back on the field.
The Bears signed him in July 2008, four months after the Lions cut him, thinking he could compete with Forte. But it quickly became clear that wasn't going to happen last season. While Forte excelled as a rookie, Jones appeared in just 11 games and ran for just 109 yards.
He ran for 77 yards on 24 carries in the preseason after re-signing with the Bears.