Chicago Bears

Report: Bears waive P Spencer Lanning in four-man roster adjustment

Published Oct. 7, 2015 9:48 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Chicago Bears have fine-tuned their roster heading into their Week 5 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. They waived linebacker John Timu and punter Spencer Lanning, according to ESPN's Jeff Dickerson, then signed offensive tackle Nick Becton and safety Sherrod Martin.

#Bears waive LB John Timu and P Spencer Lanning. Sign OT Nick Becton and S Sherrod Martin.
— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) October 6, 2015

The release of Lanning means Pat O'Donnell will probably punt for the Bears again this Sunday. Lanning, signed off the street, filled in for one week after O'Donnell injured his right knee while punting 10 times against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. In a win over the Oakland Raiders, Lanning dropped one of his three punts inside the 20-yard line and averaged 45.3 yards per attempt.

"He did a great job," O’Donnell said of Lanning, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. "He’s a pro. He’s been in this league. He definitely knows what it takes to step in and fill the role."

The signing of Martin, reported on Tuesday, will help Chicago's secondary overcome the loss of Antrel Rolle, who injured his ankle in Week 4. The decision to sign Becton was likely a measure to counteract the loss of Will Montgomery, who's headed for injured reserve with a broken leg.

Timu was the odd man out to make room for Martin and Becton on the roster.