LAKE FOREST, Ill. – With Michael Bush already on injured reserve and Armando Allen (knee) questionable for Sunday’s must-win game in Detroit, the Chicago Bears elevated running back Harvey Unga to the active roster from the practice squad and waived defensive end Cheta Ozougwu, the team announced on Friday.


Unga has spent the last three preseasons with the Bears after the club burned a seventh-round pick to select the former BYU standout in the 2010 NFL Supplemental draft, but the running back has never appeared in a regular season game. Unga had two separate stints on the Bears’ practice squad this season.

Ozougwu played in two games for the Bears this year and recorded two tackles.

The decision to promote Unga was solely based on health. The Bears needed another able body in their backfield with Allen dealing with a knee injury that kept him off the practice field the entire week and with starting running back Matt Forte nursing a sore ankle. Both Allen and Forte got hurt last week in the Bears’ 28-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, although Forte is expected to play this weekend versus the Lions.

Veteran tailback Kahlil Bell could assume a larger role on Sunday if Allen is out. Bell carried the ball 13 times for 32 yards against Arizona after the club re-signed him earlier that week.