Bears place safety Mike Brown on IR

Safety Mike Brown almost made it through an entire NFL season healthy, but for the fifth straight year, the Bears' captain will end the regular season on the sidelines with an injury.

Brown was placed on injured reserve Friday with a calf injury that has nagged him off and on for several weeks but didn't keep him from starting any of the first 15 games.

The 2005 Pro Bowl selection still played more than he has in any of the previous four seasons, when he missed 43 of 64 games with an assortment of injuries.

Ironically, Brown didn't miss a single game in his first four years after the Bears picked him in the second-round of the 2000 draft (39th overall) out of Nebraska.

Brown is fourth on the team with 101 tackles this season, the third-best total of his nine-year career. He also had 2 interceptions, 2 tackles for losses and 1 sack.

He will be missed for his physical play on the field, especially Sunday against a dangerous Houston Texans offense that features outstanding rookie running back Steve Slaton and Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson.

But Brown might be missed even more for his emotional and intellectual leadership.

"He's meant an awful lot to us," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "It's very disappointing for our football team, and of course for Mike, too. But injuries are part of the game, and Mike's been in this situation before."

So have the Bears.

Sunday they'll plug rookie Craig Steltz into one of the safety spots for his first start of the season. He'll play alongside Kevin Payne, who has started every game, the first 12 at strong safety and the past three at free safety, when he flip-flopped positions with Brown.

"Any time you lose a player like Mike, that's bad for you," Payne said. "We're going to have to step up and make plays. Mike is a great leader on and off the field, mentally and physically. He's been a playmaker for us down in the box."

Brown is the Bears' franchise leader with 7 career defensive touchdowns. His 4 interception return touchdowns are tied for most in team history, and his 3 fumble return scores are a franchise record.

He has appeared in 100 games with 99 starts and has 629 tackles, 17 interceptions, 37 pass breakups, 5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 7 fumble returns.

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