Former Buckhorn High School standout Khari Blasingame is back for a third season with the Chicago Bears.

The Bears released Blasingame on Tuesday when they reduced their preseason roster to the regular-season limit of 53 active players. But after putting long snapper Patrick Scales on injured reserve on Wednesday, Chicago announced it had re-signed the fullback for the active roster.

Last season, Blasingame played in 16 games with two starts and was on the field for 186 offensive snaps and 210 special-teams plays. He ran for 26 yards on eight carries and caught three passes for 2 yards.

Blasingame went from his New Market high school to Vanderbilt to play safety. He switched to linebacker, then played running back his final three seasons.

Blasingame entered the NFL by signing with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted rookie in 2019.

Blasingame had spent his rookie season on the Vikings’ practice squad when the Tennessee Titans signed him for their active roster with six games left in the 2019 campaign.

Blasingame played the next two seasons with Tennessee, putting him in front of Derrick Henry when the former Alabama All-American became the eighth NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season in 2020.

Blasingame signed with Chicago as a free agent in 2022.

During his NFL career, he has played in 64 regular-season and five playoff games. He has 13 receptions for 99 yards and 11 rushing attempts for 32 yards.

Scales has been with the Bears since the 2015 season. He has a disk injury that will require back surgery to correct, the Chicago Tribune reported. Scales will have to miss at least the first four games of the season.

The Bears begin the regular season against the Titans at noon CDT Sept. 8 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.