A great deal has been made of the health of Brian Urlacher all throughout the summer, and health has been the biggest storyline in the preseason for the Chicago Bears overall.
After his knee injury last season, Urlacher looked set to return to training camp and be ready for some preseason action. That didn’t happen as recurring pain in his knee forced him to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. However, throughout the entire process Urlacher has vowed he’d be ready for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
But even with Urlacher and the Bears’ coaching staff sounding like a broken record in regard to when he’d return, there was still no certainty over whether or not he’d even return for Week 1. It was even suggested holding off until the Bears visit the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 and get that knee an extra week of rest.
Now, though, Urlacher says that the pain from his knee is gone and he is expected to return to practice with the rest of the team on Monday, as they prepare for their season opener.
It won’t be a full practice for Urlacher. He’s going to be taking part in the regular drills and everything throughout practice, but he said that he won’t take as many reps, mostly due to his conditioning. But the fact that he is ready to participate and says that pain in his knee from July is now not there is certainly a positive.
Urlacher has admitted that his knee won’t be the same, but it shouldn’t be too large of an issue as the season progresses. He was working on it throughout the preseason, even though he didn’t see any real game action.
Pending any sort of setbacks, which seem unlikely at this point, it looks like it will be a full week of practice for Brian Urlacher. Look for him to take his familiar spot in between Lance Briggs and Nick Roach when the Bears host the Colts at Soldier Field on Sunday.
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