Miller, Royal still dealing with concussions
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Bears tight end Zach Miller walked off the field with a smile. He had practiced for the third consecutive day after suffering a concussion July 31.
‘‘ It’s just day- to- day, just continue to get better and ease your way into it,’’ Miller said. But that was Monday. On Tuesday, Miller was a late arrival at practice because he was meeting with a doctor, coach John Fox said. Miller also remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
‘‘ We keep evaluating, keep looking and trying to make sure we cure all symptoms,’’ Fox said.
The encouraging sign is that Miller hasn’t experienced any setbacks.
‘‘ No setbacks, no new prognosis,’’ Fox said. ‘‘ When they’re ready to come out, they’ll come out.’’
The same is true of veteran receiver Eddie Royal, who also was late to practice.
A day after going through some limited work with his helmet on, Royal was a non- participant. His recent work on the field had been lighter than Miller’s.
More injury news
Cornerback Bryce Callahan, who has been out because of a muscle strain, didn’t practice.
‘‘ Make sure we’re trying to heal him and get him healthy before Thursday [ for the preseason game],’’ Fox said.
Linebacker Danny Trevathan was given a day off. He has been dealing with an ailing knee, but Fox said he just needs rest.
Running back Ka’Deem Carey and safety DeAndre HoustonCarson, who are recovering from concussions, wore noncontact jerseys. Linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski ( hamstring) and tight end Ben Braunecker ( ankle) also remain out.
Praise for Long
Patriots coach Bill Belichick offered some high praise for Bears guard Kyle Long when he answered a question about his brother Chris, a Patriots defensive end, and his father, Howie, a Hall of Fame defensive end and current broadcaster.
‘‘ Kyle, he’s a different kind of athlete,’’ Belichick said. ‘‘ That kid’s big. He’s athletic. He’s long. I don’t know, 325 or 330 [ pounds], whatever he is. He’s well put together with a lot of strength and a lot of athleticism.
‘‘ Again, that’s given us another — we talked about matchups — really good player to work against, along with their [ defensive] front seven.’’
Where’s Shea?
Former Bears linebacker Shea McClellin was a no- show again for the Patriots as he deals with an apparent injury.
McClellin’s versatility has turned into an asset for the Patriots’ defense. He signed a three- year, $ 9.05 million contract in March.
‘‘ Shea has done a good job,’’ Belichick said. ‘‘ Shea has worked hard. He’s a smart kid. He runs well. He’s athletic. He has a good set of skills, so he has been productive for us in camp and in the one [ preseason] game we’ve had.’’