BEARS CAMP WATCH

The Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley breaks down the Bears’ 14th training-camp practice:

So, he’s a center?

One day after offensive line coach Harry Hiestand said the Bears planned to use James

Daniels at center, coach Matt Nagy confirmed it and said he hopes the second-round pick will play Thursday night against the Bengals. Daniels, who the Bears hoped would compete for the starting spot at left guard, sat out the Hall of Fame Game.

“He’s growing,” Nagy said. “He’s at a point right now where there’s so many assignments as a center that you have to worry about in the run game and pass game, and then you’ve got to snap the ball back to the quarterback, too — we do a lot of [shotgun]. We like where he’s at right now and he’s going to continue to get better and better.”

Nagy said Daniels will eventually need to be able to play both guard and center.

Injury updates

There was no reason to push running back Jordan Howard in a light practice, Nagy said, after he banged his knee earlier in the week.

“I think, for him, it’s just more of trying to get that knee right,” he said.

Nagy wouldn’t say if Howard will play Thursday, though he figures to get few snaps if he does.

Receiver Taylor Gabriel remains sidelined with a foot injury, Nagy said, and has an “either-way” chance of playing. More observations

Nagy’s evaluation of his own passing after looking at Monday’s practice tape: “Disappointed in the endurance there. To let [Kyle Fuller] get me still bothers me.

‘‘I got decent sleep, but I didn’t get great sleep.”

Up next

The Bears have Wednesday off before playing the Bengals on Thursday night in Cincinnati.