IT WON’T BE EASY TO SHUT DOWN STAFFORD TWICE
Despite his coach’s claim that he looks pretty much the same as he did last week, cornerback Kyle Fuller said his surgically repaired right knee has been making progress.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the 2014 first- round pick will play Sunday in Detroit.
“It’s reacting in a positive way,” Fuller said. “I still have some work to do.”
Fuller returned to practice Nov. 30, and the Bears have 21 days from that point to activate him from injured reserve and play him in games or shut him down for the season.
He said the last step is to get all the way back and that the biggest challenge was “just knowing what I have to do” to be ready.
“I take it day- to- day,” he said.
The Bears have another veteran cornerback to consider, too: Johnthan Banks, a 2013 second- round pick they claimed Monday from the Lions.
Banks started 37 games for the Buccaneers from 2013 to 2015, picking off seven passes in 30 starts his first two seasons.
“I view it as a big opportunity,” Banks said. “Just make some plays, fly around and show people what I can do.”
At 6- 2, 185 pounds, Banks is a good fit for Vic Fangio’s defense. Fangio said this week that the staff will “work hard to resurrect his career” in Chicago.
“They know I’m a good player,” said Banks, whom the Lions waived last week after trading a seventhround pick to the Buccaneers for him Nov. 1. “I’m long, rangy, I can play man, I can play zone. I have good ball skills. Pretty much what you want in a corner, I feel like I have it.”
Banks is still figuring out the scheme — “I’m just here to try to learn the playbook,” he said — and the Bears should be motivated to take a look at younger players.
Rookie Deiondre’ Hall hasn’t played since spraining his right ankle Oct. 6. Fuller is three years younger than Banks, who’s 27.
For the second consecutive game, the Bears will wait until later in the week to make a call on Fuller’s return.
“We’ve got a couple more days to look at that and make that decision,” coach John Fox said, “and really even some extended time after that.”