Mack expected back to face Lions
When Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara arrived at Wednesday morning's walk-through at Halas Hall, he felt a surge of energy. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack was back on the field.
“Man,” Amukamara said. “When he came out to walkthrough, I was like, ‘Yes! If he's in walk-through, he has to be playing this week.' … I think everyone is excited about it.”
After two games on the sideline, Mack is aiming to play this weekend when the Bears face the Lions at Soldier Field.
Mack (ankle), wide receiver Allen Robinson (groin), tight end Ben Braunecker (concussion) and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols (knee) all were full participants in Wednesday's practice.
Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel was limited with a knee injury, and tight end Dion Sims didn't practice while undergoing concussion evaluations after exiting the Bills game.
Mack sprained his right ankle in the loss to the Dolphins, was mostly ineffective the following week against the Patriots and was then inactive for the team's last two victories over the Jets and Bills. Those were the first two games Mack has missed in his five-year NFL career.
Long time coming: Tight end Adam Shaheen practiced Wednesday for the first time since he injured his right foot and ankle in the Aug. 18 preseason game against the Broncos.
“It's been a long time coming,” Shaheen said. “I'm excited for it.”
The Bears placed Shaheen on injured reserve Sept. 2, and he spent seven weeks wearing a cast and walking boot, a recovery he said was “long, slow and painful.” He said regaining mobility in his foot, ankle and Achilles tendon after he got the boot off was the biggest challenge, requiring rehabilitation, stretching, acupuncture, cupping and more.
Bears coach Matt Nagy said it remains to be seen how quickly Shaheen can become game ready.
He was having a solid training camp before the injury and had four catches for 58 yards in two preseason games.
“He's a nice-sized guy so oneon-one battles he does well with,” Nagy said. “It was tough to see him go down because he was one of those guys that was progressing pretty fast. So it'll be exciting to get him back out there and see exactly where he's at.”
The right call: When the Bears declined to match the Saints' two-year contract offer to wide receiver Cameron Meredith, it was based on concerns about his left knee, not his performance. And halfway through this season it appears the Bears made the right decision.
The Saints on Wednesday signed former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant to a one-year contract as Meredith's playing time has been limited in New Orleans.
Miller has 19 receptions for 210 yards and three touchdowns while Meredith hasn't been targeted by Saints quarterback Drew Brees in the last three games. Meredith (nine catches, 114 yards, one touchdown) played only 13 snaps in Sunday's win over the Rams and has been on the field for only 40 plays over the last three games.
The Saints felt Meredith was ahead of schedule over the summer in returning from the injury, but some players need a full 18 months to recover fully from similar injuries.