By Chris Emma–
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) — For the first time since OTAs, the Bears had their three top receivers on the practice field. When the team worked on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s home game against Washington, it had Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Kevin White all present.
Royal practiced for the first time since suffering a knee injury in the Nov. 1 loss to the Vikings. While Royal practiced in a limited role, he was thrilled to be back with the team.
“It felt great,” Royal said of his return. “You just miss being in the huddle. Part of the team, one of the guys, it’s just hard being on the sidelines watching it all. It was just great to be back out there.”
Joining Royal on the field once again was White, the rookie receiver who started his third week of practice since his August surgery to repair a stress fracture in his leg. The Bears have until next Tuesday to decide whether White will play this season. It remains to be seen whether he could take the field this Sunday against Washington.
White said that he participated in 11-on-11 team drills, a new step in his road back for a potential return this season. Bears coach John Fox said on Monday that White’s leg is healed, but the next step is showing he’s in football shape.
It remains the organization’s decision on whether White plays this season.
“I got confidence, but I got to be smart,” White said. “Whatever they want me to do, that’s what I’ll do.”
This offseason, Bears general manager Ryan Pace signed Royal to a three-year, $15-million deal to solidify the offense with a slot receiver. He entered Chicago with a strong background at the position, but has played in just six games and recorded 26 catches.
In May, Pace drafted White with the seventh overall pick with the hopes that he would, to some capacity, replace Brandon Marshall’s production in the offense. But White’s stress fracture has kept him on the physically-unable-to-perform list this entire season.
Finally on Wednesday, a bit of the Bears’ vision came to reality with Royal and White joining Jeffery on the practice field. Of course, receiver Marquess Wilson remains sidelined with a foot injury, and this comes a day after the team shut down tight end Martellus Bennett, placing him on season-ending IR after he was unable to play through fractured ribs.
“We haven’t been able to keep our same wide receiver group together for some time,” Fox said.
Fox thought that Royal looked good in practice and that White is making progress. It’s possible that both could take the field on Sunday, though that would require each showing a level of conditioning reasonable for a 60-minute game.
For White, dealing with the recovery has been a daunting task, though one he hopes carries a reward worth the wait.
“It’s difficult, but it’s part of the game,” White said. “You go through trials and tribulations. You just got to hurdle over it.”
Like White, Royal has dealt with his own frustration in missing time from football. He played in each of San Diego’s 16 games last season, then came to Chicago and missed extended time with multiple injuries, including one in training camp.
Being out for six games has brought tough times for Royal.
“It felt like forever,” he said.
Perhaps Sunday could bring the first game in which the Bears have their big target in Jeffery, their dynamic playmaker in White and their sure-handed slot receiver in Royal all on the field at the same time. But it also remains possible that White is shut down until 2016 in order to preserve his body in games that won’t feature playoff implications.
The Bears must balance whether it’s wise to play White alongside Jeffery and Royal.
“Well, like Coach Fox said, it would be safer for everyone to stay in the house if they didn’t leave,” White said. “Of course it would be safer. But it’s football.
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
Chris Emma
Chris Emma covers much of the Chicago sports scene for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. He previously worked with Scout.com and 247Sports.com. A Geneva native, he now lives in the Lakeview neighborhood. Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
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