NEWS: Orton not ruling anything out

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By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald Columnist

Published: 11/6/2008 12:05 AM


Walking without a limp, Kyle Orton said he has not ruled out playing Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

But he did not participate in Wednesday's practice.

Orton did not look like he'd be able to play in three days, but it also didn't appear that he'd be out a month, as some reports claimed Sunday, shortly after he was injured just before halftime.

It also was reported that the injury was a high-ankle sprain, which normally takes much longer to heal than the conventional "inversion" ankle sprain, where the ankle rolls outward and the foot turns inward.

"It was sore when I woke up Monday morning," said Orton, who described the injury simply as "an ankle sprain" without mentioning its severity or nature. "I don't know the definition of a high-ankle sprain or anything like that. I just know my ankle is sprained.

"(But) it's been a good couple days. I woke up Monday morning feeling better than I did on Sunday. I woke up (Wednesday) morning feeling better than I did (Tuesday). Hopefully I'll be able to give it a shot on Sunday."

That would be shocking, but it does seem Orton has a chance to be back in the lineup against the Packers on Nov. 16 at Green Bay. When he spoke to the media, the four-year veteran wore only a small elastic wrap around his injured right ankle.

Bears coach Lovie Smith was, as always, coy when the topic is an injured player.

"(I'm) optimistic we'll have him back soon," Smith said. "Soon can mean a lot of things."

Asked for a definition of "soon," Smith elaborated without clarifying.

"Well, I have my definition of it," he said. "You can go a lot of different ways with 'soon.' Soon could be tomorrow, the next day, three weeks from there - maybe at the end of the year."

As far as this week, Orton will spend much more time rehabbing than practicing, and he has not been given a timetable by the Bears' athletic trainers.

"It's week to week," Orton said. "I don't think you can put a time line on it. If it happens (this week), it happens and it's great. If not, then we'll go to the Green Bay game and I'll try to make it for that one."

Orton said he had no discomfort standing at the podium Wednesday. But when asked what went through his mind at the instant he was injured, he said, "Ouch."

After he got off the ground, Orton tried to limp off the field only to collapse. He was removed on a motorized cart.

"It hurt," he said. "I was trying to get off the field, but it just wasn't going to happen."

Rex Grossman, who lost out to Orton in a preseason battle for the No. 1 job, is expected to start Sunday for the first time since last Dec. 6, when he was sidelined for the remainder of the season by a sprained knee.

Grossman took all the first-team reps at Wednesday's practice, while third-stringer Caleb Hanie ran the scout team.

"I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen," Grossman said, "but I'm preparing like I'm playing and going out there excited for the opportunity. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen, but I'm going in as if I'm playing and (if not) I'll worry about that on Sunday."

Teammates hope for a speedy return by Orton, whose 90.8 passer rating is 10th-best in the NFL, but say they're confident Grossman, whose career passer rating entering this season was 70.9, can step in and perform well.

"Rex is a big luxury to have," said six-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz. "He's a good quarterback. We've seen that around here a lot. In the NFL, you need two good quarterbacks, and we've got two."

Since Orton will get little if any work in practice this week, it's extremely doubtful he would come in cold Sunday to face one of the NFL's toughest defenses.

"It'd be tough," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "It's tough for anybody at any position to play if you don't practice, quarterbacks especially."

Grossman didn't get any snaps with the first team last week before he relieved Orton, but he will get most if not all of this week's practice snaps.

"We feel great about Rex," Turner said. "I think every guy in that locker room does. We know what he can do. We've won with him in the past.

"He has been preparing very well through the eight games that he didn't start, and he stayed ready to go. We feel fortunate. We have two quarterbacks we can win with."







Backup QB Hanie plans to be ready

By Bob LeGere | Daily Herald Columnist

Published: 11/6/2008 12:05 AM


Assuming Kyle Orton doesn't play this week, third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie, an undrafted rookie from Colorado State, could be just one Rex Grossman injury away from his NFL debut.

"I'm just going to get myself ready this week and have a good week of practice, so I can feel confident and ready if I ever have to go in," the 23-year-old Hanie said. "It's crazy to see where I've come from as far as (being from) a small town (Forney) in Texas, not going to one of the prestigious BCS colleges, and being here now. I've always hoped and thought that I would be at this point, so I'm glad to be here."

Hanie has been splitting the scout team reps with Grossman the past few weeks, but he should get all those snaps this week while Grossman works with the first team. Hanie completed 29 of 49 passes in the preseason (59.2 percent) for 321 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for an 82.1 passer rating, but he has been the inactive third quarterback for all eight regular-season games.

Mum's the word: Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd returned to full practice for the first time since suffering a sprained knee Sept. 28.

"It's been improving," Lloyd said. "It's just been going a little slower than I expected."

In Lloyd's absence, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester and Marty Booker have helped the Bears improve from 21st in passing yards to 16th, and rookie Earl Bennett has been active for four games after sitting out the first four.

Asked about Lloyd on Wednesday, Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake said: "You want to talk to me? Talk to me about Marty Booker. Talk to me about Rashied Davis. Talk to me about Devin Hester. Talk to me about Earl Bennett. When Brandon gets out there, then we'll talk about him."

Character counts: Center Olin Kreutz said the way Rex Grossman reacted after losing his job to Kyle Orton in the preseason and the way he's handled adversity says a lot about his character.

"He's always been a guy with a great character," Kreutz said. "He took a beating (from fans and media) when he started. He hasn't had an easy career around here. Not many guys can handle that, but he still hung in there and he comes in and does his job."

Injury update: Safety Danieal Manning returned to full practice for the first time since a hamstring injury Oct. 12.

Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (thumb) was limited at practice, and five players did not practice at all: wide receiver Marty Booker (rest), safety Mike Brown (calf), defensive tackle Tommie Harris (rest), quarterback Kyle Orton (ankle) and cornerback Charles Tillman (rest).
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