Add another player who is targeting a return for the season opener.
Adam Podlesh, who has had a strong preseason, suffered a hip flexor on Washington Redskins receiver Brandon Banks’ 91-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter.
Bears coach Lovie Smith said he should be “OK,” but the punter will get an MRI Sunday morning.
“I just felt a little something there,” Podlesh said of trying to cut the angle of Banks. “I plan on being back Week 1. From what I’ve heard so far, it seems pretty positive.
“We’ll rehab it until Week 1, and we should be good.”
Podlesh noted that it’s not his kicking leg.
“That’s a positive,” he said. “If it was it would be a little tougher to do my motion, obviously. So that’s another positive.”
Ryan Quigley, a rookie from Boston College, is the only other punter on the roster. He averaged 41.5 yards per punt Saturday night, with a long of 44 yards. Podlesh’s longest punt was 51 yards.
Podlesh is also the holder for kicker Robbie Gould, but Quigley didn’t have any disastrous holds Saturday night. He was holding when Gould kicked the game-winning 57-yarder.
If the Bears opted to bring in a veteran, there’s one familiar face: Brad Maynard. According to The Sideline View, Maynard is one of the best available veteran punters, along with Daniel Sepulveda, Matt Turk, Jason Baker and Chris Bryan.
UPDATE: Podlesh wrote on his Twitter account: “Thanks for all the tweets guys. I will be back on the field ASAP!”
