Stephen Paea tests ankle before preseason finale

Bears defensive tackle Stephen Paea, whose strong preseason was derailed by an ankle injury, did some running under the watchful eye of a medical official at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Paea was competing with Matt Toeaina for the starting defensive tackle spot next to Henry Melton. At the start of camp, Toeaina had a cast on his right hand, and Paea — looking strong and explosive — got off to a strong start. But, against the Denver Broncos in the preseason opener, Paea injured his ankle.

There’s hope that he’ll be ready to resume practice next week.