Receiver Earl Bennett’s recovery from his a concussion – his second in two years – isn’t as fast as defensive tackle Henry Melton’s, but he is making progress.
Bennett, who suffered his concussion Aug. 3, was active for the second day in a row on Wednesday.
“He had a helmet on, shoulder pads, was running around,” coach Marc Trestman said. “He caught some balls out here in practice today. He’s day-to-day. But it’s encouraging. He’s been released to work and begin his re-conditioning process. So that’s a good sign.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bears were discussing trades for Bennett. A move, though, seems unlikely with Bennett having been out for nearly all of August.
A move would free up some salary-cap space, but quarterback Jay Cutler and offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer are looking forward to his return.
“Definitely Earl is a big miss for us,” Kromer said. “Anytime you lose someone of that caliber and he’s not able to practice, it hurts him and it hurts the family. We’re hoping he can come back. All we can do is wait.”
Cutler has connection with Bennett going back to their time at Vanderbilt together. Cutler also knows what it’s like to go through a concussion, doing so last season like Bennett.
“I think there’s that consistency at the slot position and being able to bump him outside,” Cutler said. “Earl’s a guy that can play all three of them. He keeps everyone at ease in the huddle because he knows exactly what to do. If anybody on the outside isn’t sure, Earl can get him lined up and get him going.
“Hopefully, we get him back soon. Concussions get a little scary. There’s a lot of attention on those. We’ve just got to take it day by day. When he comes back, he’ll be an immediate playmaker for us.”
