Tight end Adam Shaheen and outside linebacker Aaron Lynch, who were recovering from concussions, watched the Bears’ game against the Lions on Thanksgiving like most fans — from their couches and with their families.
‘‘I was a little more intense, I think, than they were,’’ Shaheen said.
Lynch said he found it to be a strange experience. He was just as excited as his teammates in Detroit, however, when safety Eddie Jackson returned his interception 41 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
‘‘It was weird,’’ he said. ‘‘It was frustrating. But we had fun.’’
Now they can be part of it again. After getting hurt against the Vikings and missing the game against the Lions, both cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and practiced Wednesday.
The timing of the concussion was particularly cruel for Shaheen, who had been activated from injured reserve the day before the game against the Vikings. He was hurt after landing on the ground on his only catch of the game, a two-point conversion pass from Mitch Trubisky.
Shaheen said managing injuries to his right ankle and foot, which put him on IR to start the season, will be more challenging than any effects from the concussion.
‘‘It was a major injury,’’ he said. ‘‘There’s been no rest for it. It’s going to be a grind to get it ready to go.’’
Lynch hopes to provide fresh legs after starters Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd played 119 of a possible 132 snaps Thursday. Not that he enjoyed sitting out the game.
‘‘It’s unfortunate how I got my rest,’’ Lynch said. ‘‘It plays a big role on my end and on the team’s end because I’ll be fresh.’’
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Hicks sits out
Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks didn’t practice because of what the team called an Achilles tendon injury. Hicks, who was a new addition to the injury report, spoke with the media Tuesday, which is standard for healthy players.
‘‘I feel recuperated,’’ he said at the time. ‘‘I feel ready to go. I feel ready to take part in this next part of our season and get after it.’’
Coach Matt Nagy, who speaks with the media before practice, not after, didn’t mention Hicks.
Cornerback Sherrick McManis, who was also new to the injury report, missed practice with a hamstring injury. Running back Benny Cunningham, who hurt his ankle against the Lions, didn’t practice, either.
Giants’ Shurmur: Daniel ‘gritty’
If Giants coach Pat Shurmur had a hunch about which Bears quarterback will start Sunday — Trubisky or Chase Daniel — he wasn’t willing to share it.
‘‘I don’t know what to expect,’’ Shurmur said. ‘‘We’re getting ready for the Bears. Regardless, they have a style they play offensively, and we’ll try to defend who shows up.’’
Shurmur praised Daniel’s ‘‘very efficient’’ effort Thursday against the Lions.
‘‘He’s got a real good knowledge of what they try to do,’’ he said. ‘‘He was able to execute at a high level. He played, in my mind, a gritty game that contributed to the win.’’
