Bears will open Kevin White’s 21-day practice window

Hours after it was reported that running back Matt Forte is on track to play Thursday against the Packers, more good news came from Halas Hall Tuesday.

Report: Matt Forte ‘on track’ to play Thursday against PackersThe Bears have decided not to place rookie receiver Kevin White on injured reserve but instead will begin his 21-day practice window.

The Bears have until 3 p.m. to make their decision official.

The No. 7-overall pick in April’s draft, White is currently on the physically-unable-to-perform list while he recovers from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia. The West Virginia product has yet to appear in a game for the Bears (preseason included) after suffering the injury in June.

If the Bears had decided that White was still unable to perform, they could have moved him to injured reserve, thus ending his season. Instead, they’ll begin his 21-day practice window, at the conclusion of which they must either place White on the active roster or move him to IR.

The decision comes as good news because it means White will finally be able to begin to adapt to the NFL culture and routine. What it doesn’t necessarily mean is that he’ll see the field this season.

Last month, the Bears told the Sun-Times they had no issue ending White’s season if it’s determined to be best for him in the long term.

Bears WR Kevin White in the middle of long rehab processHis skill set, of course, would be a welcomed addition for quarterback Jay Cutler, who has been forced to play significant portions of the season without top weapons Alshon Jeffery and Forte.

White caught 109 balls for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final season at West Virginia.

Bears quarterbacks to start at least three games since 1992