Thread: "Bears' Knox still hopeful of playing this season"

Another article on Johnny:

LINK to the article
Johnny Knox being patient

Updated: July 25, 2012, 3:15 PM ET
By Michael C. Wright | ESPNChicago.com



BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- With inevitable placement on the active physically-unable-to-perform list looming, Chicago Bears receiver Johnny Knox contends he's making progress in rehabilitation from back surgery, but admits "there's really no timetable" for a full recovery.

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Knox also revealed he's doing some light jogging, in addition to gradually increasing his weight and strength.
"I'm still working. I don't have that same burst that I used to have," Knox said. "But that's to be expected with this injury. I'm jogging, moving around pretty good."


Knox suffered a fractured vertebra on Dec. 18 that required surgery to repair. The injury came on a devastating hit from Seattle Seahawks defensive end Anthony Hargrove that bent back Knox awkwardly. In the aftermath, Knox lay motionless on the turf at Soldier Field for several minutes as medical personnel worked on the receiver.


Knox admitted the experience was "frightening" but added an optimistic outlook has helped him to cope.


"Right now I'm setting small goals, taking it a little bit at a time," Knox said. "At first, I knew it was gonna be hard to run. But now I'm running better than I thought I would, getting my weight back a little more, doing heavier weights in the weight room. So I'm doing good."


Prior to the injury, the club listed Knox at 185 pounds, but the receiver admits he lost approximately 30 pounds in the months after his surgery. A three-year veteran, Knox earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2009 as a kick returner, and is coming off a 2011 campaign in which he led the team with 729 receiving yards.


Knox indicated he's experienced difficult days thus far in his recovery.


"Honestly (there have) been days where I've been down," Knox said. "But for the most part, I always stay positive, stay motivated. That's why I'm out here today getting better. It means a lot to me (to be around teammates). Even though I'm injured, I'm so excited to come down here and be around the guys all day every day, and just focus on just strictly rehabbing."
Fellow receiver Devin Hester says he's noticed a gradual change in Knox's confidence level throughout the rehabilitation process, but he is more concerned with his teammate's long-term health than a quick return to the football field.


Throughout Knox's ordeal, he and Hester remained in close contact during the offseason.


"He's gradually getting better. His confidence is totally building up," Hester said. "He understands the situation he's in right now. So I think that's a good (outlook for) Johnny, that he knows what his position is right now, and what it takes to get back to where he wants to be. Just him being around us is building his confidence up to get back out there even more. With that type of injury, you want to make sure you're O.K. before you even think about football. So I know that's in the back of his mind."


Knox won't take part in Wednesday's conditioning tests, and it's likely he didn't pass his pre-camp physical. General manager Phil Emery acknowledged that Knox is making "steady progress" on Tuesday, but the club plans to take the receiver's recovery day by day.
"Right now we're going to let that take its course and see where he's at, and if he does (start training camp on the PUP list) it will be on active PUP where we (can) bring him up at anytime," Emery said.
For Knox, that time can't come soon enough.


"Most definitely, I will (come back 100 percent)," Knox said. "We're all taking our time on this. They're not rushing me. I'm not rushing myself. This was a serious injury."

I think he needs to just go on IR and focus on returning next year. Strengthen that back and core as much as possible before playing football again.

He is on the PUP now.

Knox placed on PUP list

Injured wide receiver says he's improving

By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter 7:22 p.m. CDT, July 25, 2012

BOURBONNAIS — The Bears made a move anticipated for months when they placed Johnny Knox on the active-physically unable to perform list Wednesday, meaning the wide receiver failed his physical.

Knox is not eligible to practice until he's elevated from the PUP list, something that can happen at any point before the start of the regular season. He still is recovering from spinal fusion surgery that was required after a devastating hit Dec. 18 against the Seahawks.

It's impossible to say if Knox will play this season but the fourth-year veteran said he's improving.

"I don't have that same burst that I used to have, but that's to be expected with this injury," he said. "But I'm jogging and moving around pretty good.

"There's really no timetable. We're all taking our time on this. They're not rushing me, I'm not rushing myself. This was a serious injury, so we're all taking our time on this. Right now, I'm setting small goals, taking a little bit at a time. At first, I knew it was going to be hard to run. But now I'm running better than I thought I would. I'm getting my weight back a little more, doing heavier weights in the weight room. So doing good."

With speed such a vital part of Knox's game, it might be difficult for the Bears to elevate him to the active roster during the season. If Knox still is on the list when the season begins, he will have to be inactive for at least the first six weeks.

After that, the Bears would have three weeks in which he could begin practicing before a determination on his eligibility would have to be made. The good thing for him right now is that clock doesn't have to start until early November.

Emery's stamp: Looking for an imprint from new general manager Phil Emery during training camp? It could be the conditioning tests players had to take Wednesday afternoon in 99-degree heat.

It's the first time in nine summers under coach Lovie Smith the Bears have had a mandatory running test at the start of camp. Emery was a strength and conditioning coach in college before he became a pro scout. No word yet if every player received a passing grade.

Rookie success: Jay Cutler has had success with rookie wide receivers before, throwing to Eddie Royal in 2008 when the Broncos' draft pick made 91 catches for 980 yards. Royal is a different type of player than Bears' second-round pick Alshon Jeffery but the quarterback thinks he knows what the key is to a promising first season for the South Carolina product.

"Less is more with him," Cutler said. "We're going to put him in positions where he can be successful. ... Whenever you start putting these guys in positions where they have to move around, where they have to think a lot, it just slows them down. They already have enough on their plates."

Jeffery is a big body at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, and the club has talked about using him as a weapon in the red zone.

"We'll throw him in there and let him do what he's naturally capable of doing, which is go up and get the ball, get out of breaks quick," Cutler said. "He can help us in different ways."

The Bears have made the mistake of overloading rookie receivers in the past, one of the reasons Earl Bennett's growth was stunted in 2008 when he barely got on the field. The club forced him to learn all three receiver positions at once and that was too much for any player.

Extra points: Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher says his knee is feeling good and he only will be on the sideline for the occasional veteran days off that Smith puts into the schedule. … Tyler Clutts knows he faces a challenge to make the roster based on Mike Tice's preference in the past to use versatile tight ends and go without a fullback. "I want to show why they need to carry a fullback," Clutts said. … Bennett looks like he has added considerable upper body strength in the offseason.

bmbiggs@tribune.com

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

I think he needs to just go on IR and focus on returning next year. Strengthen that back and core as much as possible before playing football again.

Yeah, I'm with you PB. It's just too soon to expect him to be able to return. He's at least 15lbs under his playing weight and that was too small to begin with and even he admits that he as no burst when he runs. A 170lb WR without his speed can't play in the NFL. Even if he did recover completely as the year progressed where do you play him?

This is one of those deals where there is no sense from either his standpoint or that of the Bears for rushing it. Take the year off, rebuild your strength and speed, then add another 10lbs of muscle to that 185lbs frame of old and come back next year and win comeback player of the year.

2012 is just too soon and they're all being nice and hopeful about it but they all know it's the truth too.