Thread: Carimi feels good after live drills

We need this guy to be healthy all year long.

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Carimi feels good after live drills


BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Chicago Bears starting right tackle Gabe Carimi reported no health problems one day after participating in live drills for the first time since he partially dislocated his right knee cap in Week 2 of the 2011 regular season against the New Orleans Saints. Carimi eventually underwent several procedures on the knee which wiped out the majority of his rookie season and forced him to miss a good portion of the club's offseason workout program.

"Overall, the good point to take away (from the first practice) was that my knee didn't hurt while I was out there and I didn't really think about it while I was out there," Carimi said on Sunday. "There are a lot of positives (to draw from Saturday) after not putting the pads on for ten months and finally going back out there after almost a year of not playing.'

"It was a good one to get under the belt for sure."

Carimi said he felt confident his knee would hold up during the first fully padded practice.

"That would be suicidal to have doubt but I knew there would be some rust," Carimi said. "I knew it wasn't going to be exactly where I left off at, but I think there were some good positive notes. I don't think I was that far off the mark where it'll be pretty easy to get back."

By Fred Mitchell, Tribune reporter 2:25 p.m. CDT, July 29, 2012

BOURBONNAIS -- Chicago Bears tackle Gabe Carimi would like to forget his rookie season, but everyone keeps reminding him that he played less than six quarters before a knee injury sidelined him the rest of the year.

The 6-foot-7, 316-pound first-round pick in 2011 played left tackle throughout his stellar career at Wisconsin. He was switched immediately to right tackle by the Bears and started the first two games before being felled in New Orleans on Sept. 18.

Carimi tested his rehabilitated right knee in full-contact action for the first time Saturday night.

“Just a little rusty, there was some good stuff though,” Carimi said Sunday. “Overall, a great point to take away from it was that it didn’t hurt while I was in there and I didn’t really think about it when I was in there. So there’s a lot of positives for not putting pads on for 10 months and finally going back out there ... almost a whole year without playing. But there’s still work to be done.”

fmitchell@tribune.com