Brandon Lloyd Coming Back...Not So Fast!

by Adam T on Nov 12, 2008 9:05 AM CST

There may be a little something brewing up at Halas Hall. Apparently when Bears receiver Brandon Lloyd went down with an injury he made a statement to the effect of "I'm not playing again until I'm 100%'. Some might see it as an act of self preservation, but in the game of football if you can play, you play. Now that he says he is ready to come back Bears management has told him no thanks.

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner denies Lloyd was being punished or ignored despite being healthy, saying simply that the player couldn't go, and that's why he wasn't on the active roster. Lloyd insists there was no punitive element when he was advised to take another game off in the locker room before the game. But people talk, and what they say is Lloyd should've been ready to play a couple of games ago, and his slow healing act led the team to give him more time off.

A source said the Bears did the same thing earlier in the season with Tommie Harris, a week before they finally suspended him for turning up to scheduled rehabilitation appointments when he felt like it. Was it all really a motivational ploy? Whether he just needed time off for his sore knee or a kick in the backside, Harris has responded pretty well.

Brandon Lloyd did not come to the Bears with high expectations. He was considered league wide to be an underachiever and a guy that did not put the time in, so it was low risk for the Bears to sign him to a 1-year deal. Prior to his injury Lloyd was playing well and looked like he might become the Bears best receiver.

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Bradley

Good thing Bradley is lighting things up in freaking Kansas City.

by bfos7215 on Nov 12, 2008 10:19 AM CST reply actions

I hope Lloyd isn't the NEXT Bradley

Productive sometimes, aside from health issues no one knows why he doesn’t get a chance and then he’ll go latch on somewhere else and be a good player.

Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!

by Sam Householder on Nov 12, 2008 1:17 PM CST reply actions

i dont think theres an organization

that runs their offense more poorly than the bears, on every level you can imagine… from coaching to the draft to schemes and everything else

His stats are as good as Fields -- that's the sad thing

by Jbasic89 on Nov 12, 2008 1:51 PM CST reply actions

i see no problem with this

it is one of the biggest unspoken rules of professional football out there. if you can play, you play. especially when you haven’t earned anything in this league. players will generally give a guy like peyton manning or tom brady more leeway in making decisions about wether or not they feel they can help the team out by playing with an injury but guys like brandon lloyd need to get their asses on the field. lloyd does know he is playing for a contract, right? probably not a good time to spend half the season healing when you need to put as many points on the board as you can so you can get your money.

by lopey986 on Nov 12, 2008 2:01 PM CST up reply actions

the bears aren't really a team that should be benching people to make a point

His stats are as good as Fields -- that's the sad thing

by Jbasic89 on Nov 12, 2008 2:10 PM CST up reply actions

That makes no sense

So just because you think we’re not good enough talent-wise, you think that the Bears organization should not bench players to make a point? That is an idiotic argument. If you don’t, then you breed a lack of discipline. Which would you rather have?

I'M A MAN! I'M 22!

by ChiFan13 on Nov 12, 2008 2:13 PM CST up reply actions

well

for one, we are talking about brandon lloyd and not matt forte or kyle orton. number 2, what chifan said, wether you are a good team or not you need to get it into these guys you gotta make sure everyone is on the same page (which is something that is not happening in the bears locker room these days).

by lopey986 on Nov 13, 2008 12:45 AM CST up reply actions

its a great rule...unless you get hurt

i never thought the idea of a player who was not healthy playing is necessarily something to be cheered. its a 16 game season, and if there’s a risk of reaggravating the injury and losing even more time, being a tough guy and coming back early is unbelievably stupid. yes, some athletes do baby themselves with injuries, but i’d say the vast majority know their bodies better than anyone, and if they think they’re risking further injury by being out there (as opposed to just playing in pain), i’d listen to them. lloyd not playing last week when he said he could seems to be stupid punishment for a team who needed their #1 receiver against the best team in football.

by guy incognito on Nov 13, 2008 11:43 PM CST up reply actions

Oh I haven't seen this anywhere else

And it doesn’t really deserve it’s own Fan Post but I read in USA Today that the Bears released DB Terrence Holt and promoted DE Ervin Baldwin from the Practice Squad.

Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!

by Sam Householder on Nov 12, 2008 11:12 PM CST reply actions