Pernell McPhee’s rehab is going slow, he may start the season on the PUP list

It was always a real possibility that Chicago Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee would begin the 2016 season on the Physically Unable top Perform list. Once the team placed him on the offseason PUP list, that became evident, but most didn’t want to think the worst.

Especially when the Bears kept dropping hints that his knee procedure was a minor one and that he could return before the season opened.

We should have known better after Kevin White went from day to day, to surgery, to the PUP list last offseason.

The Bears, as most teams do, are very vague when discussing injuries. They really don’t have to disclose anything, but they also don’t need to make it seem a player is in better shape than he really is.

The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted the following earlier today, “Pernell McPhee (knee) faces the real prospect of starting the season on PUP,” which would mean McPhee is lost for at least six games. Rapoport continues to say that McPhee’s “rehab has been slow.”

Yesterday, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times wrote this,

On Monday at Halas Hall — 13 days before the Bears open the regular season against the Texans in Houston — McPhee’s movements included dropping back as though in pass coverage.

The issue is that McPhee is working apart from the team. His activities have increased, but he remains on the physically unable-to-perform list after having surgery on his left knee in late February.

McPhee’s sideline workouts may have increased, with head coach John Fox saying, “I don’t like putting timelines [on injuries], but I think he’s closer than he was last week,’’ but the Bears will need to decide if he’s close enough to remove from the PUP list, only to stay inactive for a few weeks into the season.

If his timeline for return is week 4 or 5, is it worth using a roster spot on a guy that is lost for a quarter of the season?

What do you guys think will happen with McPhee?

Here’s the rest of the injury round up from today at Halas Hall.

John Fox is expecting Kyle Long back very soon saying, "We’re anticipating him at least being back out there to get ready for Houston." That’s a strong statement that tells me he’ll be at practice by September 6th at the latest.

Danny Trevathan was held out of practice with a sore hamstring again. It’s worth noting that he missed time last week with a hammy too, but he played 20 snaps on D and another on special teams during Saturday’s game. Having him ready for the Texans is all that matters now, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him sit out until next Tuesday.

Safety Harold Jones-Quartey is the latest Bear to get hit with that illness that is making its way around Halas Hall.

Tracy Porter was also out while he goes through concussion protocol.

In non Bears injury news, Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater suffered what appears to be a very serious knee injury at practice today. The Vikes actually cancelled practice when Bridgewater went down.