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While the Bears suffered a blow with first-round tackle Teven Jenkins undergoing back surgery, they did get some good news with the return of guard James Daniels, who hasn’t practiced since Family Fest on Aug. 3 after suffering a quad injury.
Daniels was limited during Wednesday’s practice, but it was a positive step for a Bears offensive line that had been without three projected starters for the last couple of weeks.
By Daniels’ count, he’s missed nearly two weeks of practice. But considering Daniels is returning from a torn pectoral, which sidelined him for 11 games last season, he’s on track to get more practice than last season, which is certainly a good thing.
“I got more work this year than I did last year because there was no OTAs, we had that introductory period in camp last year,” he said. “Our first time in pads was like Aug. 10 or 12, around there. So this year, I got way more work than last year, which has been good.”
As for how Daniels feels coming off his torn pectoral, he says he’s never been better, which includes last year before his injury.
“I’m stronger,” he said. “I feel like my technique is better and so I feel like right now, I’m a way better player than I am when I got hurt last year.”
The Bears certainly need all the help they can get on the offensive line, and with Daniels entering a contract year, he has a chance to anchor the interior of that line for years to come.
