Dec. 02--Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould sat out practice Tuesday at Halas Hall with a sore quadriceps, a new injury that popped up somewhere between the end of Monday's practice and Tuesday morning.
And with a Thursday game against the Dallas Cowboys upcoming at Soldier Field, Gould's availability could be in question.
That left rookie punter Pat O'Donnell going through some placekicking paces Tuesday, preparing in case he's needed in an emergency to kick off or attempt field goals and extra points.
"Hopefully," O'Donnell said with a laugh, "we don't have to cross that bridge."
And who might hold for O'Donnell, who usually handles those duties for Gould?
"Good question," the rookie said. "Probably Jay (Cutler) or one of the quarterbacks. Jimmy Clausen (perhaps)."
The best-case scenario, of course, is that Gould's soreness dissipates before Thursday night and he's ready to go as usual. That's what O'Donnell is envisioning.
"Hopefully Robbie should be good to go," he said.
Bears coach Marc Trestman classified Tuesday's absence for Gould as rest to help the kicker's discomfort. So the Bears aren't overreacting and have confidence in O'Donnell, who kicked off during his college career at Cincinnati and Miami.
Still, if things look bleak Wednesday, the Bears could always do some last-minute shopping to pull in a kicker from free agency.
"I think that's an organizational issue," Trestman said. "But like I said, we'll see where (Robbie) is tomorrow."
Gould, you may recall, missed the final three games of the Bears' 2012 season after suffering a calf injury in warmups in a Week 14 game at Minnesota. Those are the only contests he's missed since joining the Bears in 2005.
In other injury news, receiver Alshon Jeffery missed Tuesday's practice with a hamstring injury. Chris Conte returned to the field as a limited participant with an eye issue. Defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff (knee) was also limited.
