SB Nation Chicago - Brian Urlacher Injury: Chicago Bears Linebacker Has Knee Surgery, Plans To Play Week 1

Chicago Bears Pessimistic Brian Urlacher Will Be Ready For Week 1

2012-08-23T17:51:08Z

Brian Urlacher has been sidelined most of camp with a left knee injury, a nagging issue which has the star linebacker's status for Week 1 in doubt, says Ian Rapoport at NFL.com.

It's been reported that Urlacher went to Germany for treatment not approved in the United States, which the Bears have been reluctant to discuss but was done with hopes his knee will heal in time for the first regular season game. But Rapoport was told the Bears are pessimistic that Urlacher will be ready by then. Urlacher and coach Lovie Smith haven't been too open about the situation with the media, as the Chicago Tribune pointed out Wednesday.

The Bears have allowed Urlacher to proceed as if he'll play in Week 1, but are preparing as though he won't. Urlacher has said his goal is to be ready for the Indianapolis Colts, but more important to the Bears might be the pivotal Week 2 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

Internally, the Bears are reported to be as though Urlacher won't be able to go Week 1 and are setting their sights on preparing him for Week 2 vs. the Packers. The Bears obviously hope Urlacher can practice before then, which he hasn't done much of so far this camp.

For more on the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron or SB Nation Chicago. For more news, notes and analysis from around football, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Brian Urlacher Injury: Surgeon For Derrick Rose Explains Procedure Possibly Used On Bears LB

2012-08-23T14:07:27Z

Chicago Bears' star linebacker Brian Urlacher reportedly sought alternative treatment on his knee in Europe in late-May or early-June, so CSN-Chicago talked to the surgeon that repaired the ACL of Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose -- Cartilage Restoration Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Brian Cole -- to help explain the medical theories behind alternative procedures.

Cole broke down the platelet-rich "Regenokine therapy" pioneered by German doctor Peter Wehling, and ultimately noted that clinical trials have not been conclusively supportive of the therapy's efficacy. He also said that under the wrong circumstances it could actually create a negative healing environment. Here is the video interview with Dr. Cole, via CSN-Chicago:

It should be noted that no sources have confirmed that this is the actual procedure Urlacher underwent while in Europe, but if you have been wondering whether it will be the panacea for whatever ails the talented linebacker, Dr. Cole cast some doubt on that assumption.

For more on the Bears, be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. For additional pro football coverage, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Brian Urlacher Injury: Urlacher Went To Europe For Knee Treatment

2012-08-22T13:09:42Z

According to Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher sought alternative treatment on his knee in Europe in late-May or early-June. Mulligan's sources are not entirely clear if Urlacher saw Dr. Peter Wehling, the German doctor who famously treated Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez using the "Regenokine therapy" that he pioneered. That is, though, the implication of Mulligan's report.

Neither Urlacher nor the Bears had a comment on the report, which adds a bit of color to Urlacher's tumultuous rehab of his left knee. Urlacher has participated in training camp for only six days so far this offseason, and still maintains that he will be on the field when the Bears take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the 2012 season.

For more on the Bears, be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. For additional pro football coverage, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Brian Urlacher's Recent Knee Surgery Was His Third In 2012

2012-08-16T23:44:05Z

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has had not one, not two, but three knee surgeries this year, according to CSNChicago.com, who confirmed it with NFL sources.

Urlacher hurt his knee vs. the Minnesota Vikings in the Bears' final game of the season on Jan. 1, and underwent a minor procedure shortly thereafter. Sometime during the spring, Urlacher had a second surgery done on the knee. Now, with Tuesday's procedure to attempt to reduce swelling and pain, that makes a triad of operations on the 34 year old star.

It has been a rough week off the field for Urlacher, who recently split up with Jenny McCarthy. Now, he and the Bears face on the field concerns. Both parties must worry about whether or not the knee will be strong enough to withstand the week-to-week grind that the NFL season presents.

In 13 seasons, the veteran linebacker has amassed nearly 1300 tackles and 41.5 sacks.

For more on the Bears, be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. For additional pro football coverage, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Brian Urlacher And Jenny McCarthy Break Up; Ruin Air And Water Show For Everyone

2012-08-16T20:29:27Z

As you know, I've been on the Jenny McCarthy/Brian Urlacher beat since it was first announced they were together and all the way through that time McCarthy texted a nudy pic of herself to her son's dentist. I even went as far as to give them a power couple name I just made up five seconds ago: Brenny McLacher. Hmm. That sounds like a name some hipster single mom would totally name her kid. How about... Jian Urthy. Whatever. Moving on.

Well, today, it all ends. (Never forget.) It has been reported Chicago's First Couple has broken up. There are no words. Just Pouty Jay Cutler. Sad Jay Cutler. And Distraught Jay Cutler. Jay Cutler is really taking this hard. McCarthy's total B.S. statement following the jump.

"Brian and I have decided to turn our romance into an amazing friendship," McCarthy told People in a statement on Thursday. "I will continue to be the biggest cheerleader for him. Go, Bears!"

Yuck.

You know what Brian Urlacher's biggest cheerleader would do? Not break up with him after a knee surgery. Brian Urlacher's biggest fan would nurse her man back to health like -- I can do this! -- Kristin Cavallari nursed poor, broken down Jay Cutler. Jenny McCarthy, you can learn a thing or two from -- I am doing it! -- Kristin Cavallari.

Who knows, maybe Jim Carrey and McCarthy can get back together some time soon so he'll stop making shitty movies. One can only hope.

Twitter @ZWMartin

Chicago Bears Linebacker Brian Urlacher Is Walking Without A Brace, Reemphasizes Desire To Play Week 1

2012-08-16T17:46:26Z

The NFL regular season is right around the corner, which means its time to for Chicago Bears fans to do all of the necessary rituals and whatever it takes to ensure linebacker Brian Urlacher stays healthy. They're just about a totally different team without him, and unfortunately, he's had a lot of injury issues over the last couple seasons.

So when it was announced that Urlacher had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Tuesday, the fanbase drew a collective breath. Initial reports stated that Urlacher would be able to return for the regular season and that the procedure was minor, but its likely there are still a few holding onto that last bit of air.

Urlacher had a conference on Thursday to address the issue and it's good news. The Northwest Herald's Twitter account, Bears Insider, had a couple of Tweets with quotes from Urlacher. The most notable was the one in which Urlacher says he feels good and is still on track for the Sept. 9 season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Tweet also reveals that Urlacher is walking without a brace, just two days after the procedure, which, according to a Tweet from Brad Biggs, was decided upon Monday night. Walking without a brace two days removed from the scope is definitely a good sign, given that the regular season is still over three weeks away at this point.

Stay with this StoryStream for more Bears training camp coverage, and be sure to check out Windy City Gridiron for more Bears football news. Also head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more training camp coverage from around the league.

Bears Training Camp: Chicago LB Brian Urlacher Will Reportedly Be Ready For Opener After Knee Surgery

2012-08-14T22:26:40Z

With the start of the 2012 NFL season less than a month away, Chicago Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher had arthroscopic surgery on his knee on Tuesday afternoon. In order to quell the storm, Chicago general manager Phil Emery informed Bears sideline reporter Zach Zaidman that the procedure took place solely to speed up Urlacher's recovery time rather than delay it:

Emery on Urlacher: "We moved forward feeling like this will even enhance his ability to be ready for the opener and that's why we did it."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) August 14, 2012

Although it's a tad hard to believe that a surgery exactly 26 days before Urlacher's expected return will allow him to get on the field faster, Emery's sheer confidence is good sign for Bears fans. Even if Urlacher's recovery takes a bit longer than expected, he still would have a great shot to be in uniform for Chicago's September 13th trip to face Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night in week two.

Stay with this StoryStream for more Bears training camp coverage, and be sure to check out Windy City Gridiron for more Bears football news. Also head over to SB Nation's NFL hub for more training camp coverage from around the league.

Brian Urlacher Has Knee Surgery, Chicago Bears' Super Bowl Chances Hang In Balance

2012-08-14T16:03:56Z

Perhaps an offseason spent on the sideline and a week's worth of missed training camp practices in Bourbonnais meant surgery for Brian Urlacher was always inevitable. But as the news hit Tuesday afternoon that the Chicago Bears' star linebacker had undergone what the team Twitter account called an "arthroscopic debridement procedure on the left knee", a jarring aftershock was still triggered around the city. Suddenly, the Bears' Super Bowl aspirations feel increasingly fragile.

O'Donnell: Chicago Bears Training Camp: Notes From A Final Sunday In Bourbonnais

The Bears boast a talented roster coming into the season, but they're far from the only team in their conference who can make that claim. Just in their own division, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions could easily win double-digit games. The NFC East has the reigning champion New York Giants and the exciting-as-all-get-out Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints and Falcons are tough in the South, the San Francisco 49ers are a trendy Super Bowl pick coming out to the West. The point: yeah, the Bears are good, but so are lots of other teams. The NFC could come down to whoever stays the healthiest. It isn't a comforting sign the longtime face of the franchise is already banged up to a significant degree just weeks before the season starts.

The Bears are saying Urlacher's goal remains unchanged: he wants to play Week 1 vs. the Indianapolis Colts. Is it feasible? Who knows. It certainly seems difficult to imagine Urlacher being out there at the height of his powers just three weeks after knee surgery, no matter how "non-invasive" the team claims the procedure was.

O'Donnell: Brian Urlacher Injury: When Do We Worry About The Chicago Bears Middle Linebacker?

Urlacher suffered the injury during the Bears' Week 17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings and did not participate in OTA workouts this offseason. He practiced in the beginning of training camp before his knee became sore and eventually sidelined him again.

As I noted after covering the Bears on Sunday in Bourbonnais: it's the only storyline at camp anyone cares about. For over a decade, the Bears have gone as far as Urlacher's taken them. This surgery is such a sobering blow.