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.
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