Chicago Bears punter Adam Podlesh is dramatically ahead of schedule after suffering a left hip-flexor injury on August 18 and may be ready for the season opener on September 9, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
Podlesh was originally thought to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with the injury, which translates to three-to-four regular season games, however, Podlesh's current recovery pace makes his availabilty reasonably possible for the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Podlesh did not explicitly discuss his injury on Sunday, however, McClure writes that Podlesh did acknowledge that he is ahead of schedule.
Podlesh was a fourth round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2007 NFL Draft but was signed by the Chicago Bears prior to last season and played in all 16 games. If Podlesh is unable to play on September 9, rookie punter Ryan Quigley would assume the punting duties for Chicago.
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