Bears linebacker Lance Briggs went to see the doctor on Tuesday for an examination of his fractured shoulder, but the visit did not result in clearance to return to the field.
That makes it unlikely that Briggs will return to the lineup for the Week 15 game against the Browns, although the linebacker said he’ll be evaluated again in a couple of days so he’s not ruling himself out for Sunday. In order to play, though, Briggs says he needs to feel like he can defend himself on the field and that’s not where he is at this point in his recovery.
“The thing about it is, I understand why I haven’t been cleared,” Briggs said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “Being a linebacker on the field, it’s violent. You have to tackle. You have to take on a lot of people. If at any point you deal with the shoulder, which you use all the time, you risk setting yourself back.”
In six games without Briggs, the Bears have allowed 1,220 rushing yards. That pace would make them the worst run defense in history over the course of a 16-game season, which makes the benefit of Briggs’ return obvious even if it wouldn’t solve all the defensive problems in Chicago.