Bear Digest

Tracking the Bears at Camp: DJ Moore Injury Scare at Practice

Wide receiver DJ Moore had to leave practice Wednesday after falling down out of bounds on a pass with Jaylon Johnson defending, and although he returned later his status is unclear.

Gene Chamberlain

DJ Moore had an injury scare during Wednesday's practice but returned later to finish.
DJ Moore had an injury scare during Wednesday's practice but returned later to finish. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
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For a few moments at Wednesday's practice, Bears fans in attendance held their collective breath.

Wide receiver D.J. Moore had gone down hard to the sideline unsuccessfully trying to pull a pass in that Jaylon Johnson broke up. Then Moore needed assistance getting off the practice field as he limped to the sideline.

After being treated in a sitting position on the grass by team medical personnel, Moore did stand up and walk around. He returned to the field at the end of practice in the two-minute drill.

Moore's injury will be something to watch going forward with the Cincinnati Bengals due in at Halas Hall Thursday afternoon for a practice.

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The injury came on a day when the Bears did get more injured players involved. Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon practiced after being out a few weeks and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson started out on the practice field. Almost the entire starting defense was on the field at one point for the first time since early in camp but it was short-lived.

Stevenson left about halfway through practice and went to work in the rehab area afterward.

Quarterback Brett Rypien, guard/center Ryan Bates, safety Jaquan Brisker, wide receiver Collin Johnson, return man/wide receiver DeAndre Carter, safety Adrian Colbert, edge rusher Jake Martin, offensive lineman Theo Benedet and running back Roschon Johnson were out of practice.

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Defensive end Montez Sweat is slowly ramping up toward 100% health and was on the field during part of practice but left when they ran the two-minute drill at the end of practice.

Guard Nate Davis went through virtually a full practice as he made a return from a soft tissue injury to practice with starters. 

It's Practice, Man

In a shorter padded practice, the offense produced more plays than in some other practices but in the end the starters couldn't get the ball to the end zone during the two-minute drill.  ... One of the more beautifully timed plays of camp by the offense was a crossing pattern Caleb Williams completed to Dante Pettis. It looked like Pettis has often looked when healthy in the past. Williams completed another sharp throw over the middle against the zone to tight end Cole Kmet for 21 yards, but that two-minute drive bogged down on downs immediately afterward. ... Besides breaking up the pass Moore was injured on, Johnson also deflected a throw intended for Rome Odunze. ... During full squad scrimmage, linebacker T.J. Edwards fell on a fumble by D'Andre Swift. ... Austin Reed took third QB snaps for the day with Rypien out. A pass rush by Daniel Hardy blew up one of his throws on the run. Hardy batted the ball up into the air and nearly was able to retrieve it before it hit the ground for an incompletion.

Nice Marmot

Velus Jones Jr. went into great detail about how he and Colts receiver Michael Pittman in college adopted a pet ferret named Crash, after it was revealed on HBO's Hard Knocks that he had one.

After seeing one in a Petsmart they had to have one but they didn't buy it from the pet store. The way they obtained it for $350 didn't sound like a routine matter at all. It sounded more like they were buying something illegal.

"We went to South Central somewhere, went down some alleyway and looked at each other," Jones said. "I told him to keep the car running. Me and Pitt looking up like, 'They're taking too long.' We see somebody peek their head out like this and go back. I'm like, ‘we might as well go and get up out of here.' And then he actually came out and had a small ferret in his hand and I was like, 'OK this is legit.' My heart was racing though.

"We got the ferret and paid the guy. I think Crash cost like $350. He was de-scented. Ferrets have got like an odor but his odor wasn’t as bad. He was neutered and he was de-scented. When I got him I was terrified. It kept biting me. Pitt was like, don’t let him fall, you're gotta hurt him. We fell in love with him. Also Chase McGrath — shout out to him. Game-winning field goal kicker that beat Alabama. Go Vols. He used to watch him a lot. JT Daniels watched him a lot. He didn't like Chase for some reason. Also he bit Michael Pittman’s mom."

Crash was euthanized after some strange circumstances. They found him paralyzed one day.

At least it wasn't as bad of an ending as the monkey former Bears coach John Fox had as a kid. He had told the Halas Hall lmedia they left it tied up outside in the heat and in dehydrated and died.

Return Engagement

One of the better punt returns and bigger surprises came in Saturday's preseason win against Buffalo. They used backup slot cornerback Josh Blackwell to do it. Blackwell had done it a little in college but so far hadn't done it for the Bears, but he broke a 20-yarder.

"First thing I see with Blackwell is that he's fearless," special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. "And he's a very smart, cerebral player. And he wants to do everything right.

"So we're just trying to give him an opportunity along with other guys so we can see what we have just in case we need to go that route."

Weather Watchers

The Thursday afternoon practice with the Bengals is one slated to be open to the public but storms are forecast and it's possible it might need to be moved indoors to the Payton Center. The public wouldn't be allowed in there. It's the last practice slated to be open to the general public.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.