Bears running back Matt Forte received some positive news Monday morning.
An MRI confirmed that he had an MCL tear in his right knee and that he didn't suffer any additional damage, according to a league source. The MRI also revealed that it is a Grade II MCL tear.
That's the same grade as Jay Cutler, who left the NFC title game with an MCL tear.
The injury means there is pain and tenderness and possibly some swelling. The general timetable for that would be two weeks on the low end and four weeks on the high end.
That means, at best, Forte could be available Dec. 25 against the Green Bay Packers.
But as S-T columnist Rick Morrissey pointed out in his column today will Forte want to rush back?
Forte is believed to be strongly considering a platelet rich plasma injection, which can accelerate healing by a week. It can be a single injection or a series, but they don't always work. The injection usually takes place within 48 to 72 hours of the injury, said Dr. Daniel Kharrazi, a surgeon at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.
He added that it usually takes a week for the injection to kick in.
While not always a sure-fire bet, Dr. Kharrazi said it is often effective with MCL sprains.
Let's be optimistic, Sean, and hope he's fast healer. However, unless the offensive line imprves and the quarterback hits a couple of passes on occasion, whoever is in the backfield is irrelevant because they'll be tackled before they get started.