Is Chicago coach Lovie Smith simply throwing dirt in the water for competitive reasons, or is there a real possibility that quarterback Kyle Orton's ankle injury isn't as serious as initially believed?
ESPN's Michael Smith and other media outlets reported Sunday night that Orton would miss a month because of a high ankle sprain. Monday, however, Lovie Smith warned against drawing any conclusions while speaking to reporters at the Bears' practice facility.
"I'm not playing doctor; you shouldn't either," Smith said. "You should let us come and tell you once we know for sure exactly what the injury is. We're hopeful, I'll just say that."
Smith wouldn't be the first NFL coach to obscure the news for competitive reasons. And the Bears wouldn't be the first team to provide an exact injury diagnosis in a less than timely manner. Everything is competitive in the NFL, and if the Tennessee Titans have to spend extra time preparing for two quarterbacks in Sunday's game at Soldier Field, then Smith's mission will have been accomplished.
The Bears should consider it good news that Orton isn't lost for the season. He appeared to be in agonizing pain immediately after the injury. And any time a cart is summoned, you know a team's medical staff isn't messing around.
A betting man would have to assume that backup Rex Grossman will start against the Titans. But Smith said just enough Monday to carry some doubt into the practice week.
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Kevin Seifert
Seifert joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Minnesota Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for eight years. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and daughter.