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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive end Corey Wootton hasn't ruled out returning from a knee injury in time for the regular season opener on September 11.

However, the 2010 fourth-round pick has yet to practice since undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair meniscus damage in his right knee. Wootton suffered the injury covering the opening kickoff in the Bears preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills on August 13.

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"It's going well," Wootton said Tuesday. "I've just been strengthening (the knee), you know the strength isn't too far away from normal. I started jogging on the treadmill, so I'm hoping to maybe be back in there for the first game, hopefully."

However, Wootton refused to put a timetable on when he'd be cleared to return to the practice field.

"I don't have a clue, they haven't told me," Wootton said.

Wootton is no stranger to knee problems. The former Northwestern standout tore his ACL in the 2008 Alamo Bowl, an injury that continued to bother the defensive end the following season with the Wildcats. In fact, Wootton admitted his right knee wasn't one hundred percent last summer when he arrived in Bourbonnais for his rookie campaign with the Bears.

"This is nothing (compared to the college injury), I was basically walking the day after surgery," Wootton said. "I think it was a good thing because it helped clean out scar tissue I had from my previous surgery. My range of motion is great, it improved a little bit, so I'm feeling good."

The Bears remain committed to Wootton seeing time in the defensive end rotation, but his injury has allowed the team to take a hard look at Mario Addison and Nick Reed. The team could also scan the waiver wire for help at the end spot because there's no guarantee Wootton will be ready to begin practice at the start of next week.

Jeff Dickerson covers the Bears for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.

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Jeff Dickerson | email

Chicago Bears beat reporter

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Dickerson has been the Bears beat reporter for ESPN Chicago since 2004. He also hosts weeknight radio shows on ESPN 1000.