Chicago Bears injury report: Keenan Allen returns to practice Wednesday

LAKE FOREST – Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen returned to practice for the first time since Week 1. Allen was a limited participant in practice Wednesday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest.

Allen has been dealing with a heel injury since late August. He played in the season opener, but didn’t practice or play in Weeks 2 or 3. He did not even travel with the team to Indianapolis last weekend. Allen dealt with the same heel injury late last season as well.

“We’ll see where it progresses as we go,” head coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday.

Asked if the Bears think the injury might linger all season, Eberflus said, “We hope it’s something that is going to get better and stay better.”

We hope it’s something that is going to get better and stay better.”

—  Matt Eberflus, Bears head coach

Allen had four catches for 29 yards in the season opener against Tennessee. Without him last weekend in Indianapolis, Rome Odunze, DJ Moore and Cole Kmet each saw double-digit targets from quarterback Caleb Williams. Kmet hauled in a team-high 10 catches, which went for 97 yards and a touchdown. Odunze led the team in receiving yards with 112 (a career high) on six catches with one touchdown.

Allen is a 12th-year veteran who the Bears traded for in March. He would give the Bears offense another dangerous weapon.

“It’s going to be great for our offense,” Williams said of Allen’s potential return. “It’s just something else that the defense has to worry about throughout this week, and then obviously on game day.”

The Bears will have to see how Allen’s heel responds this week, but a return to practice is a step in the right direction.

Other injury news

Four Bears players sat out practice Wednesday. Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (groin), cornerback Terell Smith (hip), defensive end Darrell Taylor (illness) and right tackle Darnell Wright (back) did not participate in practice.

The Bears are making contingency plans at right tackle in case Wright is unable to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

In addition to Allen, the following players were limited participants Wednesday: defensive tackle Andrew Billings (knee), fullback Khari Blasingame (hand/knee), guard Nate Davis (groin), left tackle Braxton Jones (knee) and defensive end Montez Sweat (elbow).