On Monday the Chicago Bears got one of their rookie second-round picks back on the practice field, as wide receiver Luther Burden participated for the first time since rookie minicamp. But as the injury Gods giveth, they can also taketh way just as quickly.
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Bears rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner may be out for a month due to an ankle sprain he suffered during the first training camp practice last week.
"Second-round pick Shemar Turner will be out for some time. The defensive tackle left near the end of the first practice of camp Wednesday with an ankle sprain. The Bears are believed to be bracing for Turner to be sidelined at least a month, which could challenge the Texas A&M product to be ready for the start of the season and almost certainly precludes him from playing in preseason games."
Biggs went on to note the shin injury Turner player through last year at Texas A&M, and after surgery he missed the Senior Bowl. The timing of this new injury is unfortunate, whether it's to the same leg as last year's injury or not.
Biggs also noted the grimmer side of that less than ideal timing, with the current expectation for how long Turner will be out.
"The Bears have to feel pretty good he will bounce back, but the timing is unfortunate. This could force them to ponder placing Turner on injured reserve with a designation to return."
Shemar Turner now has a real uphill climb to contribute early in his rookie season
If Turner ends up on IR to start the season, which Biggs noted as a possibility but not necessarily a likelihood, he would have to miss at least the first four games. In any case he's going to miss a lot of important practice time during training camp as Dennis Allen installs his defense, and whatever level of playing time he would've had in preseason games, to be as ready as he could be for the season.
Turner's rookie season is not already a lost cause due to this training camp ankle injury, and maybe he won't be out as long as Briggs reported the Bears are bracing for. But his early-season contributions are in line to be minimized because of it. If only so he can ramp up after missing a lot of camp and preseason time, there's a chance he misses a couple games early in the season even if he's not put on IR.
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Turner's injury situation is broadly not ideal all the way around, but it could be a lot worse.