Partial relief for Bears: Urlacher injury not bad as feared

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Brian Urlacher walked into a meeting room Monday with no noticeable limp, an encouraging sign for the Chicago Bears, still reeling from their first loss.

An MRI exam showed the star linebacker has a sprained big toe on his left foot and not the major injury the team had feared.

"Brian means quite a bit to our football team, so that was cause for concern, but we feel a lot better about it now," coach Lovie Smith said Monday.

Whether Urlacher will be able to play this Sunday against the Giants was undetermined. But as the Bears tried to digest a 31-13 beating from Miami after seven straight wins, the news about Urlacher was some consolation.

"I was relieved to come in this morning and find out the MRIs and stuff were positive because I didn't know," fellow linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said. "After the game we had no idea what it was. I don't know much about it, but I know that it was good news."

Urlacher was injured in the pileup after making a tackle with just more than a minute left Sunday. Although he didn't comment to reporters at Halas Hall on Monday, last year's NFL Defensive Player of the Year earlier told the Fox Sports Web site he hoped to play this Sunday against the Giants.

"If it's up to me, I will. They told me it all depends on how much pain I can take. I can deal with that," Urlacher said.

Smith said wait and see.

"He feels better today and hopefully he'll be able to feel better and be able to go this week," Smith said. "We'll see how it goes with him."

If Urlacher can't go, Hillenmeyer would move to middle linebacker.

"Well, if we put him on the field, we'll hope he will be able to go the distance," Smith said of Urlacher. "But you always have to have a backup plan. We have a backup plan at the linebacker position and if we have to go with it, we will."

Smith said he wasn't sure if Urlacher, credited with 16 tackles Sunday following a tape review, would be able to practice as the Bears prepare for an NFC showdown with the Giants on Sunday night.

"I think if you asked him, he'll probably say he's planning on practicing Wednesday," Smith said. "Brian is a quick healer, as he told me this morning. Hopefully he'll be able to go and get some practice in."