Clean Bill of Health for Bears Heading to Camp

Jack Sanborn's next big hurdle is playing a new position, but at least he has cleared another huge obstacle.

Sanborn deemed himself 100% healthy and ready to go for the start of training camp practices July 26 while making an appearance on the Chicago Bears Podcast for ESPN AM-1000 and Chicagobears.com.

Sanborn missed all off-season work just as wide receiver Darnell Mooney did. Sanborn's injured ankle suffered in Week 15 last year kept him from finishing up the last three games, then carried over to OTAs and minicamp.

"The main goal was getting healthy, getting my ankle to 100%," Sanborn told Jim Miller and Tom Thayer on the podcast. "Obviously I didn't do OTAs, I didn't do minicamp, just really focused on trying to get that ... back and getting my ankle to 100%.

"It kind of made my offseason a little different, not exactly what you want to be going through, but I think at the same time I made the most of it, trying to get better in other areas and stuff like that."

He meant mentally as far as the scheme, but also was able to be available to help the two big-money free agent linebackers the Bears signed, Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards.

"Obviously Tremaine and T.J. come and it's a new scheme for them," Sanborn said.

At the same time, it's a new position for Sanborn. Although he learned strongside as a rookie, he didn't play it.

"Obviously there's different things you do at each position no matter what and all that," Sanborn said during the off-season at Halas Hall after winning the Piccolo Award. "But at the end of the day, you're still playing linebacker.

"The same job is still there, get the ball, tackle the ball and create turnovers. That's what it's about. That's what this defense is about and what we're striving to do more and more of."

Sanborn's injury was the last bit of uncertainty about injured players. He had been at Halas Hall but wasn't working during practices.

Eddie Jackson had worked in rehab when he was but was able to return from his foot injury to practice during OTAs and minicamp. Darnell Mooney has deemed himself fit after ankle surgery and has been practicing with other receivers and quarterback Justin Fields.

The only other injury concern was receiver Chase Claypool, who missed the last three weeks of off-season practices with what was deemed a soft tissue injury.

However, Claypool has also been practicing in Florida with Mooney, Fields and other receivers.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven