Bears linebacker Lance Briggs medically cleared to return

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs has 64 total tackles and two sacks this season. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs was medically cleared to play Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, even though he is listed on the injury report as questionable.

Briggs has not played since Oct. 20 after suffering a shoulder fracture.  He didn't know say that he going to play instead saying, "I don't want to get out there and hurt us."

Briggs has practiced this week and the Chicago Bears run defense could use all the help they could get. Going into Sunday's game, the Bears have the NFL's worst run defense, giving up almost 153 yards per game.

In the Eagles, the Bears face the league's top rushing offense and running back LeSean McCoy, who leads the NFL with 1,343 yards.

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Bears coach Marc Trestman said he hopes Briggs can play on Sunday. The Bears (8-6) are a half-game ahead of the Green Bay Packers (7-6-1) in the NFC North.

"I'm very optimistic," Trestman said, via ESPN.com. "He practiced for three days. He's been cleared by the doctors. We'll list him as questionable up until game time. He'll work out before the game, and we'll see where he's at. But I wouldn't want to say that he's gonna play, he's gonna start. I think that's still 48 hours away. But certainly we began the week fully optimistic [and are] even more now since he's been cleared by the doctors."