Nothing sums up the 2017 Chicago Bears like knowing there was a point during Monday Night Football when the team was without its top four (!) inside linebackers for one reason or another.
Even though John Timu became the newest Bears linebacker to be sidelined because of an injury, the team receives a little bit of help Sunday with the return of Danny Trevathan. If you’ll recall, Trevathan was suspended two games because of the violent hit that sent Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams to the hospital. However, his suspension was trimmed to one game after Trevathan won his appeal.
And while Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes Trevathan continues to insist his hit was accidental, at least Trevathan seems to have taken something positive away from his punishment. “I just gotta be more careful with situations like that,” Trevathan said.
On the other hand, it doesn’t seem as if Trevathan necessarily feels that he needs to change his ways.
“But I can’t let that slow me down,” Trevathan said. “I’ve been playing this game for a long time. I’ll be more careful with the rules that are in place. But I’m just trying to make a play and hustling to the ball.”
This is the plight of the modern NFL defensive player. You have to be on your toes, aggressive, and ready to deliver a crushing hit while playing the game at a faster pace than ever before … but also need to be aware that an illegal hit could result in a penalty or suspension (or, far more importantly, a serious injury to a fellow player).
As for Adams, Trevathan reached out and said the two sides were good. Adams didn’t miss Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. Now, Trevathan is set to return and has his eyes on making a positive impact upon rejoining the lineup.