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Tillman: I'll be OK for opener

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Updated Jul 29, 2009 1:30 PM ET
     
 
Charles Tillman doesn't know quite what to make about the fuss in the wake of his back surgery two weeks ago, and the cornerback vowed Tuesday on the Bears' Web site to be ready for the regular season. ''I'll be fine for the season,'' Tillman announced. ''There's no need to panic. When I panic, then you can panic. But I'm not panicking, so we're good. ''[Things] happen. I'm just glad it happened now vs. in the season. But I'm all right. I'm always optimistic.'' The Bears , however, said Tillman will be out indefinitely after surgery to remove a piece of disc fragment from his lower back. The Bears will be down another defensive back now after safety Glenn Earl, the Naperville North and Notre Dame product, informed the team he intends to retire 23 months after suffering a torn Lisfranc ligament in a preseason game at Houston when he was run over by running back Cedric Benson. ''He felt it was time to move on,'' said Craig Domann, Earl's agent. Tillman's surgery was performed two weeks ago in Los Angeles by Dr. Robert Watkins. The timetable for a return to the field was six to 12 weeks, meaning he has four to 10 weeks to go. Four weeks would bring him back about two weeks before the start of the regular season. The outlying number would keep him out for at least the first three weeks of the regular season. There's a long list of experienced cornerbacks available in free agency, including Chris McAlister, Travis Fisher, Mike McKenzie, Patrick Surtain and ex- Bears Ricky Manning Jr. and R.W. McQuarters, but the Bears likely have another plan in mind. Punter Richmond McGee announced on his Web site that he expects to sign with the Bears soon. He was in for a tryout last month. If the Bears were going to go the experienced route for insurance in the secondary, they probably would have gotten down to dollars and cents with Ken Lucas or Rod Hood when those veterans visited during the spring. Now, the Bears will look to get experience for Zack Bowman and Corey Graham at left cornerback during training camp, which opens Friday, and hope Tillman is true to his word about speedy recovery in what has been a challenging offseason with shoulder surgery in January and a hyperextended knee in June. Comment at suntimes.com.
Tagged: Glenn Earl, Bears, Charles Tillman

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