The Bears released their longest injury list of the season Wednesday, leading off with linebacker Ron Rivera out for Sunday`s game with a sprained left knee and a fracture of a non-weight-bearing bone in the lower left leg.
”The doctor said I`ve got a very good shot at being ready for the first playoff game,” Rivera said. ”So I`m very optimistic about it. The key is the swelling going down and getting full range of motion. I`ll be on crutches until next week.”
”The fluid in his knee is going down,” trainer Fred Caito said. ”He had a good workout (Wednesday) morning.”
Linebacker John Roper is doubtful with a pulled hamstring, and the prognosis is the same for linebacker Ron Cox with the same injury. Cox went for a magnetic resonance imaging exam Wednesday to determine tissue damage. Running back Neal Anderson is doubtful with a fractured rib, as is tight end Cap Boso with a sprained ankle.
Anderson did some running at practice, but coach Mike Ditka apparently wants to avoid aggravating Anderson`s injury and doesn`t plan to play him Sunday.
Defensive end Tim Ryan is questionable with a leg injury, although Caito said he would be ready by Sunday.
Operation linebacker: Reserve Mickey Pruitt will get his first start of the season Sunday against Tampa Bay in Rivera`s spot on the left side. Mike Singletary and Jim Morrissey will team with him, and Dante Jones will back them up.
”I`ve been waiting a long time-14 weeks,” said Jones, who was placed on injured reserve at the beginning of the season, but has been ready to play the last nine weeks.
”Dante should`ve been active all year,” Ditka said. ”I really didn`t have a move to get him back on (the roster). It`s very unfair to Dante. He`s a quality player who can play in the NFL.
”I hope to be able to activate Glenell Sanders (a rookie free agent). It will give us another body for special teams and another linebacker. We`ll make a decision later in the week. We have a couple guys who are candidates to go down (on IR)-Cox, Rivera, Boso.”
Playoff tickets: Bears ticket manager Gary Christenson said the club had moved up the date playoff tickets will go on sale to Dec. 28, beginning at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Soldier Field box office, Ticketron and Teletron outlets. Previously, the Bears had announced Dec. 31 as the opening of playoff ticket sales.