Smith: Forte has MCL sprain

Bears running back Matt Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee but could return before the end of the regular season, coach Lovie Smith said Monday.

"He looked pretty good this morning, but it is an MCL sprain," Smith said.

The Bears' coach was asked directly whether he expected Forte to return this season.

"Yes, I do. ... Can't tell you exactly when," Smith said.

Injuries such as Forte's typically require two to four weeks of recovery time. The Bears have four weeks left in the regular season, including next Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.

It's highly unlikely that Forte will be able to return in six days, which means that the Bears will be without their two most important players on offense when they visit the Broncos. Franchise quarterback Jay Cutler remains at least a couple of weeks away from returning from a broken right thumb, and he acknowledged recently that he might be finished for the season.

Without Forte, the Bears will rely on Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell to power the Bears' running game. Barber rushed 14 times for 44 yards (3.1 yards per carry) in a 10-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, while Bell rushed four times for 34 yards (8.5 yards per carry).

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During his news conference Monday, Smith also shot down rumors that the Bears would pursue another veteran free agent quarterback in light of Caleb Hanie's poor performance.

Several reports said the Bears would discuss the possibility of adding veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb, who was released last week by the Minnesota Vikings.

"We have our quarterbacks here now," Smith said.

Smith said Hanie remained the team's starter, while rookie Nathan Enderle was the team's No. 2 quarterback ahead of veteran Josh McCown for the time being. He said it was too soon to know whether McCown would be active next week against the Broncos.

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Bears safety Major Wright sprained his shoulder during Sunday's game, Smith said. It's uncertain whether Wright will be able to recover in time for next weekend.

After Wright was injured, Craig Steltz took over at strong safety alongside Chris Conte. Smith said the Bears tabbed Steltz as Wright's backup because coaches wanted Brandon Meriweather to focus only on free safety heading into the game.