Bears guard Kyle Long practiced on a limited basis again Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The three-time Pro Bowler continues to recover from surgery to repair a broken ankle he sustained last Nov. 13, coincidentally versus the Buccaneers in Tampa.
Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long.
"It feels really good to get back out there and practice on consecutive days and be able to participate in everything they want me to participate in," Long said Friday.
It's not known whether Long will return to action Sunday. Asked about the possibility of playing, he said: "I didn't bring my crystal ball, but I will say I feel a ton better than I have and I think the guys see that and the coaches see that.
"I'm getting closer and closer," Long said. "I wouldn't be able to tell you 100 percent, but I will say I'm a lot further along than I was."
Long called his long rehab a "test of my character" and expressed excitement about being able to rejoin his teammates on the practice field.
"When you're out of it and you're hurt and you feel like you can't do it, there's this dark cloud that's over you all the time," Long said. "It's amazing, you go out there, you put your helmet on, you put your hands on some people and you move around and get a good sweat and you feel pretty damn good.
"I think it's good for your brain chemistry. It's good socially to be around these guys and it's good to be a teammate to be out there to be doing the things I'm supposed to be doing in practice."
Injury update: Other Bears who are listed as questionable for Sunday's game include running back Jordan Howard (shoulder), receivers Joshua Bellamy (ankle) and Markus Wheaton (finger), outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (back), inside linebacker Christian Jones (back), cornerback Prince Amukamara (ankle) and safety Deon Bush (hamstring).
Running back Benny Cunningham did not practice due to an ankle injury and is doubtful.
It's unclear whether Wheaton will be able to return Sunday, though he's making progress in practice as he recovers from surgery on a broken pinkie.
"I'm getting back in shape for one," Wheaton said. "I'm getting to run around with my teammates. I'm catching balls. That's always a good thing, so I'm definitely closer to game time."
Floyd was a new addition to the injury list Friday. "His back was just bothering him a little bit," said coach John Fox. "We just rested him."
Acting role: Bears No. 2 quarterback Mitchell Trubisky told reporters Friday that he spent the week impersonating Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston on the scout team.
The rookie first-round pick said it involved "just trying to mimic his body demeanors, what he does pre-snap so the defense can kind of get used to that and the d-line can get on rhythm so they can get a good jump. Then when the play starts, just being myself as a quarterback and trying to get the ball where it needs to go so that the defense can react to it and kind of know their schemes and pass concepts."
Trubisky's scout team work figures to help both the young quarterback and the Bears defense.
"One, it's giving a good look to the defense," Trubisky said. "And then it's me continuing to work on my own craft and things I need to do—my drop, my timing.
"Going against the one defense, the windows are tighter, so it's just seeing where I can fit the ball in and where I need to check it down, continuing to work on my accuracy and footwork in the pocket and then extending plays when I can. It's really all parts of my game. You've got to make the most of every opportunity that you get, and this is the opportunity I have right now, so I'm just trying to get better at it."
