DJ Moore suffers injury scare during training

Stevenson left training about halfway through and then went to work in the rehab area.

Quarterback Brett Rypien, guard/center Ryan Bates, safety Jaquan Brisker, wide receiver Collin Johnson, return man/wide receiver DeAndre Carter, safety Adrian Colbert, edge rusher Jake Martin, offensive lineman Theo Benedet and running back Roschon Johnson were not at practice.

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Defensive end Montez Sweat is slowly approaching 100% health and was on the field for part of practice, but left when they performed the two-minute drill at the end of practice.

Guard Nate Davis completed virtually a full practice as he returned to practice with the regulars after a soft tissue injury.

It's practice, man

In a shorter practice with protective gear, the offense produced more plays than in some other practices, but ultimately the starters failed to put the ball in the end zone during the two-minute drill. … One of the offense's better-timed plays in training camp was a crossing pattern completed by Caleb Williams to Dante Pettis. It looked like what Pettis has often looked like in the past when healthy. Williams completed another sharp throw over the middle against the zone to tight end Cole Kmet for 21 yards, but that two-minute drive stalled on downs immediately afterward. … Johnson not only broke up the pass that injured Moore, but also deflected a throw intended for Rome Odunze. … During the full-team practice game, linebacker TJ Edwards fell after a D'Andre Swift fumble. … Austin Reed took over the third snaps at QB that day with Rypien out. A pass rush by Daniel Hardy thwarted one of his throws on the run. Hardy knocked the ball into the air and nearly recovered it before hitting the ground and failing to complete the pass.

Cute marmot

Velus Jones Jr. detailed how he and Colts receiver Michael Pittman adopted a ferret named Crash in college after it was revealed on HBO's “Hard Knocks” that he had one.

After seeing one at Petsmart, they had to have one, but they didn't buy it from the pet store. The way they got it for $350 didn't sound like a routine matter at all. It sounded more like they were buying something illegal.

“We were driving somewhere in South Central, walking down an alley and looked at each other,” Jones said. “I told him to keep the engine running. Pitt and I looked up as if to say, 'You're taking too long.' We saw someone sticking their head out like that and we backed away. I thought, 'We might as well go and get out of here.' And then he actually came out and he had a little ferret in his hand and I thought, 'OK, this is real.' My heart was racing, though.

“We got the ferret and paid the guy. I think Crash cost about $350. He was deodorized. Ferrets have a kind of odor, but his odor wasn't that bad. He was neutered and deodorized. When I got him, I was terrified. He kept biting me. Pitt was like don't drop him, you have to hurt him. We fell in love with him. Chase McGrath too – cheers to him. The game-winning field goal kicker who beat Alabama. Go Vols. He watched him a lot. JT Daniels watched him a lot. He didn't like Chase for some reason. Also, he bit Michael Pittman's mother.”

Crash was put down under strange circumstances. One day he was found paralyzed.

At least it didn't end as badly as the monkey game that former Bears coach John Fox witnessed as a child. He told the Halas Hall media that they left him tied up outside in the heat and dehydrated and died.

Giving back commitment

One of the better punt returns and bigger surprises came in Saturday's preseason win over Buffalo. They used backup slot cornerback Josh Blackwell. Blackwell had done it a bit in college, but not yet for the Bears, but he managed a 20-yard run.

“The first thing I notice about Blackwell is his fearlessness,” said special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. “And he's a very smart, intelligent player. And he wants to do everything right.”

“So we're trying to give him a chance along with the others so we can see what we have if we have to go down that route.”

Weather observer

The Bengals' practice on Thursday afternoon was supposed to be open to the public, but storms are forecast and it's possible it will have to be moved indoors to the Payton Center, where the public would not be allowed. It's the last practice scheduled to be open to the public.

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