Danny Trevathan never doubted he would return from the ruptured patellar tendon he suffered last November, but didn’t know when he’d be on the field again.
Nine months later, it looks like that date will be Sept. 10 against the Atlanta Falcons.
“I feel like I’m 100 (percent), or I wouldn’t even be out there,” Trevathan said. “I feel real good about myself and I’m looking forward to Week 1.”
Trevathan traveled to Tennessee last weekend, and while he didn’t see the field, just warming up and preparing to play was “big” for the veteran inside linebacker. He’s had a few tests in practice and said he needed the physicality of those days after he traded in an orange non-contact jersey for a regular navy or white one.
But the biggest test will still be Week 1. For all the positive gains Trevathan has made this month, that’ll be his first game action since late November.
“I feel like I’m ready,” Trevathan said. “I still got the test coming up. My goal is just to be ready and prepared as I can be for the first game.”
The Bears’ defense — in particular the front seven — has looked strong in three preseason games without Trevathan (and, at times, a few other key guys). The first team allowed three points against Denver, seven against Arizona (which came after Tyrann Mathieu ran a Mike Glennon interception back into Bears territory) and none against Tennessee. Even with the it’s-just-preseason caveat, that production has buoyed a growing confidence within Vic Fangio’s group that it can be successful this year.
And Trevathan could be a big part of that as soon as things start to matter on Sept. 10.
“(The defense) could be whatever we make it,” Trevathan said. “We could be one of the top defenses in the league, if not the best. We all know that, we all believe in that, we’re putting in the work to head toward that direction and we just, come gametime, gotta put it on film and let everybody know that, game in and game out.”