The Bears on Tuesday will open Kevin White's 21-day practice window, meaning they have three weeks to decide whether to move the rookie receiver to their active roster or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
White, the seventh overall pick in this year's draft, has been sidelined since sustaining a stress fracture in the lower part of his shin during OTA workouts in June. He ultimately underwent surgery and was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
White is not expected to practice on Tuesday. He likely will stretch with teammates and then do some light work on the side.
Just because his practice window is opening does not necessarily mean that he will play in a game this season. The Bears are committed to White's long-term development, just as they were in training camp when they announced that he would need surgery, the story said. This three-week stretch could very well be enough time for the team to determine if they have a shot at the NFL playoffs, which could be a key factor in either shutting down White for the season or trying to bring him back for 2015.