Bears' Harris hopes to play against Green Bay

Bears safety Chris Harris (hip) returned to practice Friday but was limited inside the Walter Payton Center, and he is “questionable” for Sunday.

“I think I'll be fine,” he said. “I'm hoping to be fine.”

Harris has said all week he would play, but he might not know how much he can play until he tests his injured hip Sunday.

“He's making progress,” coach Lovie Smith said. “There's no reason to think that he can't and won't be able to perform the same way he normally does.”

Harris, a 2005 sixth-round pick by the Bears, tied for the team lead with 5 interceptions and was fourth with 96 tackles in his second stint with the team after playing the previous three seasons for the Panthers.

“I thought he would play this way,” Smith said. “Chris was a good football player for us before. You don't bring a player back unless you think he can play at the level he's played. Everything I wanted him to do, he has done.

“Being a veteran back there, he's getting everyone in the right spots. He's been in situations like (this). We've won an NFC championship (2006) with him. The timely hits he's made, the big interceptions, he's just another playmaker back there.”

Ready rookie:

If Chris Harris can't play Sunday, rookie Major Wright is expected to step in as the starter at free safety. Wright has yet to start an NFL game, but he's taken valuable reps at both safety spots playing in a rotation with Harris and strong safety Danieal Manning.

“Major's a good, young talent, and he's going to be very good in years to come,” Harris said. “I just try to help him in every way I can, the way we've been doing it all season long. So he'll definitely be ready to play.”

Picture of health:

Besides Chris Harris, no other Bears were listed on the injury report. For the Packers, outside linebacker Frank Zombo (knee) is out and will be replaced by Erik Walden, who had 3 sacks against the Bears in Week 17. Backup center-guard Jason Spitz didn't practice Friday and is “questionable.” Ten other players were listed as “probable.”