Bears lineman Dvoracek out for season

Even before his latest injury, Bears nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek already had missed many more NFL games than he had played in, including all 16 games in his rookie season of 2006, 15 in his second season and four more in '08.

Now, for the fourth time in his four years, it's feared that Dvoracek has suffered yet another season-ending injury.

For now the Bears will only admit that he has a sprained MCL (medial collateral ligament) in his right knee, which he injured in Saturday's 17-3 victory over the New York Giants.

Should further tests determine an expected ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear, Dvoracek would require surgery, ending his season.

While Bears coach Lovie Smith was hoping for the best, Dvoracek's teammates already seemed resigned to being without the 6-foot-3, 303-pounder for another season.

"It's sad," said Anthony Adams, who along with Marcus Harrison was battling Dvoracek for the starting job. "To put in all that hard work to come back from those injuries just speaks wonders about his character, but for that to happen so many times in a row, it's just tough."

Adams, Dvoracek and Harrison had been listed as tri-starters for the first two preseason games, but it's down to a two-man battle now, and both healthy players will see plenty of time in the defensive-line rotation.

Matt Toeaina (6-2, 308 pounds) also will see more time at nose tackle.

"Dusty Dvoracek right now has an MCL sprain," Smith said. "We'll be doing more tests. That's about all we know with him. I'm always optimistic about it.

"I'll talk about the injuries in detail a little bit more on Wednesday like I would normally do during a regular game week."

On paper, the Bears were deep in talent on the defensive line heading into training camp, but Dvoracek's injury, coupled with the uncertain status of defensive tackle Tommie Harris' surgical left knee, could be cause for concern.

Harris did not practice Monday and barely participated in training-camp practices, although he played 14 snaps in Saturday's game.

If Dvoracek's season is over, it would be the second time in his short career he has suffered a season-ending injury before the start of the regular season.

After he was drafted in the third round out of Oklahoma in 2006, Dvoracek played just two preseason games before a foot injury shelved him.

In 2007, Dvoracek made it to the season opener, which he started, but he suffered a knee injury in that game and was placed on injured reserve, again ending his season.

Last year Dvoracek won the starting nose tackle position and started the first 12 games, but a torn biceps muscle landed him on injured reserve again.

"Words do a disservice," Adams said. "I can't describe how he feels about it; I can't describe how I feel about it. He was putting in so much work to try to be better than he was the year before, but then to go out and injure himself and not be able to do that is disheartening."

At the time of last year's injury, Dvoracek led Bears' linemen in tackles and, according to STATS LLC, he ranked fourth in the NFL with 71/2 stuffs (tackles of a ballcarrier behind the line of scrimmage).

"It's going to be tough, but he's all right," defensive lineman Israel Idonije said. "The guy works hard. He's a fighter.

"He's in great shape. He's been practicing and playing well. He'll be all right. He's going to bounce back. His work ethic has been relentless."

While no player on the Bears can match Dvoracek's string of bad breaks health-wise, they can empathize.

"I've been injured," Idonije said. "After it happens you've got to put it behind you and move on. You fall, you get up. You fall, you get up. That's got to be your attitude. So he'll be all right."