Bears TE Miller always knew his time would come
Only a pass-catching tight end who has gone 1,448 days in between catches can fully appreciate Zach Miller's current situation.
On Oct. 2, 2011, Miller caught a 14-yard pass for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a Rip Van Winkle-like hiatus, Miller resurfaced in Week Two of 2015 with 2 catches for 14 yards in the Bears' 48-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
That hardly foreshadowed what Miller would accomplish almost two months later. It started with a spectacular, one-handed, game-winning 23-yard TD catch on Monday Night Football in Week Nine against the San Diego Chargers. Six days later, Miller's 87-yard TD became the longest by a tight end in 16 years. A 2-yard TD grab later in the game provided the window dressing for a 5-catch, 107-yard performance.
Miller's absence wasn't narcoleptic in nature. It was the result of spending 2012 (calf) and 2014 (foot) on injured reserve, and the 2013 season out of football.
Even through an extended period of down time, Miller said he never considered throwing himself a pity party or contemplated giving up.
"I never said, 'This is just not going to happen,' " Miller said. "I never thought it was over. I didn't want to give up, didn't believe it was over. I just wanted to go work through it and grind through it. I knew that if I could get back healthy, I knew I could produce."
Miller doesn't consider his perseverance anything special, but he credits his wife Kristen an their two young children with a huge assist.
"Those are the people I'm with every single day," he said. "They've seen me go through that stuff. I don't want to say it was an easy transition, but going through those recovery days, they supported me in the plan that I had - get up, go to rehab, I'm not really working, not really involved in football.
"But I've still got a specific schedule I've got to stick to, and they allow me to take care of what I need to take care of."
The Bears offense has been looking for new options in recent weeks. Pro Bowl wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has been in and out of the lineup. The other starting wide receiver, Eddie Royal, has missed the last two games, as has running back Matt Forte.
So Miller stepped up. But he also has demonstrated that he is a reliable target that opposing defenses must respect.
"We've got a great team and a lot of weapons," the 6-foot-5, 236-pound Miller said. "When other people are covered, they have to throw it to someone. You just have to make the play when it comes your way."
Credit former general manager Phi Emery with bringing Miller aboard when he signed him to a futures contract the day after the 2013 season ended without Miller having played a snap in the league that season.
A 2-touchdown game in the 2014 preseason was the only evidence Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox had to go on when they took over in January. It was enough.
"They didn't probably cut up much tape of me because I was probably the last tight end on their list," said Miller, one of eight tight ends on the Bears' off-season roster. "So they probably went through all the guys on the list and got to me and said, 'Hey, we'll watch this one game and see what it is.'
"And they probably thought, 'All right, we'll give him an opportunity to come back and play.' "
As it turns out, Miller really can play a little bit.
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