Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte left University of Phoenix Stadium in a walking boot last Sunday. It didn't look promising, but Forte has gotten very good at playing through pain.
Forte has sprained his right ankle three times this season. With the Bears in a must-win situation on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, Forte has little choice but to gut it out again.
"I know it's gonna hurt, especially when I get tackled, and I'm down in the pile," he told NFL.com's Albert Breer this week. "But it'll wear off. When I played on it in Dallas and it was hurting, I got hit on it on the first play, and went back and got it retaped. And it was OK from there.
"You just gotta deal with it. I know what to expect now."
Breer reported Forte spent time this week rehabbing away from the facility and using a hyperbaric chamber to speed his recovery. Forte will play against the Lions, but whether he has the explosiveness necessary to be a difference-maker is another issue entirely.
UPDATE: Albert Breer reported Sunday morning Forte will be in the lineup for the Bears, per a team source.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.