As the cart carrying Mark Bradley raced off to the Bears’ locker room Sunday at Ford Field, the rookie receiver gamely flashed a thumbs up to his teammates.
But Bradley’s spirit and defiant optimism couldn’t overcome the harsh reality that an MRI confirmed Monday.
Bradley needs surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, ending the second-round pick’s season just as it appeared to take flight.
Bradley finishes with 18 catches for 230 yards, including a 54-yarder Sunday against Detroit that stands as the Bears’ longest play from scrimmage this season. He will undergo surgery when the swelling subsides, likely in the next week to 10 days.
“It’s tough for him and tough for our football team,” coach Lovie Smith said. “You have a player who’s really coming into his own. He has a lot of talent and a great future. It’s a setback for him, but he’ll come back from it.
“Still, it’s hard when you see a young player go down like that. But that’s the hand that’s been dealt. So we’ll go from there.”
Where the Bears ultimately go to find their No. 2 receiver opposite Muhsin Muhammad remains to be seen. Justin Gage, the season-opening starter before losing his job to Bradley, is expected to get first crack after catching two passes for 47 yards against Detroit.
But with the speedy Bernard Berrian sidelined another five to seven weeks following thumb surgery, the Bears may want more speed than Gage can provide and work to develop rookie Airese Currie or Carl Ford.
“Hopefully, we’ll have another speed guy who can come in and contribute,” Smith said.
Smith also didn’t rule out signing a free agent, although this regime has relied less on recycled veterans and rarely hesitates to go with young players.
“As we do any time we need any position, we’ll look at everything that’s available,” Smith said. “But we have a good football player right here in Airese Currie.
“It’s also on Gage, Bobby Wade, Carl Ford. It’s time for all of them to step up. I thought Justin Gage played well [Sunday] when he had his opportunities. And he’ll only get better.”
Inactive a week earlier against Baltimore, Gage against Detroit caught a 25-yard pass to help set up a Robbie Gould field goal and a 22-yard pass to help remove the Bears from a field-position hole late in the fourth quarter.
He also dropped a third-down pass that would’ve provided a first down. Guess which play stuck with Gage?
“That drop could’ve been the play that sealed the game for us earlier [in regulation],” Gage said. “I failed to bring that in. That’s what I’m leaning on right now.”
Gage, Wade and Ford, who has played mostly on special teams, have only 10 catches for 131 yards between them. Currie has spent all season on the non-football injury list after undergoing foot surgery in March for a stress fracture he suffered in college.
A fifth-round pick of general manager Jerry Angelo, Currie was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference sprinter at Clemson in addition to catching 138 passes for 2,030 yards and 10 touchdowns. Currie is expected to practice for the first time this season on Wednesday.
Bradley suffered the injury when he landed awkwardly after hurdling Lions cornerback Andre Goodman on a 13-yard pass play. Untouched, he crumpled to the ground while clutching his knee.
Now Bradley is left holding memories of his breakout game as he faces a lengthy rehabilitation. Bradley’s father, Danny, a former NFL player who also serves as his agent, visited Halas Hall on Monday.
“When one person goes down, there’s an opportunity for someone else to step up,” Smith said. “I think we have some guys who can do that.”
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kcjohnson@tribune.com
