While all eyes Thursday night at Soldier Field will be on Peyton Manning as he makes his debut with the Broncos, the Chicago Bears have an injury comeback story likely to go virtually unnoticed.
Patrick Mannelly is used to being unnoticed, though. Long snappers only get noticed when they foul up. With Mannelly entering his 15th season, and with more games played than any Bear (215), he obviously hasn't fouled up much.
Mannelly tore his left anterior cruciate ligament last season in the same game Jay Cutler suffered a season-ending thumb injury. So even with a season-ending injury, no one noticed him. Mannelly was back out at the practice field in OTAs after only six months and has had no problems in training camp. He isn't apprehensive about running down on punt coverage, as one might expect.
"Honestly, the biggest thing is mental," he said. "I'm nervous about the first field goal, because that's where I tore my knee."
Mannelly's freak injury occurred when his foot planted and was caught in the turf and he was hit at the same time from the front while snapping for the kick.
"I think anybody who has an ACL injury, the first time they come back going full speed they're always a little nervous," Mannelly said. "But I'm more excited just to prove to myself that with the hard work I put into it I'm ready to go."
After 14 years, Mannelly admitted that he thought about what he'd do next if the injury ended his career, but he kept this in mind: "If it was to be over, it was a heck of a run for me."
Only three players have been in more NFL games: Ray Lewis (222), Ronde Barber (225) and Jason Hanson (311). Mannelly been long-snapping in Chicago since taking over in 1998 for former long snapper Harper LeBel.
How long can he continue?
"Until they tell me that I'm not good enough -- or until I tell myself that I'm not good enough."
Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLCHI.
