Brian Urlacher sits out with sore knee

The new CBA allows for more rest days, so if a player like LB Brian Urlacher sits out, it's for a good reason, says Bears coach Lovie Smith.

By Gene Chamberlain

Aug 1, 2012 at 7:13 pm ET • 1 min read

Before the new CBA, coach Lovie Smith would give veteran players the occasional day off to rest.

That's no longer the case. Smith said after Wednesday's practice that linebacker Brian Urlacher was held out due to knee soreness and not for a day of rest as had been anticipated.

The new CBA has changed the way the Bears do business with resting players.

"The way the CBA is written now, it's (rest) kind of built in," Smith said. "No one is on that program anymore. There's no vet days or anything like that. If a guy is healthy and ready to go, then we'll play him. If he has a little soreness and we should hold him out, we'll hold him out."

Urlacher sprained his knee in the 2011 regular-season finale and missed all of the team's offseason work while rehabbing the injury. Nick Roach or Dom DeCicco played in the middle with Urlacher out.

Urlacher wasn't the only player held out. Wide receiver Eric Weems sat out with a leg injury and defensive tackle Brian Price, who had his first practice Tuesday, sat out Wednesday after getting up slowly at one point in his first practice.

Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLCHI.