The Facts: White needed Michael Irvin to ??talk him off the ledge?? last week because he was itching to get on the field after a long spell on the sideline with a shin injury. Irvin may be free to move on to other ledge-dwellers because White??s taken a step forward in his return to full speed. Bears radio sideline reporter Zach Zaidman shared pictures of White running during Monday??s practice, which was an expected step this week after White passed through running in a pool without any trouble.

Diehards Line:The Bears will now wait to see how he responds to this step forward. General Manager Ryan Pace said on ESPN 1000 in Chicago Monday that the team has a ??long way?? before the start of the regular season and their goal is to avoid setbacks that would jeopardize White??s chances of being on the field for games. Being patient is made a bit easier by Pace??s confidence that White is on track with his off-field preparation. ??Mentally he??s really sharp,?? Pace said. ??He??s probably exceeded our expectations there. But there is an element where he needs to get the timing with our quarterbacks. But from a mental rep and classroom standpoint, he??s been all good. ..." We'll continue to follow up as needed.