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First Posted: 9/25/2013

(AP) Reggie Bush gave the Detroit Lions a welcome dose of good news.


The speedy running back said he will play against the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears on Sunday, a week after missing a game with a banged up knee.


Bush made it through the entire practice Wednesday, a little more than 24 hours after it was announced that Nate Burleson, Detroit’s No. 2 receiver, needs surgery after breaking an arm in a car accident. There is no timeline on his return.


“It was good to get back in there,” Bush said. “Just to get back in the swing of things and get my feet back underneath me and start to lay out this foundation to get ready for the Chicago Bears. Obviously, it’s a big game.”


Detroit (2-1) can move into a first-place tie in the division if it can hand the Bears (3-0) their first loss on Sunday at Ford Field.


Bush didn’t practice last week until Friday, when he participated on a limited basis, and he was inactive for Sunday’s win at Washington.


“It was a huge sense of relief that it only kept me out only one game,” Bush said.


Bush was hurt in a Week 2 loss against the Arizona Cardinals after accounting for 191 yards of offense in his Detroit debut to help the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings.


“In the beginning when I first injured it, I thought it could be something serious before we got the MRI and spoke with the doctor,” Bush said. “As the week went on, it started to get a lot better. When I got to Friday, I felt like I could play.”


Detroit coach Jim Schwartz wasn’t willing to celebrate the fact that Bush took a big step toward making it back on the field by participating in a practice.


“It was encouraging to get all the guys that are limited in some way to get them out there,” Schwartz said. “We certainly want to get everybody on the field, and he’s no different. We missed him on Sunday. We were able to put a good game plan together and we were able to execute that game plan. But he’s a very valuable part of our offense and he affects the way defenses play us. If we can get him back on the field, that will be a big plus for us.”


The Lions haven’t said how long Burleson might be out, but he’s not expected to be back any time soon. In his absence, they will lean on secondary receivers Ryan Broyles, Micheal Spurlock, Patrick Edwards and Kris Durham to complement Calvin Johnson.


And, Bush can envision lining up as a slot receiver more than he has previously for the Lions.


“I could see that probably,” he said. “But we have other receivers: Broyles, Spurlock, Edwards. I don’t think anybody on this team is worried about where we’re at or is panicking.”


Edwards, who was inactive with a sprained right ankle in Sunday’s win at Washington, isn’t sure if he’ll be healthy enough to face the Bears.


“I’m confident I can play, but high-ankles are the worse,” he said.


Notes: Johnson, OG Rob Sims and S Louis Delmas did not participate in the part of practice that was open to the media. … Lions DT Ndamukong Suh had an appeal hearing on Tuesday to contest the NFL’s $100,000 fine for an illegal block in Week 1 against Minnesota. “I have not heard anything back,” Suh said. “They said what they wanted to say, I said what I had to say.” A decision by third-party arbitration is expected to be made in two weeks.


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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org


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Associated Press