LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The phone calls and text messages that Fred Miller has been receiving from former teammates and even offensive line coach Harry Hiestand helped convince him to return to the Bears.

Although the veteran tackle had other options, he rejoined his old team Wednesday, signing a one-year contract to provide experienced depth behind starters John St. Clair and John Tait.

Veteran offensive tackle Fred Miller is back for a second stint with the Bears.

“They knew where my heart stood and I knew where theirs was and that’s the one thing that kind of brought me back is the mutual respect that we have for one another,” Miller said.

To make room on the roster, the Bears waived rookie tackle Kirk Barton, a seventh-round draft pick from Ohio State.

Miller started 46 of 48 games at right tackle the past three seasons for the Bears including 15 in 2007 before being released in February. The 6-7, 314-pounder originally signed with Chicago in 2005 after spending his first nine NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams (1996-99) and Tennessee Titans (2000-04).

“We feel good about getting Fred back,” coach Lovie Smith said after Miller participated in practice Wednesday at Halas Hall. “Fred’s been a big part of what we’ve done around here. To get another veteran offensive lineman into the mix is good.

“We know about Fred. It’s an easy transition for him as far as knowing what we do. Staying away from the game, letting his body heal up a little bit, all of that was good. It was good to see him back out there on the football field.”

Smith isn’t the only Bears coach who's happy to have Miller back on the roster.

“He came in here today and it was like he didn’t miss a beat mentally,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “He has to get reps and do all that and get back in football condition, but mentally he’s got a good feel for what we’re doing. Harry’s talking to him about plays and adjustments, protections and runs, and [Miller] knows exactly what he’s talking about, so it’s not new to him.”

Miller, 35, wasn’t even sure that he wanted to resume his pro football career.

“You miss it to an extent, but at the same time I had a lot of time to spend with my family, spend with my kids and coach their football teams and things of that nature,” he said. “Now I’m going to miss that.

"It was a really tough decision for me. I thought about it until the last minute coming up here. I was like, ‘Do I really want to come back out and play and miss my kids growing up and playing football?’ I figured I could be a little selfish one more year and then have the rest of my life to go out and spend time with them.”

While Miller wavered on whether to return up until the final moment, he realized that his love for the game remains as strong as ever during a recent tryout with the Buccaneers.

“Once I get going, the juices just start flowing automatically,” Miller said. “When I did my workout in Tampa and I saw the guys all on the field I was like, ‘Man, I really do miss this. I can play and I can still go out there and run around and have fun and do it day-to-day, week-in and week-out.”

Miller was able to return in part because he didn’t burn bridges after being released in February.

“I had no animosity [toward the Bears] at all,” he said. “I know this is a business and they’ve got to do what they think is best for the team and I have to do things that I think are best for me, and you just kind of leave it at that. But there’s definitely no animosity. That’s one of the reasons why I came back. 

"We parted on good terms. When I was waived, coach Smith gave me a call. I said, ‘I have all the respect for you and I totally understand. I know this is football and that’s part of it and I wish you guys the best of luck.’” 

Miller struggled at times last year while limited by a painful ankle injury. But he had surgery shortly after the season and feels as spry as a 13-year NFL veteran possibly can be.

“The ankle bothered me a lot last year,” Miller said. “I was probably playing at about 40 or 50 percent. Once I had my surgery, taking out the bone spurs and the cartilage that was floating around, it’s back to 90 percent. It’s never going to be 100 percent anymore. But right now it feels pretty good.”