After sitting out two games with a groin injury, Allen Robinson IIÂ is healthy and happy.
The Bears receiver returned to practice without restrictions Wednesday and is eager to play Sunday against the Lions, telling reporters Thursday that he's "100 percent."
"I'm feeling great and I'm definitely anxious to get back out there," Robinson said. "It's been a tough couple weeks, just having to watch the game from the sideline, so I'm excited."
Missing back-to-back games against the Jets and Bills was particularly difficult for Robinson after what transpired last year. Playing for the Jaguars in 2017, he tore his ACL in the season opener and spent the rest of the year on injured reserve.
"For me, the first goal that I set out for myself was to play in all 16 games," Robinson said, "so definitely it was frustrating not being able to accomplish that."
Before aggravating his groin injury Oct. 21 against the Patriots, Robinson appeared to be close to reverting to the form he had displayed early in his career in Jacksonville. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2015 when he caught 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns and followed in 2016 with 73 receptions for 883 yards and six TDs.
Playing the first six games in his first year with the Bears, Robinson built a rapport with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky while catching 25 passes for 285 yards and two TDs,
"It's just us both wanting to put the work in," Robinson said. "I think that's what it is, just taking time after practice and in between periods and stuff like that."
While the Bears spread the ball around on offense—12 different players have caught a pass this season and six of them have scored—it won't be too difficult to reincorporate Robinson into the game-plan.
"You just go right back to where you were when he was in there," said coach Matt Nagy. "We have so many different packages and personnel groupings that we can do different things and that's a benefit to us. Where we feel like it's something that works for him in that game, then we'll put it in. But nothing too challenging."
Robinson's return not only gives the offense back one of its top playmakers but one of its most respected veteran leaders—a student of the game who takes his craft very seriously.
"He's a weapon," said offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. "He's kind of been there, done that. He's a very calming presence in a lot of ways. He's just a confident guy. He knows everybody's job. He can help those other guys line up at times, guys that don't know the system as well as he does. He's a security blanket-type presence for the quarterback."