Alex Brown is not dressed out to practice this afternoon as the Bears just got going on the fields behind Halas Hall.

Just because he has missed a second straight day with his sprained left ankle does not mean there isn’t a good chance he will play Sunday at Seattle. Coach Lovie Smith prefers that his players be on the field, but he will go all the way to game time to make decisions with veterans. The Bears are thin at the position because they have only Mark Anderson behind Brown and Adewale Ogunleye. Israel Idonije can play end, but he is battling a knee issue and has been used more inside. Rookie third-round pick Jarron Gilbert has gotten some work at left end, and could be an option. The Bears also might consider promoting Ervin Baldwin or Joe Clermond from the practice squad.

However, unless something has changed significantly in the last 24 hours, the hope remains that Brown will be available. He has played in 113 consecutive games, the longest streak on the team.