NFL: Bears' Benson carted off with bad shoulder

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Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson left practice Friday night on a cart after injuring his left shoulder.

Coach Lovie Smith said more would be known Saturday morning after X-rays are taken. Benson had his arm and shoulder in a sling as he was taken from Ward Field at Olivet Nazarene University.

The Bears' No. 1 2005 draft pick was struck by linebacker Brian Urlacher and then safety Mike Brown after catching a pass over the middle.

"He broke through, a freak accident -- those kind of things happen," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "Hopefully it isn't too serious."

Urlacher said, "I don't know what happened. I turned around and he was on the ground and I went back to the huddle. That's all I remember. I don't even know if I was the one to hit him."

An injury for any length of time could leave the Bears short on running backs.

Backup Thomas Jones, the team's leading rusher last year, is out indefinitely with a pulled hamstring.

Fifth-year back Adrian Peterson was the second-leading rusher last year for the Bears with 391 yards on 76 carries.

Benson rushed for 272 yards on 67 carries but missed the final six games with a strained right collateral knee ligament.

Also Friday, starting wide receiver Bernard Berrian left practice with a right hip-flexor injury.

Earlier in the day, guard Terrence Metcalf and wide receiver Airese Currie underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after experiencing knee pain. They both had missed practices the previous day.

[Credit: ESPN]