Israel Idonije injury: Bears DE hurts left ankle, limps off field

Chicago Bears defensive end Israel Idonije has left the team's blowout of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon with a left ankle injury. He suffered the injury during the second quarter of the game, needing to be tended to on the field for minutes before eventually limping off on his own power.

The severity of Idonije's injury isn't clear at this point, but Bears players huddled around the defensive end as trainers assessed the situation following the play. Idonije appeared to be bent backward while in a pile after Charles Tillman came in to do some of the Bears' trademark turnover-inducing work, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes.

Without Idonije, the Bears still have quality ends on their defensive line, including Julius Peppers, Corey Wootton and first-round pick Shea McClellin, but the 31-year-old has emerged in Lovie Smith's defense as a key cog. This year, he's recorded 21 tackles and four sacks over seven-plus games.