but that would cost the team $16.519 million.

Jeffery’s preference is a long-term deal, and with so many other needs to fill the Bears might prefer that as well.

He doesn’t believe the suspension will affect his earning power, and he’s probably right. He also doesn’t believe he needs to prove himself to the Bears or any other team.

“I’ve got nothing to prove to no one,” Jeffery said. “I just go out there and do my job and play football and play hard.”

A bigger issue will be last season, when Jeffery played just nine games because of three different injuries. But he has been injury free this year.

Still, there’s some rust to knock off. Jeffery’s practice Wednesday was his first since Nov. 11.

“He looked good,” coach John Fox said. “He looks like he’s taken care of himself.”

Jeffery said he didn’t have much else to do.

“That’s all I did,” he said, “just focus on training. Took some yoga.”

Yoga?

“I was doing yoga every day,” he said. “I thought, ‘Why not? I’ve got nothing else to do.’ ”

Now Jeffery has just a few days to get on the same page with quarterback Matt Barkley, who was Jay Cutler’s backup the last time Jeffery practiced and played with the first team.

Wednesday was the first time Barkley and Jeffery practiced together, so they stayed afterward to get better synced up.

“I don’t think it will take long,” Jeffery said.

“Me and Matt knew each other in high school. We were in the same recruiting class. We were both committed to USC when we played in camps together. We’ll get it together.”

As it turned out, they went to different USCs. Barkley stayed home in Southern California, and so did Jeffery in South Carolina.

“He came back looking strong and lean,” Barkley said. “He should be good to go Sunday.

“He’s running routes I’ve thrown before, so he’s not a completely foreign route-runner to me. On some balls, if it’s close, he says, ‘Just put it up there,’ and he’ll just outjump the guy.

“A few of our guys have that (ability), but he kind of stands out from the rest of the crowd in that regard.”