Rookie Hill expects to be in lineup Monday

~ The cornerback has been nursing a thigh injury.

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams cornerback Tye Hill is expected back on the field Monday night against the Chicago Bears, but fellow rookie Victor Adeyanju will need at least an extra week after ending an attempt to play with a broken forearm.

Hill, the Rams' first-round pick, has been nursing a left thigh injury the last two weeks. He was held out of Wednesday's practice.

"I've been playing on it for two weeks," Hill said Friday. "I feel like it just needed a little rest and a little extra treatment."

Hill injured his left thigh chasing down DeAngelo Williams to make the tackle on a kickoff return at Carolina on Nov. 19. He described the difference in his condition from Wednesday to Friday as "night and day," plus the chance to play on Monday night for the first time is giving him extra motivation.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to get out there," he said. "It's Monday night football, everybody's watching.

"It's something I've dreamed about doing."

Defensive end Adeyanju, a fourth-round pick, took over the starting job early in the season after Anthony Hargrove skipped two days of practice and meetings. Adeyanju broke his arm when he was hit by a San Francisco 49ers player's helmet on Nov. 26.

Brandon Green, who started last week, will fill in for Adeyanju again against the Bears (10-2).

Earlier in the week, coach Scott Linehan was hopeful of Adeyanju returning wearing a cast that covers most of his right arm. Adeyanju had extra motivation because he's from Chicago.

But on Thursday he termed the effort a "long shot."

"It's not 100 percent, not even close," Adeyanju said. "On a couple of hits in practice it was very painful. It's not good."

Adeyanju knew it would be even tougher on game day with the Bears attacking his weakness.

"Those hungry guys, they hear about that and they'll be trying to hit it on purpose," Adeyanju said. "It's very disappointing. I've been looking forward to this game since they drafted me, and now I'll just have to watch."

Adeyanju got points just for trying.

"I like his attitude and the way he's thinking, but there's still a little too much pain," Linehan said. "We'll see next week."

Both Hill and Adeyanju are listed as questionable by the Rams (5-7). A third player under that classification, free safety O.J. Atogwe, was expected back from a mild concussion after also being held out on Wednesday.

Linehan said Atogwe was cleared after a medical evaluation.

Middle linebacker Will Witherspoon was held out of practice on Friday due to an illness.