Four other players were limited Thursday, all with ankle injuries: Linebacker Lance Briggs, tight end Kellen Davis, running back Matt Forte and cornerback Charles Tillman. Briggs and Forte both told reporters that they expect to play Sunday.

If Forte does play, he’ll line up behind an offensive line that’s assured of starting its third different combination in as many weeks after left guard Lance Louis was placed on injured reserve.

“It doesn’t change my approach at all,” Forte said. “You’ve just got to trust those guys up front. They’re getting a lot of reps in practice right now so that they know what to do in the game.”

Forte hated to see Louis suffer a season-ending knee injury in last Sunday’s win over the Vikings.

“I think this was his contract year, and to lose him for the rest of the season is tough,” Forte said. “I’m just praying for him and I know he’ll come back strong.”

“Grade-wise for us last season he had the second-highest grade,” Tice said. “Everyone wants Chris Williams and Chris Spencer to be like [right tackle] Gabe [Carimi]. It is two different styles. That is why we have Gabe on the right-hand side. He is a bruiser. But I was very surprised [about Spencer]. It was certainly not a tape—and Chris knows this; we spoke about it—you want on your résumé.”

In six seasons with the Seahawks from 2005-10, Spencer made 66 of 70 starts at center. His first NFL start came at left guard in 2006 and he opened the final three games of the 2009 season at right guard.

Last season Spencer started 14 of 15 games played for the Bears at right guard, but he was moved to left guard this year with Lance Louis shifting from right tackle to right guard to make room at right tackle for Carimi, a 2011 first-round pick who missed 14 games of his rookie season with a knee injury.

“Chris’ experience at guard has been minimal before he got here,” Tice said. “He was a center. So anything at guard is new for him. But at the same point when we get a guy like Lance Louis and Carimi and you put those guys together on the right side, you should be formidable in the run game, so that is really important.”