Outfitted with additional padding to protect his tender ribs, tailback Thomas Jones has returned to the practice field, and will be back in the Chicago Bears' starting lineup for Sunday's showdown against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field. The Bears' leading rusher, and the centerpiece of a relatively rudimentary offense that is designed to reduce the pressure on rookie quarterback Kyle Orton and curtail turnovers, Jones missed last Sunday's victory over San Francisco 49ers with bruised ribs. He had played through a sprained right knee early in the season and this week marks the first game since early October that Jones was not listed on the official injury report.