GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Pernell McPhee's highly anticipated return to the Chicago Bears yielded zero tackles in 19 snaps.

But McPhee’s surgically repaired knee, which landed him on the physically unable to perform list for the first six weeks, held up OK on Thursday night -- a small victory for the Bears’ defense moving forward.

“I was just a little rusty, man,” McPhee said after the Bears’ 26-10 loss at Green Bay. “But in due time I’ll get back right. I was just happy to be out there, man, and whatever happened, happened.”

McPhee barely had a chance to test the knee before Chicago activated him off the PUP list. The veteran pass-rusher participated in only three walk-through workouts before the Bears announcement Thursday afternoon that McPhee would be available for the Packers game.

“We were just playing it by ear,” McPhee said. “Coach did a great job of getting me going. He just wanted to knock some rust off me. [The key to knocking the rust off] is that first contact. Out 10 months … when I got that first contact I got a little sting, and I was like, ‘Ah, s---, it’s not my knee. I’m good.’

"It was very important to come back [as soon as possible]. That is the date we set going to camp and right after camp. So, that’s the best thing right now.”