INDIANAPOLIS — Johnny Knox may not have played at all last season after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. But the speedy receiver’s retirement this offseason still left the Bears at a loss. And in a need for help at wide receiver. To say anything else would be “silly” to Bears general manager Phil Emery. The Bears

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INDIANAPOLIS — Johnny Knox may not have played at all last season after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. But the speedy receiver’s retirement this offseason still left the Bears at a loss.

And in a need for help at wide receiver.

To say anything else would be “silly” to Bears general manager Phil Emery. The Bears will look at plenty of offensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Field. But don’t rule out wide receivers come April’s draft or when free agency begins on March 12 even if they have Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Earl Bennett coming back.

Why?

Because Knox isn’t coming back. There was some hope that Knox, who had 960 receiving yards in a breakout campaign in 2010, would be able to play again.

But the Bears, who paid Knox during the 2012 season, terminated his contract on Feb. 12 and a day later he told the Sun-Times he’s retiring.

“Anytime you lose a player of that quality and that kind of speed, it does impact you,” Emery said. “To say [not] would be silly. It does impact us. We’ll look at all avenues in terms of finding someone who can add to that mix at receiver.”