Category: Training Camp

Bears still not interested in being featured on ‘Hard Knocks’

Bears chairman George McCaskey hasn’t changed his stance on “Hard Knocks.”

The Chicago Bears are once again eligible to be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series, which offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into an NFL team during training camp and preseason.

Bears chairman George McCaskey has previously made his feelings clear on the matter: He’s not interested in “Hard Knocks,” which many feel would be a distraction.

But with new president Kevin Warren in place, you have to wonder if the organization’s position has changed. According to the Chicago Tribune, when Warren was asked Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings whether there was interest in doing “Hard Knocks,” he chuckled.

“That’s always interesting,” Warren said. “I have interests in making sure that the NFL stays strong and vibrant.”

While Warren didn’t exactly say “no” in his response, McCaskey later offered a firm “no” in response to whether his own stance on “Hard Knocks” had changed.

The Bears are one of three teams that can be forced into doing “Hard Knocks,” which also includes the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints. When looking at those three teams, there’s little doubt Chicago would be the most attractive option for the NFL.

They’re ushering in a new era with projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, they have a young, ascending defense, they’re looking to make that next step to contend for the playoffs and they’re one of 10 teams never featured on the show before.

“We’re told there is some interest in other teams being on the program,” McCaskey said. “And we welcome that interest.”

At this point, a team volunteering appears to be McCaskey’s best bet of getting the Bears out of “Hard Knocks.”

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Bears may have Hall of Fame Game and ‘Hard Knocks’ this summer

It’s shaping up to potentially be a busy and memorable summer for the Bears.

The Chicago Bears have a lot going on right now. There is an expectation that they will be a big spender in free agency, they have the number one pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and they just had three players named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. 

With some cap space to spend, you can assume that the Bears will use their financial wealth to improve their team. They might not be adding any game breakers or anything like that, but they should be able to fill in the cracks with some good talent.

Their plan with the first overall pick depends on the decision made with Justin Fields. Is he their guy at quarterback going forward or will they draft Caleb Williams out of USC? That is one of the top NFL conversations going on locally and nationally. 

The three players going into the Hall of Fame are Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, and Steve McMichael. They are the first trio of players to go into the Hall at the same time that played for the same team (for at least four years) since the San Francisco 49ers (3) in 2000. 

With those players being inducted into Canton, and all being Bears, Chicago is a good bet to participate in the annual Hall of Fame Game. That would also likely be the first time that we see Williams in a Bears jersey, if they go that route this spring.

The excitement and anticipation for that type of offseason/training camp will be off the charts compared to other years. The Bears, good or bad, always have a lot of hype, but this year will be different. 

As a result, don’t be surprised if they are chosen to do “Hard Knocks,” the hit documentary that follows an NFL team during training camp and shows the ins and outs of the early season process. 

If an NFL team hasn’t made the playoffs over the previous two seasons, they have a new head coach, or they have been on in the last 10 years, they can’t be forced to do it. A team could be forced to do it if they meet that criteria and no other team has volunteered. A lot of teams — from owners to coaches to players, namely George McCaskey — don’t want to do it. 

The Bears are one of just three teams — along with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints — who can be forced to do “Hard Knocks” in 2024. Based on how unexciting those two teams are right now, Chicago feels like a lock. There is no escape this year. 

The Bears are just an interesting team right now for all of the reasons mentioned. With the number one pick possibly being a generational talent, along with an extra preseason game, it is going to be a circus. The organization might as well embrace the chaos.  

Bears one of three teams eligible for ‘Hard Knocks’ in 2024

For the second year in a row, the Bears can be forced to appear on Hard Knocks. Will this finally be the year it happens?

The Chicago Bears narrowly avoided Hard Knocks in 2023. Will that be the case in 2024? For the second year in a row, the Bears are one of a few teams in the NFL that can be forced to be the focus of the long-running HBO series Hard Knocks during training camp.

Hard Knocks follows one NFL team throughout their training camp, providing fans with glimpses into players and coaches journeys as they prepare for the upcoming season. Any team can volunteer to be featured, but certain teams can be forced to do it if there are no takers.

If a team has made the playoffs within the last two seasons, has hired a new coach, or has appeared on the show within the last 10 years, they are exempt from that year’s Hard Knocks. The New York Jets were featured last year after the NFL forced them to do it, having been one of four teams eligible. The Bears, New Orleans Saints, and Denver Broncos are the only teams that do not fit that criteria this year.

Halas Hall would make for an intriguing setting for next season’s series, given the possibility of having a rookie quarterback like Caleb Williams in the fold as well as boasting an ascending team, particularly on defense. But chairman George McCaskey has been adamant about not having the cameras around in past seasons, and his stance likely hasn’t changed. “We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on Hard Knocks,” McCaskey said during last year’s owners meetings. “31 others,” he clarified.

Time will tell if the league will respect his wishes, but the Bears may not be able to avoid the series this year.

Every NFL team’s most surprising cut candidate

These NFL players could be surprise cuts next week.

Roster cuts are just around the corner, where NFL teams will have to trim the roster from 90 to 53 players. Unlike last year, there is just one cutdown date, following the final week of the preseason, on Aug. 29.

While it’s certainly beneficial for players on the roster bubble to get more opportunity to showcase themselves — for their current or future team — it also makes for one massive wave of roster cuts that will likely feature some surprising yet prominent names.

With that in mind, our NFL Wire editors identified one player from every NFL team who could be a surprise cut on Tuesday.

7 takeaways from Vikings 2nd joint practice vs. Cardinals

The Vikings and Cardinals held their second joint practice on Thursday. Here were the biggest takeaways from the session.

Amid a much cooler day, the Minnesota Vikings concluded their second day of joint practices with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday.

The combined session concludes the Vikings’ two joint training camp sessions of training camp. Last week, the Vikings hosted the Tennessee Titans for two days of practice ahead of their preseason matchup.

Earlier in training camp, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell praised joint practice sessions as an opportunity to have players improve in controlled environments. Last season, the Vikings and San Francisco 49ers combined for a session, and the success of that session prompted the Vikings to add another this year.

The Vikings and Cardinals will both conclude preseason on Saturday afternoon. But before then, here are the biggest takeaways from the final day of joint practice with the Cardinals.

8 Vikings who need a great game vs. Cardinals to make the roster

These players need a great performance to earn a roster spot

The Minnesota Vikings are less than a week from having to cut down their roster from 90 to 53 on Tuesday, August 29th. With that cutdown day, it will be the first time in that teams will have only one day of cuts.

That could create some chaos with teams trying to claim players off waivers. That in turn could make it easier to sneak a player onto the practice squad.

The Vikings have plenty of players on the roster bubble, but this group of eight needs a great performance to earn their spot on the roster.

Fred Taylor says RB Dameon Pierce turned into different player with the Texans

Former Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro running back Fred Taylor observed how the Houston Texans’ Dameon Pierce turned into a different back in the NFL.

Before he was a member of one of the hottest sports podcasts today, Fred Taylor terrorized NFL defenses for 13 years as a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots.

The Pivot Podcast co-host, along with former NFL players Ryan Clark and Channing Crowder, attended the Houston Texans training camp and had some very complimentary things to say about second-year running back Dameon Pierce.

“He gets downhill fast,” said Taylor about Pierce. “He doesn’t waste a lot of time going sideways. His speed is deceptive. Once he gets out in the open, he seems to run away from a lot of people.”

Taylor had a very productive NFL career as he finished in the top-10 in rushing for six of his 11 seasons with the Jaguars, with his best year coming in 2003 with 1,572 yards on 345 carries. He was selected second-team All-Pro in 2007. Before that, he was running through defenders at the University of Florida; the same college Pierce attended before being drafted by the Texans in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Pierce’s years at Florida remind Taylor of his playing days, as well as he had to split carries with two other running backs his junior season.

“Even when I watched him play at Florida, they were by committee a lot of time, so we didn’t get a chance to really see him when others got most of the reps,” said Taylor, who is also a member of the University of Florida Hall of Fame. “So, when he got to the league, he turned into a whole different player. Most guys are built for the pro-style, and he has proved to be one of them.”

The Georgia native took the league by surprise last season, rushing for 939 yards on 220 carries and four touchdowns. His rookie season was cut short in Week 14 when he suffered an ankle injury against the Dallas Cowboys, which placed him on the injured list for the remaining four games.

One of his best games of the season was in front of Taylor in Week 5 when the Texans visited TIAA Bank Field Stadium to take on the Jaguars. Pierce came one yard shy of having consecutive back-to-back 100-yard rushing games as he finished with 99 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown in Houston’s 13-6 victory.

“I didn’t want him to see him run like that against the Jags,” Taylor jokingly responded when asked about the game. “But I was torn because he is a Gator [Florida] boy, so I was proud of him.”

Heading into the 2023 regular season, Pierce has set high goals and expectations. If he meets those goals, he knows it will be a team accomplishment first and then a personal one.

“It’s going to look a lot better than last year, but to answer your question, definitely cap 1,000 [rushing] yards, definitely,” said Pierce when asked what a full, healthy season will look like for him. “I’ll say that. I think I got 960 something [yards], 939, so 60, 70 yards away from 1,000.”

“So, I definitely see that. That’s a goal I have for myself. That’s what I expect from me, so I definitely want to cap 1,000. ‘Slow’ [Bobby Slowik] expects that everybody around me expects that, and I’m going to try everything in my power to get that.”

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9 takeaways from Vikings 1st joint practice vs. Cardinals

There were multiple takeaways from the Vikings joint practice with the Cardinals

The Minnesota Vikings have concluded their first joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon.

With the heat index really high, the Vikings moved the practice start time from 2:30 pm central to 11 am central.

The Cardinals came in with a new staff led by Jonathan Gannon and multiple former Vikings, including cornerback Kris Boyd and center Pat Elflein.

Coming out of practice, we learned a few things about where the Vikings currently are. Here are the 9 biggest takeaways from joint practice.

Lions practice notebook for August 22: Defense dominates the day

Detroit Lions practice notebook from Tuesday, August 22nd, a full-contact session dominated by the defense

The first day of Detroit Lions training camp in several weeks with no fans in the stands made for a quieter experience. Aaron Glenn’s defense did its best to make a lot of noise at the Tuesday afternoon practice.

On an overcast day with the team in full pads and live tackling, Detroit’s defensive dominance was the story.

Here’s some of what stood out from the August 22nd practice in Allen Park.

DT Jaquelin Roy seeing snaps with the first team

The fifth-round pick getting first-team reps is a great development

Before the Minnesota Vikings host the Arizona Cardinals for two joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday, they are doing a walkthrough on Tuesday afternoon.

According to a report from The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, fifth-round pick DT Jaquelin Roy was getting snaps with the first-team defensive line.

This is an important development with how the Vikings will construct their 53-man roster. With the defensive line being up in the air, seeing Roy get reps with the first team is a good thing, especially since he didn’t play in the first two preseason games.

Roy is likely a 5T on base downs with the ability to play nose tackle on passing downs. With his lack of participation in the preseason, this is a good sign for his chances to make the 53-man roster.

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