Tag: Bears preseason

Shortened preseason could affect Bears’ QB competition

With discussion about shortening the NFL’s preseason, it would be another blow to the Bears’ quarterback competition.

The Chicago Bears’ quarterback battle has already taken a hit with an entirely virtual offseason, which has stopped the competition from beginning until the team hits the field at training camp.

That meant that preseason games, which Bears coach Matt Nagy said would be key in determining the starter, would be even more valuable. But now, it sounds like there’s a possibility that the preseason could be shortened.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL and NFLPA are discussing the possibility of cutting the preseason in half, where teams would wind up playing two preseason games rather than four.

Typically, that would be something that would be welcomed with open arms. And while that’s surely the case with players, it doesn’t help Nagy when it comes to his most important preseason decision, which is determining the starting quarterback between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles.

If the NFL winds up axing two of those preseason games, how will the Bears go about evaluating Trubisky and Foles?

First of it all, it would mean a lot less Tyler Bray, who typically gets the bulk of preseason snaps. Trubisky and Foles figure to get significant playing time in those two games, as there’s no substitute for in-game experience.

You’d assume Trubisky and Foles would each get a start, where they’d be facing the first-string defense, while the other would relieve the starter and face the second and third stringers. It’s fair to assume that both quarterbacks will each get a half to play.

But a shortened offseason could also affect Chicago’s offense as a whole. If Trubisky and Foles see extended playing time in those preseason games, expect to see more of Chicago’s starters on offense.

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Bears’ joint practices with Broncos no longer happening

The Bears had planned on holding joint practices with the Broncos in advance of their second preseason game, but those won’t be happening.

As training camp gets closer, the NFL is making plans to ensure that these activities can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic.

After sending a memo to NFL teams that summer training camps must be conducted at their team facilities, the league also informed teams that they will not be allowed to hold joint practices with other teams this summer.

The Bears had planned on holding joint practices with the Denver Broncos in advance of their second preseason game, something they’ve done in the past. Given former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is Denver’s head coach, it only made sense to continue the tradition with the two teams facing off in the preseason.

Obviously, with this new memo, those joint practices won’t be happening. The NFL wants to ensure a safe environment for players, coaches and staff.

Chicago will travel to Denver to play the Broncos on Saturday, Aug. 22 in their second preseason contest.

Unlike the previous two preseasons, this one will mean a lot more for the Bears. The quarterback competition between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles will begin in training camp and carry into preseason, where on-field action will help determine the Bears’ Week 1 starter against the Detroit Lions.

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Matt Nagy regrets resting starters during preseason in 2019

Unlike the last two years, Bears coach Matt Nagy will play his starters in preseason.

Matt Nagy’s philosophy of resting his starters during preseason has seen its share of criticism over the last two years. Following Nagy’s decision to sit his starters in the third game of the 2018 preseason, he took it a step further in 2019, where he essentially rested all of his starters for all four games.

Nagy’s reasoning was that it wasn’t putting his players at risk for injuries when the games don’t count, following preseason injuries to Leonard Floyd and Adam Shaheen in 2018.

While that reasoning certainly makes sense, it also hinders the purpose of the preseason for starters, which is to get back in the rhythm of the game. And there’s no denying that the Bears offense could’ve used that preparation considering the horrendous season they had in Year 2 of Nagy’s scheme.

But Nagy will approach this preseason differently, opting to play his starters and give them valuable reps. While you figure some players won’t have substantial playing time in preseason, including defensive stars Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, the offense is certainly the unit that would benefit from that preparation and figuring things out early.

When talking with the Waddle & Silvy Show last Friday, Nagy said that he ultimately regretted his decision to rest his starters during last preseason, citing the experience and mentality as reasons why that’s going to change this year.

“As we talk, that’s one of the things that I look back at from last year that I’m not happy about that I made a decision to do in the preseason,” Nagy said, via Bryan Perez of NBC Sports. “No. 1, I think it’s good for them to have it, but No. 2 it sets the mentality. So that’s not going to happen this year.”

Another reason that the preseason is shaping up to be different this year are the position battles set to unfold, including most notably the quarterback competition between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles. That battle will play into the preseason, where the on-field action will help determine who lines up under center for Week 1 against Detroit.

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Don’t expect Bears to sit out preseason games this year

Matt Nagy hasn’t been a fan of preseason. But sounds like we’ll see a new approach, with players jockeying for starting jobs, in preseason.

Matt Nagy has made his feelings about preseason football perfectly clear. He’s not a fan. While it’s beneficial in getting some reserve players experience, it’s not exactly ideal for starters considering the injury risk.

Nagy first made a statement when he decided to rest most of his starters during the third preseason game in 2018, which is the “dress rehearsal” game where starters typically play into the third quarter.

But last offseason, Nagy didn’t even let his starters see action from the get-go. While Mitchell Trubisky appeared for one series in the first preseason game, he didn’t attempt a single pass. Other players never even dressed for the preseason.

Well, that approach wasn’t exactly beneficial for the Bears last season, who finished 8-8 with an offense that was among the worst in the NFL. Now, Nagy is going with a new approach, one that will likely see more starters — and players jockeying for starting jobs — playing in preseason.

That’s most likely due to the open quarterback competition between Trubisky and Nick Foles. Nagy explained that both Trubisky and Foles will get equal reps in the preseason. But that’s also not limited to the quarterback position.

But that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily see guys like Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson or Kyle Fuller playing in preseason either.

Nagy insists that, when the quarterback competition opens, that Trubisky will be the first one in the huddle. While there’s no clear-cut starter at this point, Trubisky and Foles’ battle will dominate training camp and preseason headlines.

The NFL plans to start the 2020 season on time, preseason included, although that’s subject to change. So, once the preseason does get under way, expect for those games to mean a tad more than they have in the past couple of years.

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Report: Bears, Broncos request to hold joint practices in Denver this August

While it’s far too early to begin speculating about how the preseason will go down, the Bears appear to be making some plans in advance.

While it’s far too early to begin speculating about how the preseason will go down, the Bears appear to be making some plans in advance.

The Bears and Broncos have requested to hold joint practices during the preseason in August, according to Broncos writer Mike Klis of 9News.

Now, obviously this is contingent upon the finalization of the NFL’s preseason schedule. If this were to happen, the Bears and Broncos would need to play a Week 2 or 3 preseason game. While nothing is guaranteed, the Bears and Broncos have made it known that they’d like to practice together in August.

Given former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio now coaches the Broncos and his relationship with Bears coach Matt Nagy, this would be a logical choice for joint practices in Denver.

If this indeed pans out the way both teams would like, this would mark the second time in three years that the Bears and Broncos would hold joint practices in Denver.

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