The next time we’ll see the Chicago Bears, it will be well into the dog days of summer. The team held its last set of OTAs last week, then dismissed the players for summer break. This is the last time the team will have a significant chunk of time away from the facilities. Up next is training camp– which will be a little longer thanks to the Hall of Fame game– the preseason, and finally Week 1.
Here’s a look at what’s next for the Bears this summer.
BEARS TRAINING CAMP REPORT DATE - MID JULY
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We’re still waiting for all the details of when rookies and veterans will have to report. But once everyone is back at Halas Hall, this is when the bulk of the work is done to get the team in shape for Week 1, both mentally and physically. The team will ramp up from practicing in shorts and tee shirts, to shells and finally full pads. This is also the first time that the team will be allowed to practice with “live” tackling– if head coach Matt Eberflus chooses.
HALL OF FAME GAME - AUGUST 1
The Bears get a head start on the preseason with the Hall of Fame game this August. Over the course of the weekend, the league will honor new Bears Hall of Famers Steve McMichael, Devin Hester and (to a degree) Julius Peppers. On Thursday night, they’ll also take on the Houston Texans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
It’s worth noting that the Hall of Fame does not replace a preseason game for the Bears, so they’ll play four warmups this year instead of four. The extra game will give the coaches an extra week to both get ready for the regular season and evaluate players who are trying to earn a roster spot.
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BEARS PRESEASON GAME NO. 2 - AUGUST 10
The Bears go on the road again for their second preseason date. This time it’s to upstate New York to visit the Buffalo Bills. Last season, the Bears starters hardly played in the team’s second preseason game. Eberflus cited competitive joint practices with the Colts for his decision to sit the main guys in the game. It’s unclear how the snaps will shake out this time around.
BEARS JOINT PRACTICE WITH BENGALS - AUGUST 15
For the third time in four years, the Bears will participate in joint practice. This time they’re hosting the Bengals before their preseason match. Coaches and players alike typically enjoy the opportunity to compete against a real opponent in joint practices, after repping against the same teammates over and over again throughout minicamp and training camp. Joint practices also provide the team a different type of measuring stick. It’s one thing to see how your offense performs against your defense and vice versa. It’s another thing to see how your offense performs against another team’s defense. When you’re playing a team that has a Super Bowl berth and another conference title game appearance over the last three years, like the Bengals have had, it’s an even better measuring stick.
BEARS PRESEASON GAME NO. 3 - AUGUST 17
Just like the Bears held their starters out of last year’s preseason game following joint practices, Eberflus could opt to do the same thing this year. Or maybe after self-scouting he switches things up. We won’t know until we get much closer to the game.
BEARS PRESEASON GAME NO. 4 - AUGUST 22
One last tune up for the team before the regular season begins, and one last chance for players on the roster bubble to make a case to win a job. Last year the starters played a decent amount: the offensive linemen notched 17 snaps and Justin Fields played 13 snaps. We’ll see how health, and the extra preseason game at the beginning of the month, affect this year’s snap count.