Latest statement from Bears chairman George McCaskey will disappoint fans
The Chicago Bears have had a big offseason. General manager Ryan Poles started the teardown process of the Bears' roster last offseason. This offseason, the building phase is officially underway. Poles made a huge splash by sending the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in a deal that netted the Bears a passel […]
The Chicago Bears have had a big offseason.
General manager Ryan Poles started the teardown process of the Bears' roster last offseason. This offseason, the building phase is officially underway.
Poles made a huge splash by sending the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in a deal that netted the Bears a passel of draft picks along with wide receiver DJ Moore, a new No. 1 target for quarterback Justin Fields.
While fans are likely happy with the moves Chicago has made this offseason, something Bears chairman George McCaskey said at the NFL owners meetings this week might not sit well with those same fans.
McCaskey was asked about the possibility of the Bears being featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks" this fall. And he made it clear that Chicago would prefer to pass on the opportunity, which would give fans a unique behind-the-scenes look at the franchise.
The Bears are one of four teams that are eligible to be featured on the show in 2023 (the New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, and New York Jets are the other teams).
Here are the qualifications that a team has to meet to be eligible (via USA TODAY): To qualify for the next edition of Hard Knocks, an NFL team must not have made the postseason for two straight seasons. They must have a coach who is in his second year on the job, at least. And they haven’t participated in the program in a decade.
Despite McCaskey's statement, the Bears have no choice in appearing on the show. If the NFL chooses them, they'll have to do it.
The Jets, however, will likely be the team the NFL chooses — if Aaron Rodgers ends up in New York as expected. Of course, Rodgers might push back against that idea (we might see how much influence Rodgers has over the NFL). If the Jets don't end up being the team that's featured, the Bears would be the next logical choice.
Chicago is a team on the rise, they have an exciting young quarterback in Fields, an up-and-coming star general manager in Poles, and a head coach with a unique approach in Matt Eberflus. Regardless of what McCaskey thinks, the Bears would make for compelling television. And fans would undoubtedly love the behind-the-scenes look at the team that the show provides.
Last year, the Detroit Lions were announced as the featured team on March 28, so we should find out soon if the Bears will be the team featured in 2023 (though the pending Rodgers situation could delay an announcement).
