Bears expecting two star players to return to the field for mandatory minicamp after missing OTAs
The Chicago Bears will be back on the practice field at Halas Hall on Tuesday and are expected to have some notable faces back in attendance for mandatory minicamp.During the voluntary organized team activities (OTAs), the Bears had two stars reportedly absent from practice during the two days of media access: wide receiver Keenan Allen […]
The Chicago Bears will be back on the practice field at Halas Hall on Tuesday and are expected to have some notable faces back in attendance for mandatory minicamp.
During the voluntary organized team activities (OTAs), the Bears had two stars reportedly absent from practice during the two days of media access: wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Montez Sweat.
But, again, practice was voluntary during the last two weeks. Things are different this week during the mandatory phases of the offseason and the team is expecting to have everyone on the roster present and on the field.
Even though multiple players weren't present at OTAs for various reasons, their absences were all accounted for according to head coach Matt Eberflus. Defensive coordinator Eric Washington was asked specifically about Sweat's participation with the team and felt comfortable with where he is in terms of the offseason progress.
"I've been in contact with him and he's been an active participant," Washington explained. "We had a chance to visit, to debrief, and to just talk about where we are in the offseason. So, he's stayed connected to the offseason and I'll be excited as he continues to take advantage of the offseason."
On Friday while addressing the media after the last day of OTAs, Eberflus provided a more encouraging update on Sweat's status for minicamp this week.
“I’m not going to get into all the numbers, in terms of like the exact dates and when guys were here, but he’s been in the building,” Eberflus said. “He’s been here several times during the offseason and when he’s in, he’s locked in and ready to go. And of course he'll be here [this week], and we're excited about that."
This week's mandatory minicamp is the last opportunity for players to take the field for conditioning and install before taking a long break ahead of training camp later in the summer. Therefore, this week is important for players to get their bodies and mind right before the stretch of time off.
“[Sweat's] whole thing is about having a consistent get-off and then getting that base for the offseason leading into summer,” Eberflus explained. “That’s really for everybody. We’re talking about that daily, about guys getting a good base going into summer conditioning because they’ll have about 42 days before they come back."
As for Allen, the team's new wide receiver has been present inside the team facilities during the offseason and has worked out with quarterback Caleb Williams but did not attend OTAs due to personal reasons. With mandatory practice now starting up, Allen will surely be back on the field with the rest of the team this week.
In the scenario anyone skips practice this week during mandatory minicamp, here's how the fine amounts work per the CBA: $16,953 for missing the first day, $33,908 for missing the second day, $50,855 for missing the third day. The Bears' coaches are expecting that it won't have to come to that.
