A new era of Chicago Bears football can officially begin today.
NFL teams with new head coaches can begin their offseason workout programs this week, which means Matt Nagy and his new-look staff are on the clock. Huzzah!
Indeed, the Bears are one of just two teams starting their offseason programs today, which means they are already getting a leg up on a majority of the rest of the league. How’s that for being ahead of the curve! (Well, it’s not much, but it’s something.)
This particular phase of the offseason program features strength and conditioning, as well as rehabilitation. That means new head trainer Andre Tucker and strength and conditioning coordinator Jason Loscalzo will be put to work right away. Since the start of the 2015 season, Bears players have missed 558 games due to being on injured reserve. And, yeah, that’s a lot. Hopefully a change at the top will help reverse the team’s injury fortunes. Can’t hurt, but could help.
Nagy’s new-look Bears offense projects to have new starters at wide receiver (Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel), tight end (Trey Burton), and either center or guard, depending on how the team pieces together the interior of its offensive line. There aren’t too many changes on the defensive side of the ball, which features nine players who were primary starters last season.
Considering the notable new faces at Halas Hall, it’s good that the Bears are one of the first two teams to get their offseason programs started. Getting the players familiar with the organization – and each other – as soon as possible is a relative priority.
The Bears are joined by the Arizona Cardinals as the first two teams to begin their offseason programs. Next Monday, the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, and Tennessee Titans will get things underway. Teams that didn’t hire new head coaches can get things rolling on April 16. Slackers.