The NFL Has Reportedly Offered to Axe the Preseason, Which Complicates Things for the Bears

Hours after agreeing upon daily COVID-19 testing protocols to open training camp, the NFL is reportedly set to offer a new concession to the NFLPA in an attempt to square things away ahead of the season.

Here’s Ian Rapoport with the report:

The NFL has reportedly offered to axe all four preseason games. Hey, maybe Robert Griffin III was onto something!

Previously, the league trimmed the preseason from four games to two. And that felt like a significant move. But since then, the NFLPA recommended a summer with no preseason games. As part of that proposal, the NFLPA offered up ideas as to how to proceed with the ramp-up process for a regular season without exhibitions. Should the players accept the offer, it would represent a major step in a positive direction for them and the league as the sides work toward getting the details ironed out for a 2020 season.

So, months after Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy saw the error of his ways and was ready to commit to playing his regulars throughout the preseason, there is a real possibility that no preseason games will be played. Go figure.

No exhibition season would be a bit of a bitter pill to swallow. After all, the team was looking forward to using the preseason to see whether Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles would emerge from the QB derby. Elsewhere, the preseason could have gone a long way toward sorting out position battles at right guard, cornerback, and safety. Beyond that, fringe players in depth roles tend to use these games to make a name for themselves. This isn’t to say those jobs can’t be earned without preseason exhibitions, but the evaluation process could be more difficult for the coaches and front office without them.

Then again, perhaps the best way to figure out the quarterback competition isn’t to put Trubisky and Foles against Broncos and Browns. Instead, maybe the best way to determine a winner would be to go with who performs best against Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson, and the rest of the Bears defense. Just a thought.

For more from Rapoport on progress being made by the NFL and NFLPA, check out the video embedded below:

 

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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