When the Bears (and the NFL’s other 31 teams) were making strides toward the 2020 NFL season, they were confined to their own practice facility in what was a limited build-up to the regular season.
There were no preseason games. And no time to assess what was in front of them ahead of the year to come. But with a new year comes new possibilities. Perhaps more importantly, a different type of shot for players to impress among their contemporaries:
This should be fun. I’m told that the Bears will be hosting the Dolphins for a couple joint practices before their preseason game on Aug. 14. They will be at Halas Hall. The Bears’ plans to practice with the Broncos last year were scrapped because of the pandemic.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) June 28, 2021
The Athletic’s Adam Jahns hears the Bears will host the Dolphins for some joint practice sessions at Halas Hall ahead of their August 14 preseason game. Just because there aren’t the obvious puns regarding joint practices taking place in Denver doesn’t make this any less intriguing. I mean, have we even considered the Adam Shaheen Revenge Practice™ factor? All in all, this is pretty neat.
Last year, the Bears and Broncos were working toward having joint practices before the two teams took the field in an exhibition. But those plans were put on hold last June when the NFL reportedly began telling teams they would need to host training camp at their home facilities. And with that, a great idea was out the window.
Joint practices seem like a good idea. It gives players opportunities to hit someone who isn’t a teammate as they gear up for the regular season. Meanwhile, coaches get a chance to evaluate position battles by giving players a shot against another team. And when it comes to the Bears, players at cornerback, receiver, and along the offensive line could make some hay in their climb to a starting role. I truly dig this concept, especially if it becomes the norm as a pseudo replacement for a preseason exhibition game. Let’s get it on!