NEWSLETTER
There have been some turbulent times this offseason following the “will he, won’t he” of Eddie Goldman.
The Chicago Bears’ starting nose tackle skipped out on mandatory minicamp in June. And month later, whispers surfaced regarding Goldman considering retirement after sitting out last season. But now that we have drawn closer to training camp’s opening, some more clarity has come to this situation:
Eddie Goldman is expected to report to Bears training camp on time next week. "Hopefully for Eddie it's like riding a bike." https://t.co/MmGCOZwpZk
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) July 21, 2021
The Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer reports Goldman plans to report to training camp on time, citing “sources with knowledge of Goldman’s intentions.” Which, to me, is an early front-runner for the best way to keep anonymous sources secure in 2021. But more important than that honor is having further confirmation that Goldman will be at Bears camp when it opens. Because, if you’ll recall, Bill Zimmerman of SiriusXM Radio heard from a source close to Goldman’s situation back in June that Chicago’s top nose tackle would indeed report to camp.
The old-guard former Capital-J Journalist sees two sources on the same path, nods, and smiles. This is some of the best news a Bears fan can get this time of year. Chicago’s defense is good, but getting Goldman back in it makes it better.
Should Goldman return to the Bears, his arrival will be a welcome one. Chicago’s rush defense took a step back without Goldman in the middle. Sure, Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols, John Jenkins, Brent Urban, Roy Robertson-Harris, and others held down the fort in Goldman’s absence. The Bears rush defense, while not elite last year, wasn’t bad thanks to the admirable efforts of all who were in on the action. But Urban, Jenkins, and Robertson-Harris left in free agency. And while adding Khyiris Tonga via the draft, as well as Mike Pennel in free agency, helps matters, having Goldman in the mix is different.
If you have worries about Goldman being in playing shape, let me say up front that I understand. Goldman will have gone 630 days between taking NFL regular-season game snaps by the time Week 1 kicks off. But the Bears will have 48 days between the start of camp and Week 1’s kickoff to work Goldman into game shape. And for what it’s worth, Goldman seems to have taken some initiative with his own offseason workouts. Perhaps the Bears might need to slow play Goldman into the regular rotation. But that is a better alternative than not having him around at all.
