My Friday has already been full of surprises. Good surprises. So, with that in mind, I’ll probably stay away from baseball today.
• The most sure sign that preseason football is back in our lives is when a punt is the game’s biggest highlight:
WE HAVE A PUNT HIGHLIGHT.@pharvin27 checks a beauty on the goal line!
📺: @ProFootballHOF Game on FOX pic.twitter.com/sWIdxitEjm
— NFL (@NFL) August 6, 2021
• Are you familiar with the scene in the movie Space Jam (you know, the good one) where Michael Jordan looks on his bench and all he sees is a bunch of injured cartoons? Because, if you are, then you probably know where I’m going with this. To write the Bears are dinged up doesn’t do any justice. The lattes comes from Bear Report’s Zack Pearson tweeting about Lachavious Simmons — who was set to fill in at tackle while four other offensive tackles were down with injuries — leaving the practice fields to be evaluated for a concussion. Also soon to be landing on the injury report is receiver Damiere Byrd with a heel injury. In other words, if you can pass a physical and are willing to try to block Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, and others, then the Chicago Bears might have something for you.
• Come on, now. This is getting out of hand:
For those scoring at home, the following #Bears are out today:
– Eddie Jackson
– Germain Ifedi
– Tarik Cohen
– James Daniels
– Artie Burns
– Tashaun Gipson
– Teven Jenkins
– Michael Joseph
– Robert Quinn
– Badara Traore
– Josh Woods
– Joel IyiehbuniweThat’s… wow
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) August 6, 2021
• There aren’t even enough characters to tweet about Eddie Goldman, Patrick Scales, Elijah Wilkinson, and Christian Jones being on the Reserve/COVID-19 List. That’s how rough the Bears’ injury situation is looking right now.
• Alec Ogletree is making himself right at home on the Bears defense, as Brad Biggs (Tribune) tweets he has two interceptions in as many days. That Nick Foles threw it hopefully won’t be held against the Bears in any possible trade talks that could be happening (now or in the future).
• More camp highlights here:
• This only partly answers why Doug Pederson was at Bears camp:
I'm told that Doug Pederson is just visiting and at #Bears practice as a guest of Matt Nagy, who he is very close with.
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) August 6, 2021
• Good on Matt Nagy for bringing in an old friend who can share a new voice at camp. Hearing the same guys over and over again can be a drag for players. So there is value in shaking it up with some new faces. Gotta say Pederson looks better in Bears colors than he did in any other color scheme he might’ve worn in his career.
• Much like the rest of us, Cam Ellis (670 The Score) wonders why Bears fans aren’t at camp. Ticket limitations (1,000) plus weekday morning practices don’t help matters. Neither does an 11 a.m. Family Fest taking place on a Tuesday morning. And we’re still dealing with a global pandemic, after all. It’s disappointing knowing that fans who want to go can’t do so because they didn’t get lucky. Just as it is a bummer knowing fans who want to go can’t because of timing. Maybe the Bears should buy Soldier Field from the city and use it as a training camp facility. It could be the type of win-win that satisfies everyone. More fans, big spaces, the potential to make money from in-stadium concessions, and ample accessibility. Getting to Soldier Field is far easier than trekking to Bourbonnais or Lake Forest.
• Add Jimmy Graham to the list of folks who have beef with the NFLPA:
I’ve done everything I’ve been asked and now Feel like I’m being punished. If I miss a test that your proposing everyday I’ll be fined a max 150k! How does this make sense. How’s the punishment 100x worse than last year and I’m vaccinated now? https://t.co/ZViL4zOP5K
— Jimmy Graham (@TheJimmyGraham) August 5, 2021
• Clarity and conciseness aren’t two things the NFLPA are known for, so it makes sense that there was some stuff lost in translation, causing Graham to tweet his feelings. In a column at The Athletic, Jon Greenberg provides clarity that was brought upon by his teammate Kevin Fishbain during Graham’s Thursday press conference. In the end, the big thing for me is that none of this is nudging Graham toward retirement (which could save the Bears a healthy chunk of cap space). “I’m going to score touchdowns,” Graham said when fielding a question about retirement. Who knows … perhaps one of those scores can come from someone who reminds him of That Guy In Seattle.
• Saying you’re willing to do anything except the most sensible and logical thing speaks volumes:
Kirk Cousins, who refuses to get vaccinated, says he’s willing to sit inside a plexiglass structure at work to avoid getting infected with Covid pic.twitter.com/ywZlo4SaXH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 6, 2021
• For the sake of perspective, Bears QB Coach John DeFilippo shares what it was like to test positive for coronavirus before reporting to training camp in a story by the Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley.
• Eloy Jiménez, Dylan Cease, Craig Kimbrel will be at Wrigley Field this weekend:
Crosstown Series Preview: White Sox at Cubs, August 6 – August 8, 2021 – https://t.co/wlvdcWhl0j pic.twitter.com/9oIp5urol8
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) August 6, 2021
• Hey, that makes two of us:
Markkanen Wants a “Fresh Start” Outside of Chicagohttps://t.co/V5c01YfC16
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) August 6, 2021
• MOAR SIGNINGS:
Blackhawks Sign Brandon Hagel To A Three-Year Contract Extensionhttps://t.co/xKfzXH191q
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) August 6, 2021