The Chicago Bears reported to training camp Friday at Halas Hall, just over seven weeks before hosting the Tennessee Titans in the season opener.
With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams as the team’s new headliner and an established defense ready to take it to the next level, the Bears entered camp with increased confidence and high expectations. But they also understand they must stay immersed in the fast-paced pace of camp and the preseason to achieve the competitive breakthrough they seek.
General manager Ryan Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and six players spoke to the media upon their arrival in Lake Forest. Here are four things we learned.
1. It is reasonable to hope to qualify for the playoffs.
Even with a rookie quarterback and a new offensive system, the Bears’ roster is now strong enough to compete for a playoff spot. The bar has been set accordingly, both inside Halas Hall and in the outside world.
There was a lot of talk Friday about the desire to make the playoffs, and no one was more outspoken and insightful on the subject than tight end Cole Kmet. In his first four seasons, Kmet has been on just one playoff team — an 8-8 wild-card team in the 2020 pandemic season — with an overall record of 24-42.
Kmet, who grew up a Bears fan, understands the fluctuations in expectations from the outside world from year to year, but he was adamant Friday that he has maintained playoff expectations every season.
“And you might think, ‘Oh, well, you’re crazy to think that. You haven’t been on talented teams this year or that year,’” Kmet said. “But that’s just the mindset I’ve had every year coming in. … This isn’t college football where there’s really only four teams competing (to win it all) every year. All 32 teams here are trying to win the Super Bowl and that’s part of the deal.”
Kmet then said the inflated outside expectations wouldn’t change the Bears’ approach.
“That’s why I remain committed to having the same expectations year after year,” he said. “So now that we’re going into this situation where the expectations from the outside have changed, the expectations in the locker room haven’t changed.
“For me, that’s always been the most important thing. We can’t necessarily worry about what people are saying from the outside. We have to hear Flus’ plan, what he wants and how we’re going to approach the whole season and stick to it.”
2. General manager Ryan Poles continues to look for possible additions to the passing attack.
Poles has been outspoken about his desire to improve up front. As things stand, Pro Bowl selection Montez Sweat and eighth-year veteran DeMarcus Walker are the projected starters at defensive end, with Dominique Robinson, Khalid Kareem and fifth-round pick Austin Booker among those vying for significant roles behind them.
However, the possibility of a summer signing should not be ruled out.
“Our job as a front office is to look at every option we can to improve our football team,” Poles said. “We feel really comfortable with the players we have on our roster right now and I’m excited. We’re excited to see Travis (Smith, defensive line coach) and Eric (Washington, coordinator) really get their hands on these players and develop them as we move forward in training camp.”
“But we will always have an eye on the list of players that we could potentially recruit.”
The list of free agent defensive ends includes Yannick Ngakoue and Emmanuel Ogbah. Ngakoue, of course, spent last season with the Bears and meets the familiarity criteria. But he also had a rough season in 2023 with a career-low four sacks before his season ended in Week 14 when he fractured his left ankle.
Poles said he was not fully aware of Ngakoue’s current health status, but left the door open to a meeting.
“I really enjoyed the time we had with him,” Poles said. “I thought he did a good job and showed leadership. So that’s a positive.”
3. The Bears are developing plans for how to manage playing time for Caleb Williams and the starting offense during preseason games.
With their inclusion in the Hall of Fame game — Aug. 1 against the Houston Texans in Canton, Ohio — the Bears have four preseason games and will maneuver to distribute desired playing time to their rookie quarterback and other offensive starters.
Eberflus reiterated Friday that he has closely examined the preseason workloads of last season’s first-round quarterbacks — Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers, C.J. Stroud of the Texans and Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts — and envisions Williams playing between 45 and 55 games next month.
“We’re in that range,” Eberflus said. “We’ll see. But again, it’s always a week-to-week thing because you have to see how healthy your line is and where everybody is.”
As for the veterans’ willingness to play more in the preseason, both to help Williams grow and to establish a rhythm in new coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense, receiver DJ Moore didn’t exactly raise his hand, grimacing disinterestedly at the suggestion.
Kmet was a little more diplomatic in his response.
“Are we ready? They pay us. So we have to do whatever they want us to do,” he said. “That’s kind of how it works.”
“We want to have a successful season and we have confidence in the coaches, they have a good plan. They have been thinking about it for a while now. Whatever plan they have proposed to us for the pre-season, whether it is in training or in games, we will all be for it. When they say to us, ‘Jump!’ we will have to answer, ‘How high?’”
4. Rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and tight end Gerald Everett were placed on non-football injured reserve.
Amegadjie is still rehabbing after surgery in October to repair a torn quadriceps tendon. The third-round pick out of Yale won’t be ready for the Bears’ first practice Saturday morning and will continue to work toward getting back in the game.
“We like his work ethic,” Poles said. “That’s one of the reasons he’s here. He’s progressing. It’s all positive. But I don’t have a specific timetable (for his return).”
As of Friday afternoon, the Bears had not specified what Everett’s issue was. But it was seen as a notable and surprising development for the 30-year-old tight end, who signed a two-year, $12 million contract to join the Bears in March.
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