The Bears did not hold an organized team activity Tuesday but not by choice. The NFL forced them to cancel the scheduled OTA for violating the rules of live contact at practice.
The NFLPA had a representative at an OTA practice in May, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports, and the Bears received a warning for a pad-less session that was too physical. Video of subsequent OTAs drew the loss of a day of work during OTAs.
The Bears returned to practice Wednesday.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus said neither he nor the organization were fined.
“Hustle can be there and it is, and you can see that,” Eberflus said, via Biggs. “You guys were at practice. They run on offense. They run on defense. Man, we run. But the intensity part. The focus part of intensity can be there but not the physical part until we get the pads. Once we get the pads on in training camp, that’s when we’re going to focus on how we play the intensity piece. That cannot be done this time of year. We’re excited where we are with that. There’s guys, they’re flying around, they’re really moving to the ball. It looks fast to me.”
Tight end Cole Kmet explained the physicality of practices as a young roster trying to impress a new coaching staff.
“We’re going 100 percent, and you’re being asked to go 100 percent, and you want to show out for a new staff,” said Kmet, who is entering his third season. “You have young guys and guys like me that want to stick around here and be around here. . . . And I think it’s a balance.”
