Chicago Bears Schedule From 2024 Training Camp Through Preseason originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Next time we will see the Chicago Bears, it will already be the dog days of summer. The team held its final series of OTAs last week and then released players for the summer break. This is the last time the team will have a significant amount of time away from the facility. Next is training camp– which will take a little longer thanks to the Hall of Fame game – the preseason and finally Week 1.
Here’s a look at what’s next for the Bears this summer.
BEARS TRAINING CAMP REPORT DATE – MID-JULY
We are still waiting for all the details on when the newcomers and veterans will be expected to report. But once everyone is back at Halas Hall, that’s when most of the work will be done to get the team in shape for Week 1, both mentally and physically. The team will go from training in shorts and t-shirts to shells and, finally, full pads. This is also the first time the team will be able to practice with “live” tackles – if the head coach Matt Eberflus choose.
HALL OF FAME GAME – AUGUST 1
The Bears take the lead in the preseason with the Hall of Fame Game in August. Throughout the weekend, the league will honor new Bears Hall of Famers Steve McMichael, Devin Hester and (to some extent) Julius Peppers. On Thursday night, they will also face the Houston Texans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
It’s important to note that the Hall of Fame does not replace a preseason game for the Bears, so they will have four warmups this year instead of four. The extra game will give coaches an extra week to prepare for the regular season and evaluate players trying to earn a roster spot.
BEARS PRESEASON GAME NO. AUGUST 2 – 10
The Bears return to the road for their second preseason meeting. This time it’s upstate New York to visit the Buffalo Bills. Last season, the Bears starters almost didn’t play in the team’s second preseason game. Eberflus cited competitive joint practices with the Colts for his decision to put key players in the game. It’s unclear how the snaps will play out this time.
BEARS WITH BENGALS JOINT PRACTICE – AUGUST 15
For the third time in four years, the Bears will participate in joint practice. This time, they will host the Bengals before their preseason game. Coaches and players typically relish the opportunity to compete against a real opponent in joint practices, after playing against the same teammates repeatedly during minicamp and training camp. Joint practices also provide the team with a different type of measurement. It’s one thing to see how your attack is performing in relation to your defense and vice versa. Another thing is seeing how your attack performs against another team’s defense. When you’re playing a team that has a Super Bowl berth and another conference title game appearance in the last three years, as the Bengals have, it’s an even better measure.
BEARS PRESEASON GAME NO. AUGUST 3 – 17
Just as the Bears kept their starters out of last year’s preseason game after joint practices, Eberflus could opt to do the same thing this year. Or maybe, after exploring himself, he will change things. We won’t know until we get much closer to the game.
BEARS PRESEASON GAME NO. AUGUST 4 – 22
One last tune-up for the team before the start of the regular season and one last chance for players on the roster bubble to make a case for a job. Last year, the starters played a lot: the offensive linemen played 17 snaps and Justin Fields played 13 snaps. We’ll see how health and the extra preseason game earlier in the month will affect this year’s snap count.
