Chicago Bears Have Their Joint Practices Opponent Lined Up

The Chicago Bears have gotten through most of the acquisition process this off-season. GM Ryan Poles fortified several areas of the roster with young talent. Now it falls to head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff to make the most of it. That means getting them ready for September. Rookie minicamps have already wrapped up. Veteran minicamps and Organized Team Activities are around the corner. Then preparations begin for training camp. Poles stated in March that one of his goals this year was to get the team involved in joint practices with another organization.

That was something the Bears had wanted to do last year, but the preseason schedule made that impossible. This time around should be different. It is a question of finding the right team. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune has heard rumblings on this. During his Take The North podcast, he revealed that there are whispers the Bears will likely conduct their joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts. This would suggest the Bears will play them in the preseason this year, likely on the road.

The Chicago Bears working with Indianapolis is hardly a shock.

Poles has a close relationship with Colts GM Chris Ballard. Eberflus spent four seasons there as defensive coordinator. The ties run deep. It would also be a great test for a young Bears roster against what is a pretty talented team. Nowhere will that be clearer than the trenches. Indianapolis has several good players on the offensive and defensive lines. A great test for Chicago's retooled lines. Also, don't forget the array of gifted receivers the Colts have too. The Bears' young secondary will get great experience working against them.

The last time the Chicago Bears held joint practices was in 2021 against the Miami Dolphins. Those two days offered a preview of things to come, particularly their defensive line, who ended up with 44 sacks that season. Perhaps these two sessions against Indianapolis will offer an idea of what to expect this coming season. One can only hope there are some positive vibes. It's no secret the Bears are still a rebuilding team, but there should be signs of progress.