NFL Drops Chicago Bears Bombshell Ahead Of Training Camp

The Chicago Bears have been the talk of the NFL off-season since it began in February. It wasn't hard to understand why. They showed a lot of improvement in 2023, going from 3-14 to 7-10. This was coupled with them having two 1st round picks, including #1 overall. They went on to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams, one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent memory. It appears the league wants to capitalize on this publicity. Together with NFL Films and HBO, the Bears were selected to host the annual Hard Knocks series.

It marks the first time one of the oldest organizations will make an appearance.

The timing of this is hardly a surprise. The New York Giants will host a new off-season portion of Hard Knocks to celebrate their 100th season. It seems rather fitting the Bears would do the training camp version. Everybody will want to see Williams in action. There are plenty of subplots to also fill the action. Rome Odunze joins a suddenly stacked receiving corps with D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton will battle for the center job. Matt Eberflus enters a pivotal third year to finally get his team into the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears were likely selected for money reasons.

Hard Knocks hasn't been a great draw for the NFL over the past few years. Teams like the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys haven't brought in the viewers they hoped. Chicago is not only a massive media market, but is one of the biggest football towns in the country. The Bears fandom is huge and widespread. There is no question they will tune in to watch their team. Getting a chance to watch them behind the scenes with the NFL Films treatment is an obvious win for the league.

George McCaskey probably won't like it. The team chairman has said for years he doesn't like the Hard Knocks program. He views it as an unnecessary distraction. It is hard enough to win in this league without any. That said, it's not like teams haven't reached the postseason despite doing Hard Knocks. Dallas did it in 2021. The Rams did it in 2020. There is no reason to think the Chicago Bears can't do it. If nothing else, it will be a welcome distraction for fans while the wait for real football continues.