NFLPA says ‘majority’ of Bears players will skip voluntary in-person workouts this spring

With OTAs set to begin in late May, Bears players joined players from a number of other teams across the NFL in stating that they will not participate in voluntary in-person workouts this spring.

According to a statement released Thursday by the NFLPA on behalf of Bears players, “the majority of our locker room” will not participate do to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement read in full:

“COVID-19 remains a risk both to our team, our families and to our fellow NFL players. We also saw the health and safety benefits of a fully virtual offseason, as injuries across the NFL were down last year. Players remain unclear about the protocols and protections, and rules remain inconsistent despite the last minute communication by the NFL yesterday. It is for these reasons that the majority of our locker room are choosing to exercise our right and not participate in the in-person voluntary workouts in order to stay as safe as possible.”

A day earlier on Wednesday, the NFL released its plan for a nine-week offseason program. The entire program is voluntary except for one mandatory minicamp.

According to the plan, teams can have virtual meetings for two hours per day between April 19 and May 14. During that time, there is no on-field work. Facilities and weight rooms will be open with capacity limits. Clubs will make every effort to have the vaccine available to players, staff and families.

Teams can have voluntary on-field drills from May 17 to May 21. Teams can have 10 days of organized team activities (OTAs) between May 24 and June 18, which includes mandatory minicamp.

COVID-19 protocols during these periods include daily testing. There will be no changes to the rookie minicamp, which is typically held over three days on the first or second weekend after the draft.

In a letter posted to the NFLPA’s website earlier this spring, NFLPA President J.C. Tretter argued that the 2020 season showed that the NFL needs to rethink its offseason plan. OTAs were canceled in 2020 and training camp was shorter than in past years, yet there were fewer injuries and games were as competitive as ever. Last seasons’ 11-point average margin of victory was the smallest since 2006. Scroing was up and penalties were down.

“The changes implemented as a result of the COVID-19 crisis proved that we can make the game safer for our players and the product will not suffer,” wrote Tretter, who plays center for the Cleveland Browns.

The Bears have not released a schedule for their offseason program yet.