CHICAGO — When Matt Nagy opened the Bears’ virtual offseason program last week, he didn’t dive right in to the X’s and O’s.
His first order of business was much more relatable to those who have been participating in video conferences over the last couple of months.
“The mute button is so huge,” Nagy said. “You’ve got to get that mute button turned on when people are communicating.”
With the background noise eliminated, the Bears coach and his staff could begin to concentrate on how to prepare an NFL team without being able to share a field or workout facility because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The three-week voluntary virtual period is underway for every NFL team.
New NFL rules mandate teams can hold two hours of online meetings between noon-4 p.m. four days a week, according to documents posted by the NFL Players Association. Nonrookie players receive $235 per day for such virtual participation.
Teams also can hold virtual workouts for no more than two hours during those days, but the Bears are not holding such workouts at this time. In fact, the NFLPA lists only seven teams that are — the Bills, Colts, Patriots, Ravens, Dolphins, Eagles and Buccaneers. The other teams are allowed to provide suggested workout protocol and video demonstrations for players to use as they wish.
The Bears posted a clip on Twitter this week of Nagy talking to a Zoom call of 126 people and stressing the need to adapt to new circumstances. Nagy used last week to get his players accustomed to how they were going to operate their virtual meetings and is ramping up the football content of the meetings this week. He also wants to be sure they find ways to instill a good team culture from afar.
“There’s X’s and O’s going on right now in the virtual meetings, but we’re also going to be really big on the group discussions on different types of topics,” Nagy said. “Whether it’s just life in general, whether it’s meet and greet and having these guys going into different meeting rooms, it’s team building.”
Before the coronavirus shutdown, Bears coaches were scheduled to greet the rookies at Halas Hall for a minicamp May 8-10. They will hold the camp the same three days but online, and Nagy must figure out how to introduce them to a new team and level of football through those meetings.
“It’s going to be important that the coaches do a good job through their computers of having everybody introduce who they are,” Nagy said. “It’s certainly different — you’re not sitting side by side and having conversations — but they’ll adjust. And then we’ll readjust when we get to training camp.”
Before the Bears even picked them, the rookies were trying to find ways to stay in shape from their homes. Tight end Cole Kmet said he has a gym set at his grandma’s house, has his brother throw him the football and runs a ski jump in the Chicago suburbs. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney said he tries to get in four miles a day, does situps and pushups and uses a “not really top-notch” weight room at a friend’s house.
NFL teams are allowed to provide up to $1,500 in equipment or funds to upgrade players’ at-home workout setups.
Mooney said reaching out to teammates will be key to getting familiar with the team.
“I’m just trying to get in touch with the quarterbacks, receivers, offense, just anybody on my team (so I can) create a relationship over the phone,” Mooney said. “And then I’ll get my playbook as soon as possible, just so I know what’s going on immediately so as we start I can start rolling.”
After the virtual period, the six-week offseason — which usually includes organized team activities followed by a mandatory minicamp — will begin May 18 and run through June 26. Teams very likely will begin this period virtually too, considering some operate in states, such as Illinois, with stay-at-home orders extended through May.
Players usually have a month-plus break after minicamp before training camp starts in late July, but that schedule remains uncertain. When asked if he thought about the possibility of the 2020 season being delayed or canceled, Nagy said he is taking it day by day.
“You never really know what to believe,” Nagy said. “So we just want to have a plan for it — if we have a training camp, if the season will get delayed, whatever it is — we’ll figure out what the solution is. … We’ll stay positive through it all.”
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