A notable absence from the Chicago Bears' offseason OTAs, at least during media-
A notable absence from the Chicago Bears' offseason OTAs, at least during media-accessible sessions, was Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat.
Head Coach Matt Eberflus addressed the situation on Friday.
«I'm not going to get into the specifics of exact dates, but he's been in the building,» Eberflus said about Sweat. «He's been here several times during the offseason, and when he's here, he's fully engaged and ready to go.
«And of course, he'll be here next week, and we're excited about that.» Eberflus noted that Sweat hasn't been with the team «for the last couple weeks,» but emphasized that the key for him next season will be maintaining a consistent burst off the line and building a solid conditioning base for the warmer months ahead.
«His focus is on developing a consistent get-off and establishing a good base for the offseason leading into summer,» Eberflus said. «That's crucial for everyone. We talk daily about the importance of building a good base going into summer conditioning, as they'll have about 42 days before they return. That's going to be important for him.»
According to The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain, Nate Davis and Rome Odunze were present on Friday, but Keenan Allen, Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, and Kevin Byard were absent from the Bears' latest OTA session.
When asked if younger players, like rookie fifth-round pick Austin Booker, were getting extra reps due to the absence of veterans like Sweat, Eberflus confirmed they were, but noted that meaningful evaluation would come later.
«Yeah, I think [DeMarcus] Walker was ill the last couple of days, so he was out today,» Eberflus said. «The young guys are getting more reps, but we need to wait until the pads come on to truly evaluate them.»
Eberflus expects Sweat and the rest of the roster to be in full attendance when mandatory minicamp begins on Tuesday, June 4.
| POLL | ||
1 JUIN | 54 ANSWERS A notable absence from the Chicago Bears' offseason OTAs, at least during media- Do you think Montez Sweat's presence will boost the Bears' defense this season? | ||
| Yes | 49 | 90.7 % |
| No | 5 | 9.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
