There is a common saying around football. No matter what happens, players must do everything in their power to be ready for training camp. Nothing else matters. Just get to the end of July healthy and in shape. Organized Team Activities? Mandatory minicamps? Those don’t mean anything. Here’s the thing. If the actual players believe this is true, they are already making a huge mistake. Many people inside the league know how valuable spring practices are. That includes head coach Ben Johnson. He alluded to that when discussing rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden missing OTAs and minicamps.
He isn’t the only one who felt this way. Clay Harbor revealed on Chicago Sports Net that Tom Brady was notorious for using those spring practices to determine which players he could count on. If they couldn’t earn his trust in that first month of work, there was almost no chance they’d play during the season. It appears Johnson has a similar mindset. Bears players who manage to stand out now are certain to get more opportunities than others in training camp and the preseason.
Ben Johnson will provide what is earned, not expected.
Yes, Loveland and Burden are high draft choices. The team expects big things from them. Even so, neither of them has logged a single practice yet. Ben Johnson must know if he can trust him with the basic things in his offense. Never mind the complex stuff. That is why it won’t be surprising when Cole Kmet and Olamide Zaccheaus likely get more action with the #1 offense in July and August. They showed up for every practice and put in the work. Johnson intends to reward guys who are available. You want more opportunities? Prove it. His comments about Loveland and Burden weren’t accidents. He expects players to start taking every phase of the offseason seriously moving forward. You need to if you want to be a winner.