(670 The Score) The Bears are scheduled to take the field on May 17 for the first time this offseason, but it's unclear whether the majority of their roster will attend the voluntary workouts at Halas Hall.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace anticipates attendance for those workouts to exceed 90%, he said Tuesday morning. That differs from a statement released by Chicago players in conjunction with the players' union earlier in April, in which they said the "majority" of the team wouldn't be attending, citing concerns over COVID-19.
"COVID-19 remains a risk both to our team, our families and to our fellow NFL players," the Bears players' statement said. "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 (on Wednesday). It is for these reasons that the majority of our locker room are choosing to exercise our right and not participate in in-person voluntary workouts in order to stay as safe as possible."
The nine-week offseason program includes a week of in-person on-field work with coaches, the voluntary OTAs practices and a mandatory minicamp.
On Tuesday, Bears receivers Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney each said they weren't sure whether they or other teammates would be attending those voluntary workouts.
"I feel like that'd be a team thing," Mooney said. "But I'm around town now, so I haven't went anywhere."
The Bears are currently working through the virtual portion of their offseason program, which Pace said has seen "good attendance" to this point.
The NFL made the entire offseason program virtual during the height of the pandemic in 2020, a structure preferred by the players' union, which reminds that most of the offseason work is voluntary.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
