LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- Each NFL Sunday, football fans around the world embark on their ritual. They spend three hours watching their favorite team play or enjoy all of the league’s games at once through the magic of RedZone.
This is a pastime enjoyed by countless fans, but what exactly does an NFL player do on the rare football Sundays in which they don't have a game? It's a unique experience for them.
NFL players on active rosters typically have just a few regular-season Sundays -- either due to a bye or a Thursday night game -- free from a game or obligations to their team. This past Sunday, the Bears were off following their loss to the Commanders on a Thursday night three days prior.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields has often referenced his attempts to break from the stress of his job, but he found himself watching games on his Sunday at home. It wasn't the relaxing day he hoped to find.
“I feel like I just watch football in such a different way than I used to,” Fields said. “I'm looking at the defense, what plays they're running, what concepts they're running.”
Bears pass rusher Robert Quinn, a 12-year NFL veteran, has come to understand Fields’ point of view. It’s why Quinn tries to stay away from watching games on television – even though his football-loving wife will still flip on a Monday Night Football game at their home.
“I'm in (Halas Hall) long enough and I've been doing it a while,” Quinn said. “So, I like to take my breaks at home and just kind of decompress from football."
For Bears linebacker Nicholas Morrow, his Sunday free turned into a film study. He watched the Patriots’ win over the Browns on Sunday at home and found himself dissecting New England’s offense. The seven-year veteran Morrow called it “fun” and didn't view it as work.
Bears second-year running back Khalil Herbert is still adjusting to his Sundays free. He flipped on the television and realized he had RedZone as part of his cable package. But NFL players are used to watching each play in depth, and the constant cutaways in the RedZone’s broadcast can become a disruption, not a convenience.
Herbert hoped to watch friends in the league. He couldn’t get comfortable with his first RedZone experience.
“I was kind of mad because a play would be happening and then they cut it off because another team would be in the red zone,” Herbert said. “I just started watching the games regularly.”
The Bears (2-4) play the Patriots (3-3) this upcoming Monday night, but their Sunday is filled with a scheduled walk-through and travel to New England. All but one of Chicago’s remaining 11 games will be played on Sundays. The team's bye in Week 14 will present the next Sunday free for the Bears.
With that in mind, Bears safety Eddie Jackson invited friends to his home this past Sunday and had his private chef stay on duty for as long as RedZone was playing.
“We were just chilling,” Jackson said. “Watching the games like regular fans.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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