Some things are more important than football for the Chicago Bears, including the Olympics and maybe even an appearance on a television show. The Bears are letting a recently signed veteran player skip out on part of their training camp this summer to let him be a spectator in Paris.
The Chicago Bears have had issues with players missing practices
The Bears have had issues with incoming players showing up to practices. Nate Davis has had a spotty record as a participant since the Bears signed him last year. Davis missed some time last year because of a family death, and his performance on the field during the season appeared to suffer for it. He missed practice during OTAs this spring for an unknown reason.
Simone Biles said Jonathan Owens will be headed to Paris
Safety Jonathan Owens will have an excused absence for a family matter during training camp. His wife, gymnast Simone Biles, told USA Today‘s Nancy Armour that the Bears are letting Owens spend some time with her at the Olympics:
“The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he’ll be there, yes,” Biles said. “For just a short little time.”
Could Owens miss a preseason game?
It’s unclear what days Owens will be excused from training camp. Per Armour, one important date for Biles will be when the Bears are scheduled to play their first preseason game against the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug 1:
Biles and the U.S. women have qualifying July 28, with the team final July 30. The women’s all-around final, where Biles will be favored to win gold, is Aug. 1.
Due to the trip, Owens probably won’t be prepared to play against the Texans on Aug 1, even if he left before the final. Hopefully, the missed time doesn’t put him behind when the Bears play the Texans again in Week 2.
Could the Bears have another reason for letting Owens go to the Olympics during training camp?
Owens’ talents on the gridiron this season probably aren’t as important as the publicity the suddenly Ted-Crews-infused media-savvy Bears can get from his appearance in Paris on HBO‘s “Hard Knocks.” It’s no wonder Bears chairman George McCaskey has worried about the distractions the show can bring.
It’ll be interesting to see if shots of Owens in Paris go viral this summer and if clips of him at the Olympics are shown on Hard Knocks.
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