Does the collective bargaining agreement address how teams use the bye week? Can they use it for a “back to camp” period or must they give the players a certain number of days off? What are the Bears’ plans for the bye week? I realize that real-world sensibilities don’t apply to pro sports, but surely these guys haven’t earned any extra time off beyond the minimum mandated by the rules. — Mark E., Arlington, Va., from email
Good question. The Bears will head into their off week after Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots in Foxboro. The week off comes directly at the midpoint of their season, which most people believe is a benefit. The CBA mandates that players have at least four consecutive days off, including Saturday. So, the Bears could potentially practice next week, but it would have to be at the beginning of the week. Also, when you talk about training-camp-style practices, if you mean a return to full pads and some possible hitting, that is unlikely. The CBA mandates there can be only 14 padded practices throughout the entire regular season and 11 of those must come in the first 11 weeks with no more than two in any one week. Coaches look at the off week as a chance to rest up and I am sure Marc Trestman will stress that to his players.
That is what Seahawks coach Pete Carroll did earlier this season when their off week fell during late September.
“We want to maximize the bye opportunity,” Carroll said, per the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “We really want our guys to rest as much as possible. We want them to get as much down time as they can.
“The guys know what’s going on. I’m not worried at all about us losing connection with the notebook and all that kind of stuff. Most importantly, we’ve found with our team we need to keep them fast, keep them fresh and rested. They work so hard when we work that they’re in good enough shape.”
