League Sets Bears Off-Season Workout Program Dates

We know know when the Chicago Bears will hold the various parts of their Off-Season Workout Program.

According to information released by the NFL league office, OTA’s will start May 22 and run through June 9.

Bears Offseason Workout Dates:

• First day of Phase 1: April 18th
• First day of Phase 2: May 2
• Organized Team Activities: May 22-23, May 25, May 30, June 1-2, June 5-6, June 8-9
• Mandatory Minicamp: June 13-15

According to the NFL, Article 21 of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players lays out exactly how the offseason is run. Each club’s official, voluntary nine-week offseason program is conducted in three phases:

Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.

Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills as well as team practice conducted on a “separates” basis. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.

Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

The Bears also will have Rookie “Mini-Camp” for those rookies eligible to participate within two weekends of the draft, as well as a seven week “rookie development program” which can start on May 15 for eligible players.