Thread: Bears' Robbie Gould on preseason start

By Kevin Seifert
Tuesday, Chicago Bears tailback Matt Forte expressed hesitation about playing in the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame game if the NFL lockout delays the start of training camp.

Wednesday, we bring you stronger sentiment from Bears kicker Robbie Gould, who is also the team's player representative to the NFL Players' Association. Gould told WSCR-AM in Chicago that the Bears "have to have" two weeks to practice before starting their preseason schedule.

The Bears' first training camp practice is scheduled for July 23, exactly 15 days before the Hall of Fame game. Here is what Gould said, via sportsradiointerviews.com:

"You can't go from not having any activity whatsoever to straight full pad hitting within two weeks. Because obviously if that happens, guys might have the opportunity to get injured more just from not being able to hit each other all the time. But also you have to have some sort of sessions leading up to those games to make sure everyone has the opportunity not only to stay healthy, but to be very efficient and have a productive season."

This could all be moot in a matter of days. But it's not hard to see where the Bears' players stand on this issue.