Editor’s note: Spoilers ahead from Episode 5 of “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears.”
The final scene of the first Chicago Bears season of “Hard Knocks” centers, of course, on quarterback Caleb Williams.
A smiling Williams hears an airhorn blast at practice and pulls on his helmet, calling out, “Here we gooo.”
He continues to talk to himself — “Here we go. Here we go. Let’s focus. Let’s get after it.” — before taking a deep breath as the screen goes black. The five-episode run of “Hard Knocks” ends there, and the Bears and Williams will march on toward Sunday’s season opener against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field without the HBO cameras detailing their every move.
But before the TV crews left town, they delved one more time into the fringe roster players who make up the show.
The heart of the episode is about the roster decisions general manager Ryan Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and their staffs make ahead of the 53-man roster deadline. Here’s our recap of Episode 5.
Most moving moment
“Hard Knocks” unveiled the story of safety Adrian Colbert in Episode 4, giving details of the childhood biking accident that left him in a coma and an NFL journey that has included 10 teams in eight years.
In Episode 5, we see Colbert’s journey take another turn — an emotional end with the Bears.
Poles seemed to have as much trouble with the exit as Colbert, who has been around the Bears practice squad since November 2022.
Before Poles starts the meeting on cuts day, he walks away to collect himself, wiping at his eye. He explains to Colbert why cutting him is so difficult, saying there’s something special about him.
“I appreciate you, man,” Poles says. “There’s something about you, man, that’s different, and I hate that we’ve got to do this. There are some guys that you just root for, and you’re one of them. You’re a good dude, great teammate. This is the part of this job I hate. I’m thankful for our time together, and I hope opportunities pop up. You never know. You know how crazy this league is.”
Colbert tells Poles that he feels like the Bears have embraced him as he is, and that has allowed him to thrive on and off the field. They share a big hug.
“Now, wherever this takes me, whether it’s me being done playing or to the next team, I know I’ll have that,” Colbert says. “And that will carry on to me being a parent as well, knowing that I can instill great values in my son and allow him to believe in himself fully, not being contingent on what other people think or how they respond, how he chooses to be.”
Best reveal
Velus Jones Jr.’s move to running back from wide receiver in a bid to make the roster was a major thread throughout the series.
Episode 5 reveals that another team inquired about a trade for Jones ahead of the roster deadline.
“I’m trying to draw the line in the sand about what I would do,” Poles tells Eberflus about potentially moving Jones. “I would never go below a (fourth-round pick). The value. Does it make sense on paper? That’s unbelievable value. Does it make sense for the Bears right now? No.”
Jones, of course, makes the Bears roster instead. Eberflus said last week Jones earned the position through his effort and production in practices.
Running backs coaches Chad Morton and Jennifer King tell Jones he made it, with Morton telling him his explosiveness, speed and physicality at the position shined.
“I’m excited,” Jones says. “There’s a whole lot of unexpected things in life that happen. But that’s how God works.”
Best behind-the-scenes conversations
The Bears coaches’ roundtable discussion about the roster with Poles was a chance to hear some of their unfiltered chatter about the fringe players.
Quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph lauds veteran Brett Rypien for his leadership and the value he provided Williams. He says undrafted rookie quarterback Austin Reed is smart and well-prepared but needs a couple of years to develop his fundamentals. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron says Reed is “night and day” ahead of where he was when he joined the Bears, and Eberflus compliments Reed’s disposition. Joseph adds it wouldn’t concern him to have two rookies (Williams and Reed) and second-year quarterback Tyson Bagent in the quarterbacks room because of the maturity of the group.
Morton talks about how he wants to fight for Jones because of his explosiveness, and Waldron says Jones has a “tough skill set to bypass.” Later, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower details the many ways he can use Jones, including as a kick returner.
“He runs hard,” Eberflus says. “He can dent the pile forward, but he can also take it to the house. This guy is a potential game changer, for real, in certain spots.”
Best behind-the-scenes conversations, part 2
Defensive tackle Byron Cowart, wide receiver Collin Johnson and offensive linemen Jake Curhan and Theo Benedet are among the players we see cut.
Poles tells Cowart the Bears are going heavier at defensive end than tackle, and he informs Johnson that he was in the roster conversation but his camp injury made it too “gray” down the stretch for the Bears to take him.
Curhan laments that he did everything he could.
“It’s just a real crowded room,” he says.
The Bears brought back all four of those players on the practice squad.
Tough-turned-better moments
The show also delves into the cuts of Rypien and Reed.
The Bears decide to keep just Williams and Bagent on the roster, but they ask Rypien to consider coming back on the practice squad.
“The room is great,” Rypien tells Poles and Eberflus. “I think Tys for being a second-year guy is about as experienced as you’re going to get. … And Caleb’s doing great. He’s going to be a hell of a player.”
Reed is cut initially.
“I’m at peace with what happened,” Reed says. “I think I proved I can lead NFL players in a huddle, I can run an NFL offense and the way it happened in preseason games, I can succeed at the NFL level. To myself, in my mind, I know I belong in this league.”
Rypien instead ends up signing to the Minnesota Vikings active roster and calls it “bittersweet” as he is driving to his 9 a.m. flight the next day. Reed then gets the spot on the practice squad.
A tribute
The end of the episode pays tribute to Bears executive assistant Katie Nagle, who died Monday morning from what Eberflus said were “health complications.”
Nagle had worked for the Bears since 2002 as an assistant to former President and CEO Ted Phillips and current Chairman George McCaskey.
“What a kind soul,” Eberflus said Monday. “Beautiful woman.”
Wrapping up
The episode wraps up several running storylines, including running back Ian Wheeler’s journey. Wheeler tore his ACL in the preseason finale game, and he talks with his mother on the phone as he packs his bags to head home for the surgery.
The last 10 minutes, however, are reserved for some of the main characters of the show and the Bears 2024 season.
Poles and assistant GM Ian Cunningham go on a scouting trip at the Georgia-Clemson game. Eberflus and his wife, Kelly, walk around their property and visit the bees they keep. Wide receiver DJ Moore and his family give a tour of their new home, bought after Moore’s contract extension. Safety Jonathan Owens FaceTimes with his wife, Olympian Simone Biles.
And Williams throws pass after pass as he inches toward Week 1.
Liev Schreiber narrates: “Chicago has reason to believe.”
