The Bears’ final episode of “Hard Knocks” aired Tuesday and focused on the conclusion of training camp and the transition to what the team hopes will be a breakout season.
While general manager Ryan Poles was working to trim his roster down to the 53-man limit, he got a call about a trade for running back and special teamer Velus Jones. It wasn’t clear which team reached out or what it offered — the Bears have the final draft of the broadcast — but Poles said he refused to accept anything less than a fourth-round pick.
Nevertheless, the offer was somewhat tempting.
“Incredible value, but does it make sense for the Bears right now? No,” Poles said.
Poles drafted Jones in the third round at No. 71 as a wide receiver and returner in 2022, but he has yet to find a consistent role on offense and has struggled with ball security on special teams. Poles told Director of Football Administration Matt Feinstein that moving Jones to running back gives him “additional room to develop.”
The final episode of Hard Knocks typically features players being dropped from the squad, which has always been chairman George McCaskey’s biggest public objection to a nomination.
“When you tell a kid that his lifelong dream is over, at least as far as your team is concerned, we think that should remain a private matter,” McCaskey said in 2016.
However, the broadcast included scenes in which Pole and assistant general manager Ian Cunningham informed several players that they had been sacked.
Safety Adrian Colbert, one of the stars of the series, seemed to be the most difficult subject for Poles to talk to. Colbert had been with the organization since 2022 and Poles immediately stepped out of the cameras’ view to wipe his eyes and calm down.
“I appreciate you, man,” Poles told him. “There’s something special about you. I hate that we have to do this. There are some people you just root for, and you’re one of them.”
Colbert called the Bears his favorite team among the 10 teams he has played for since joining the NFL in 2017.
The rest of the episode was filled with little things:
- Coach Matt Eberflus has a beehive on his property.
- Poles talk about the Bears releasing him as an undrafted offensive lineman in 2008.
- Another FaceTime from Jonathan Owens with Simone Biles.
- Rookie quarterback Austin Reed said he would “probably go back to Jacksonville and work at Chili’s” if he were released (the Bears signed him back to their practice squad).
- Arielle, the daughter of wide receiver DJ Moore, gives a tour of the family’s new home, and Moore says he hopes to one day retire as a Bear.
