BOURBONNAIS — A Bears teammate fell trying to catch the ball, rolling up on Ha Ha Clinton-Dix’s knee from behind. The Bears safety went to the ground in pain.
In was, amazingly enough, the last play of the final day of the Bears’ mandatory minicamp in June.
“Any time you go down in OTAs when it really doesn’t count, it’s a scary moment for you,” Clinton-Dix said. “But if you’re taking your job serious and you’re really working and competing, it happens.”
Playing on a one-year contract, Clinton-Dix couldn’t be blamed for watching his future salary — and possible Super Bowl contention — flash before his eyes.
The injury proved innocuous enough, though, costing him only four Bears training camp practices.
The team activated him — and tackle T.J. Clemmings — off the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday morning. An hour later, Clinton-Dix was on the field with his new teammates, participating mostly in individual drills during a light practice at Olivet Nazarene University.
The safety said he’d hoped not to start camp on the PUP, but he understood the Bears’ caution. It was new territory — in five years, Clinton-Dix has never missed a game. He’s started 74 straight games, dating to midway through his rookie year.
“He had a great [offseason program] with us mentally, running around, physically,” coach Matt Nagy said. “And then he just had that little deal there at the end. I like where he’s at, and it’s good for him to get out there.”
Outside linebacker Khalil Mack was happy to see the return of Clinton-Dix, whom he first met when they went through the 2014 NFL draft process together.
“It’s going to be fun,” he said. “I was talking to him today and, yeah, I’m excited to get him back out there, get him rolling.”
The Bears need him around. As the only new member of the Bears’ base defense, Clinton-Dix has all preseason to get used to his fellow starters — and they, him.
He’ll need to be able to communicate with fellow safety Eddie Jackson without saying a word. And while the two have been friends since their college days at Alabama, familiarity off the field isn’t the same as on it.
Though it might help.
“Being back with Eddie, it’s about trust,” he said. “And I trust him with my daughter. I’m so glad to blend it back with him, but these guys have done everything in their power to make me comfortable here. You know, no big egos — everybody loves the game of football.”
The Bears essentially swapped safeties with their rival this offseason. The Packers gave Adrian Amos a four-year, $36 million deal with $12 million guaranteed, while Clinton-Dix got a one-year, $3 million deal. Clinton-Dix had perhaps his worst season in 2018, spawning a midseason trade from the Packers to the Redskins.
Clinton-Dix, who called himself “so motivated,” described the season opener against the Packers as just another game. It didn’t sound convincing.
“I always want to get better,” he said. “It’s not about competing against Green Bay. It’s about winning here, creating that culture that’s already started from last year and … being a part of something special.
“There are only a certain amount of teams in this league that are winning, and once I got that chance to come here and play with the Chicago Bears and Coach Nagy and this incredible defense, I had to take that offer. …
“[There’s] something special going on here. And, man, I’m so glad to be a part of it.”
