Alex Bars knows that he has a long way to go to earn a roster spot with the Chicago Bears.
Bars returned to practice for the first time last week after tearing his ACL and MCL Sept. 29 at Notre Dame. Bars was able to participate in veteran minicamp to get back in the swing of things before training camp kicks off in late July.
Before the knee injury, Bars was projected by some to be a mid-round pick. Instead, he went undrafted. Now the mountain is even steeper for the guard to earn a roster spot.
But a need for depth on the interior of the offensive line provides an opportunity for Bars to do just that.
“He’ll have the chance because he’s smart, he understands the technique, he knows what to do,” offensive line coach Harry Hiestand told reporters during OTAs. “He’s learning the offense even though he’s not doing it. But when we put the pads on that’s when you make or don’t make the team.”
Hiestand should know. He was the offensive line coach at Notre Dame when Bars was there from 2014-2017, so he knows him well. That familiarity is something that should help greatly.
“He knows me very well, I understand his technique very well,” Bars told NBC Sports Chicago’s JJ Stankevitz. “So having that connection, that player-coach connection all four years through college is huge.”
While the battle for offensive line reserves won’t exactly draw heads at training camp, finding depth on the interior will prove to be significant. Especially since guard Kyle Long hasn’t played a full season since 2015.
If Bars can develop into a solid guard under Hiestand, perhaps he can find himself a more permanent fixture on the offensive line. But first, he has to go out and prove it.
“I’m excited to be here, thrilled for this opportunity and it’s all about productivity,” Bars said. “Just need to be productive and prove you belong on this team.”
