David Banks/AP Photos
The first thud of Monday’s Bears practice shouted what all the drills and sprints and stretching of last week could not.
Pads were on. Football was back.
“It’s real football now …" rookie running back Kyle Monangai said. “Now the defense can’t say, ‘That’s a tackle’ when they just grab some cloth. We can finally tell them this is a good four- or five-yard pickup on a carry.
“We’re starting to see the realistic looks.”
That wasn’t the case in the Bears’ first four practices, when offensive lineman didn’t have any pads to grab onto when trying to run block.