One of the persistent storylines of this offseason is the status of Eddie Goldman. The star nose tackle for the Chicago Bears missed 2020 after opting out over fears of COVID-19. Expectations were he’d return this year now that vaccines are rolling out. That changed when the 28-year old didn’t show up for mandatory minicamps in June. A decision that even shocked head coach Matt Nagy.
This led to rampant speculation about what might be going on. Was Goldman planning to opt out again? Could he even be considering retirement? While that may sound like a bit of a stretch, keep in mind Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo just retired at 28. So it is hardly unusual in this day and age. Thankfully it seems those fears were misplaced. Nagy took to the Under Center podcast and reiterated his belief that Goldman will be present when training camp begins later this month.
“No there’s not. I think every player has their own opinion as to why they do things. Of course, missing the mandatory minicamp is a big deal but I have a lot of respect for Eddie Goldman. I think he’s a hell of a player. He’s a really special person and I don’t really have concerns of him not showing up in minicamp. I really believe that he’ll be there [at training camp].”
This is welcome news.
It is even corroborated by video evidence of Goldman working out at a local training center just 15 minutes away from Halas Hall. Everything points to him being ready to go when practices begin July 27th. This is great news for the Bears’ front seven. He is their best run defender. Without him, the defense struggled to stop opposing ground games in 2020. They ranked just 16th in the league against it.
With him back eating up double teams, it should help inside linebackers Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan roam free to ball carriers. Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols will also be able to focus more on their own positions. Something that wasn’t always the case last year since they had to help fill the void Goldman left. Thankfully the Bears are prepared for that possibility this year.
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Matt Nagy made sure the Bears got insurance behind Goldman
Give this to Chicago. After what happened last year, they made sure it was never going to happen again. They made not one but two additions to the nose tackle spot over the past few months. First by drafting BYU standout Khyiris Tonga in the 7th round, then by signing veteran Mike Pennel who has had some success with a number of teams the past few years. Most recently the Kansas City Chiefs.
Suddenly a position that was devoid of any notable talent at all last year suddenly might be one of the deepest on the team. Goldman being back is great. Having two legitimate talents behind him only makes it better. Now they are protected against the possibility of him being hurt. Something that is more likely than ever as the NFL moves to a 17-game season. Full credit must go to Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace for restructuring the depth chart like that.
It should serve the team well down the road.
Goldman alone won’t make the Bears’ defense great, but his presence will make life easier for everybody else. That is what good nose tackles are supposed to do. New defensive coordinator Sean Desai figures to benefit from his return as he embarks on his first-ever season calling a defense. Hopefully, they won’t be on the field forever like in seasons past.
