Getty Head coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears
What’s going on with Eddie Goldman? That’s the question on the minds of myriad Chicago Bears fans after the veteran tackle wasn’t at mandatory veteran minicamp beginning on June 15.
When Bears head coach Matt Nagy was asked about Goldman’s absence, Nagy noted it was unexcused, and he didn’t attempt to hide his agitation, appearing visibly annoyed one of the core members of his defensive line was missing at a required team activity.
“You’re right, he wasn’t out here, and again, for us, we’re out here practicing and as everybody knows it’s a mandatory minicamp and he’s not here,” Nagy said in reference to Goldman. “But we did have a discussion with him yesterday — obviously I’m going to keep that between us — but we do expect him to be at training camp rocking and rolling there at training camp.”
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Rumors of Goldman’s Potential Exit From Chicago Have Begun to Fly
After opting out due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic last year, many were expecting the reliable nose tackle to return by now, but that hasn’t been the case. Thus, Goldman’s decision to skip mandatory veteran minicamp has set off a bit of a domino effect on Twitter, and fans and analysts alike have begun stirring the pot, wondering what it all means — with some even floating the idea of his potential retirement out there.
When the Bears added veteran run-stopping defensive lineman Mike Pennel — who could fill in at nose tackle if needed — on June 17, talk of Goldman’s days being numbered in the Windy City went up a notch:
A few analysts and podcasters also wondered whether Goldman’s absence may be indicative of a player ready to leave the game:
@RossRead I honestly have the same feeling and it’s part of the focus for my article tomorrow.
Salary cap expert Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus noted that should Goldman decide to walk away from football, he would have to pay his signing bonus back, which would leave him with around $12 million in total earnings over his five seasons.
@ZimmermanSXM @RossRead @MudderFudder77 He’d still have $18.675M in purely on-field earnings after paying back $6.6M in signing bonus
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Goldman’s Teammate Has Weighed In
Clearly, something is going on with Goldman, but it’s likely the Bears will do their best to keep whatever it is behind closed doors. Despite the rumors of his possible exit, however, there are plenty of signs the 27-year-old nose tackle will be there when training camp starts in late July. As Spielberger noted, the first is fiscal, as Goldman could lose out on $6.6 million if he doesn’t show up for camp on time.
Starting linebacker Danny Trevathan also spoke to the media June 16 and revealed he had been in communication with Goldman. Trevathan says he fully expects him to return when camp rolls around.
“Eddie Goldman, he’s a silent killer, man,” Trevathan said during minicamps. “Works his tail off. Loves his job. He’s one of the guys that does his job, doesn’t talk too much, but he works his tail off. Unfortunately we didn’t have him last year. It’s going to be great to have him this year. I know he’s gonna be here. … I’ve been communicating with him as much as possible — he’s a tough guy to get in contact with — but he loves us. He loves the Bears organization. He loves the defense. So he’s gonna come here ready to work.”
Bears fans sure hope he’s right.
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