BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Minor skirmishes occur every year at NFL training camps across the country.
On Sunday, Chicago Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman and left guard Cody Whitehair swatted at each other after the whistle, prompting center Hroniss Grasu to jump in and deflect Goldman’s onslaught.
Coach John Fox could not resist the urge to poke a little fun at Goldman, who later left practice early because of heat-related symptoms.
“I think he got in a little bit of a ruckus,” Fox smiled. “He might have drained his energy a little bit, but I'm sure he'll be fine once he gets his fluids back.”
All laughs aside, Goldman is expected to play a pivotal role on defense. A 2015 second-round pick out of Florida State, Goldman started 12 games as a rookie, finishing the season with 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss.
“I saw great progress with Eddie last year in his rookie campaign,” Fox said. “I thought he got better as the season went on. He's worked hard. I think sometimes it takes a year to develop a pro body and understand the pro schedule. He's improved himself physically.”
Goldman is likely to practice on Monday before the Bears take their first CBA-mandated off-day on Tuesday.
In other injury news, right guard Kyle Long (calf), linebacker Roy Robertson-Harris (illness) and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski (hamstring) did not participate on Sunday. Fox said tight end Khari Lee (shoulder), defensive tackle Terry Williams (shoulder) and defensive back Brandon Boykin (pectoral) were limited.
