All eyes on Glennon, Howard as Bears return for training camp
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - The two Bears players representing the offense who met the media Wednesday at the start of training camp are the two most important on the team this season.
They also weren't even in the picture at this time last summer, and will be receiving more attention than they ever have in their football careers.
Jordan Howard and Mike Glennon will be two of the focal points all season, and it starts with camp.
John Fox reminded us Wednesday that no one was talking about Howard at this time last year. He was a fifth-round pick then and the third-string back. Glennon was in Tampa Bay as Jameis Winston's backup quarterback, and now he's the Day One starter - something Ryan Pace reiterated multiple times - for the first time in his NFL career.
"I think it's just what I've dreamed of my whole life, to be a starting quarterback in the NFL and to enter the season as that guy," said Glennon. "It's what I've worked for; I've prepared for it ever since I was a kid and all the way through college and into the pros, to get to this moment. So it's going to be a great opportunity."
When practices get underway Thursday, Glennon will be under the microscope as an unknown commodity to Bears fans, and as someone who will have to fend off any conversation about No. 2 pick Mitch Trubisky.
Glennon knows that it'll be natural for observers to compare his play in Bourbonnais to that of Trubisky, a feeling he's familiar with from his previous football stops.
"I've dealt with plenty of situations in my past where there's comparisons, dating back to when I was in college and Russell Wilson left, people were comparing us all the time," he said. "When Jameis got to Tampa, I was dealing with a similar situation. I know that's going to happen but I don't really pay attention to it. Within the building, within the organization, we're just trying to get better as a team. Hopefully Mitch improves, I improve. Competition makes us both better."
Pace would not address any hypotheticals regarding a potential QB controversy.
"Glennon's here for a reason. We evaluated him over the years. We're very confident in him," he said. "Glennon's our starter and we're confident with that."
Howard doesn't have to look over his shoulder, but he needs to set his sights on continuing to be the go-to guy in the Bears' offense.
"I don't feel any extra pressure," said Howard, who worked on his speed this offseason and cut his body fat from 15 to 13 percent. "I'm just going to handle it the same way I did last year - take it one game at a time, keep the same mindset. But the running game can definitely help out the quarterback, especially a quarterback that's new into the offense. But the running game can also help with the play-(action) pass. So I can help him do better."
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