Bears punter Pat O’Donnell: 8-8 Bears season not ‘up to our expectations’

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Robbie Gould went to practice at the University of Miami on Tuesday and FaceTimed someone he knew would appreciate his location: Bears punter Pat O’Donnell, who spent his last year of college kicking for the Hurricanes.

“They did the field right,” O’Donnell said. “They put the 49ers logo on the field.”

O’Donnell still keeps in touch with the former Bears kicker and figures he might track him down or Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with whom he played collegiately at Cincinnati, for lunch this week.

O’Donnell grew up in South Florida and still lives in the area. He can’t imagine what playing in the Super Bowl in his hometown would be like — but was quick to point out next year offers a somewhat similar opportunity. Super Bowl LV will be in Tampa, which is an easy drive for his friends and family.

The Bears need work to get there, though O’Donnell swore there was some momentum gained from ending the season with a victory against a Vikings team playing backups.

“I think that’s been the heartbeat of the locker room: ‘Things need to change,’ ” he said. “Things obviously weren’t up to our expectations . . . it’s not like we’re happy with our 8-8 season.”

Passing on Patrick

The Bears didn’t think Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was worth the second pick of the 2017 draft.

Neither did the 49ers — who traded the pick to the Bears, who drafted Mitch Trubisky.

Coach Kyle Shanahan explained why they didn’t consider Mahomes in that spot.

“[He] was just a freak, could make any throw, had the ability to do anything,” he said. “That was a little bit different situation for us. We had the second pick in the draft, did not feel like from all the intel that you get and stuff that he was gonna go that high.”

A contributing factor, Shanahan said: the pending free agency, a year later, of Kirk Cousins, with whom he worked on the Redskins. The 49ers wound up trading for Jimmy Garoppolo in 2017 instead.

Not quite the Orange Bowl

Niners safety Jimmie Ward was one of the stars of the undefeated NIU team that lost to Florida State in the 2013 Orange Bowl — at the same site as Sunday’s Super Bowl.

This will feel different.

“It’s what you dream about as a child,” Ward said.

It didn’t always seem possible. He finished the previous three seasons on injured reserve with forearm, arm and shoulder injuries. Save a finger injury that cost him his first three games, though, he has been healthy this season — and has started every remaining game at free safety.

“I just kept my head up and just kept working,” he said.

Bears add Roberson

The Bears signed Calgary Stampeders cornerback Tre Roberson. It is the largest compensation deal to leave the Canadian Football League in 11 years, according to ESPN.

Roberson played quarterback at Indiana and Illinois State. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vikings in 2016, spending most of the year on their practice squad. The Bears have Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara under contract for next season, though they could part with the latter with minimal financial penalty.