Bears general manager Phil Emery is not in a hurry to extend Lovie Smith's contract.
Emery spoke with reporters Wednesday for the first time since training camp. He denied a recent radio report that the Bears had entered into preliminary negotiations with Smith about a contract extension past the 2013 season.
Asked to shed light on the report, Emery quickly shot it down.
"That’s an interesting word, light, because I kind of took that lighthearted when I heard it," Emery said. "I said, ‘Geez, even if that was true, when would we have gotten that done?’
"Coach Smith is very focused on improving his team on a daily basis. All the things that he does, [and] in terms of myself, my mindset is with the personnel group and working with the coaches and making sure we have the right people on the roster on a daily basis, going out to colleges, doing visitations, getting ready for the next NFL draft.
"There’s not enough hours in the day to have those kind of conversations."
Emery did not indicate whether he would have those conversations before next season, but he said that he preferred to negotiate contracts for players and coaches during the offseason.
The Bears (4-1) parted ways for a long weekend after Wednesday's practice. They will reconvene next week to prepare for an Oct. 22 game against the Detroit Lions.
-Tom Musick
