“The Chicago Bears are another organization I have heard has had some conversations about that, depending on what decision they make with this coaching staff that’s in place, and of course what they do with that quarterback situation,” Russini said on FS1.

This of course should not be interpreted as an indication that the Bears have already decided to move on from head coach Matt Eberflus. Nor should it be interpreted as proof positive that Harbaugh is on his way back to the NFL. Seemingly every year since Harbaugh took the Wolverines job in 2015, his name has been bandied about in coaching search rumors.

Whether the Bears retain Eberflus moving forward remains to be seen, but there are a few reasons to believe he should keep his job. To start, the Bears have already eclipsed their 2022 win total and they have five games left to stack more wins. In addition, the defense has vastly improved from last year since Eberflus added defensive coordinator responsibilities to his typical head coaching duties. Last year the team’s run defense ranked tied for 26th in rushing yards per attempt (4.9), 31st in total yards (2,674) and 32nd in rushing touchdowns allowed (31). Beyond that, Eberflus has not lost the locker room. Players still buy into his messaging and vision for the team.

Of course there are some red flags that might encourage the Bears to move on to a new head coach. The team has been plagued by penalties all season, and according to the NFL Penalties database, they rank in the top-10 in both offensive and defensive pre-snap penalties. That lack of discipline is a reflection of the head coach. Some cite Eberflus’ franchise-worst .241 winning percentage and their franchise-worst 14-game losing streak as reasons why Eberflus should be fired– and ultimately coaches are judged on their win-loss record. However, Eberflus was playing with a short deck after GM Ryan Poles stripped an already talent-needy roster down to the studs.

The Bears have never fired a head coach in the middle of a season, so if they do decide to fire Eberflus, a move likely wouldn’t come until January.

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Johnson’s name had floated in trade rumors for weeks since he’s playing on the last year of his deal, the Bears sit at 2-6 and Johnson could help many teams make a playoff push. The big question has always been whether or not it was worth it to move a young player of his caliber.

Top tier cornerbacks are hard to come by in the NFL and Johnson has been one of the best pure coverage corners in the league for several years. The Bears wanted Johnson to take the ball away at a higher clip this season before signing him to a contract extension, and so far he’s done it. Johnson entered the 2023 campaign with just one career interception and two forced fumbles. In just six games this year he has two interceptions and one forced fumble.

The Bears may ultimately move on from Johnson over the offseason, but now the team has more time to work on a long-term deal with him.

Ryan Poles made one trade earlier on Tuesday. He sent a second-round pick to the Commanders in exchange for talented pass rusher Montez Sweat.

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Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson reportedly requested a trade early Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported, citing a source.

The report added that Chicago granted permission to find a new home for Johnson, who is in the final year of a four-year deal he signed as a rookie.

Both sides reportedly attempted to negotiate an extension last week, but nothing materialized, putting the 24-year-old on the market.

A second-round pick in 2020, Johnson has steadily developed into a standout starter for a Bears team that has had to let go of promising talents the last few years due to on-field struggles.

General manager Ryan Poles commented on Johnson’s situation as recently as Sunday.

“We’re in a phase where we want to retain homegrown talent,” Ryan Poles said on ESPN 1000 before Sunday night’s game versus the Los Angeles Chargers. “That’s important. But again, it takes two sides to make something happen, so we’ll see if that works out.”

Teams don’t like to target Johnson’s side that often, yet he’s logged two picks (one returned for a touchdown), four passes defended and a forced fumble.

The trade deadline is set for 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, so the loss to Los Angeles might’ve been Johnson’s last time donning the Chicago blue and orange — unless things change.

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Johnson has been one of the most talented coverage cornerbacks in the league for years, and this season he’s started creating takeaways opportunities at a higher clip too. But Johnson is playing on the last year of his contract, and there’s been debate about whether or not he’s done enough to convince the Bears that he’s worthy of a lucrative contract extension. On a recent episode of NBC Sports Chicago’s “Under Center Podcast,” Hall of Fame coach and “Football Night in America” analyst Tony Dungy joined the show and shared his thoughts on what the Bears should do with their talented cornerback.

“I’ve never been one to say, ‘We’re going to get rid of good players and get what we want and rebuild,’” Dungy said on the show. “If you’ve got a player that plays your style and you’re comfortable with him, let’s go forward and let’s keep winning. And you never have enough cover people.”

There’s no doubt Johnson is one of the best coverage cornerbacks in the NFL. For years he’s been recognized as a player who can stymie elite wide receivers. But there have been questions about whether Johnson can take the ball away at a high clip, like head coach Matt Eberflus demands from his defenders.

Entering this season Johnson only had one career interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery over three seasons. That’s not enough in the Bears’ eyes. So Johnson worked on techniques to help generate more turnovers and he’s started to see the results. Of course there was Week 7’s big day with two interceptions, including a pick-six. Johnson also forced a fumble in Week 2 that the Bears weren’t able to recover.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked,” Eberflus said earlier this week. “He’s done a really good job of improving his craft. He’s always been really good in terms of being sticky at the top of routes and being able to close distances and make plays on the ball. Now he’s starting to make those interceptions, which is positive. Obviously getting takeaways is a big thing.”

Dungy indicated that’s not just coach-speak from Eberflus. 

“I know this coaching staff is comfortable with him,” Dungy said.

That seems to put to rest concerns that Johnson might not fit into Eberflus’ style of defense. There’s still the question of whether the Bears ultimately extend Johnson, and what they do at the deadline.

Do they take a chance on a player as they try to build up their roster, like they did with Chase Claypool last season? Do they stand pat with the roster they’ve got? Or do they trade away some high performing players with expiring contracts like they did with Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn?

If the Bears decide to go that latter route, there aren’t many players who could fit the bill. Andrew Billings has been a revelation at nose tackle, but the Bears are so hard-pressed for effective pass rushers that it doesn’t make sense to set the unit back even more. Cody Whitehair has been pushed out of his starting center job, but he’s too valuable to the team as a depth piece at both center and guard– especially with Nate Davis on the shelf with an ankle injury.

Johnson’s case is a little different, though. He is a player on an expiring contract who can fetch valuable draft picks on the trade market. He also plays a position where the Bears have intriguing young talent. The Bears spent two draft picks on cornerbacks this year to bring in Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith. Each rookie has shown the makings of a good corner in their playing time this season. 

But as Dungy said, NFL teams can’t have enough good players at premium positions like cornerback.

“I just never liked the idea, you know, this team, maybe they’re not in it, so they look ahead. Well, the way you get better is stockpile good players. So I’m not trading Jaylon Johnson just to get another pick down the road.”

The NFL trade deadline is Oct. 31.

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“I don’t want to say it because I love the city of Chicago, blue collar city… but the Chicago Bears, they stink,” McAfee said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I mean they’re so bad at football.”

The problem for McAfee is that the Bears seem to be regressing as a team, rather than improving upon last season’s NFL-worst 3-14 record.

“The only good part of the Chicago Bears last year was when Justin Fields would run for his life and he’d be running all over the field… Now they won’t run him. The guy never runs, stinks at throwing, the defense had Baker Mayfield chop them up. I mean it’s hard times up there in Chicago for yet another year.

“I don’t know if you’re going to hold yourselves to one win this year. The Bears might have actually gotten worse.”

It’s easy to understand why McAfee is so down on the Bears after just two games. Their offense is completely out of rhythm from a scheme and execution standpoint. The defense can’t stop anyone, whether that be in the run game or on third down. And as he mentioned, the team’s one strength has turned to a weak point. 

Last season the Bears could hang their hat on their dominant run game. They easily led the league with 3,014 rushing yards. This year their 189 rushing yards rank 20th in the league, and four teams still haven’t played their second game. A big part of their success on the ground was due to Fields’ playmaking ability, but as McAfee alluded to, that playmaking ability hasn’t shown up this year. He’s got 62 yards on 13 carries, good for a 4.7 YPC average. That’s a far cry from 2022 when he racked up 1,143 rushing yards on 160 carries for a 7.1 YPC rate. 

McAfee interviewed head coach Matt Eberflus before the season began and had previously said he thought the Bears were headed in the right direction under his guidance. After Week 2, McAfee is having second thoughts.

“Bears fans, we hurt with you… you guys don’t seem to be getting any better.”

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Stevenson is in line to start at outside corner, opposite Jaylon Johnson this year, after putting together a very impressive training camp. Stevenson has displayed great instincts to break on plays, athleticism to create takeaways and physicality when attacking the ball carrier.

“He’s a really good competitor, which I love,” said head coach Matt Eberflus last month. “We knew he was going to be a good tackler and a physical corner because you could see that on tape in the evaluation.”

The one thing that could hold Stevenson back from winning a major award like this is that cornerback is a notoriously hard position to play as a rookie. Considering Johnson is well known as a shutdown corner, it’s likely that Stevenson will be challenged early and often in pass defense. We’ve seen Stevenson go through ups and downs during preseason games, from missed assignments to silly penalties, and some of those struggles may continue into the regular season. The Bears will ride those waves, and Stevenson has already shown the ability to bounce back from bad snaps to make great plays.

“What you like about him is the short memory,” said GM Ryan Poles. “Alright, that one is gone. Onto the next one.”

Pass rushers are typically the favorites to win defensive awards, but it’s certainly not impossible for a cornerback to take home some hardware– in fact, Sauce Gardner did it for the Jets last season. If Stevenson can convert on his opportunities to intercept passes, he’ll find himself in the mix at the end of the year.

The Bears open up the regular season against the Packers this Sunday.

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According to Peggy Kusinski, the Bears have shown interest in four-time Pro Bowler Justin Houston.

“Source: it’s a waiting game for everyone, may come down to money,” Kusinski posted on Threads.

Here’s what GM Ryan Poles had to say when asked if he was still looking to add a defensive end this summer:

“There’s guys that we have expectations for that are on our football team that we hope to develop and take that role but at the same time, we’re always going to search to improve our roster. So if it’s a defensive end or any position that we think can enhance our team we’re going to stay after them and stay engaged and see if we can improve our team that way.”

Kusinski’s report indicates several teams are interested in Houston’s services. It’s not surprising considering the 12-year veteran has 111.5 career sacks, 130 TFL, 19 forced fumbles and 14 fumble recoveries. Houston, 34, showed he still has something left in the tank with a 9.5 sack campaign with the Ravens last year, despite playing a career-low 44% of his team’s snaps. His 20.1% pass rush win rate was also 17th-best in the NFL among edge players, per PFF.

Houston has two big connections to the Bears. First, he crossed paths with Poles in KC from 2011-2018. Then Houston went to Indianapolis where he played really well in Matt Eberflus’ defense in 2019 and 2020.

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“Any team in the NFL is an ideal landing spot for me,” Ngakoue told Rome. “It’s a blessing to be able to work any job in the NFL. You know what I mean? To be able to go and practice with a team, to be able to go do a walkthrough, to be able to go do film study, it’s a blessing. It doesn’t matter what organization.”

If Ngakoue wants anything, it could be stability. He’s an incredibly talented and consistent pass rusher, with 65 career sacks. But he’s played for five different teams over the past four seasons.

“Everybody wants a home,” Ngakoue said. “Everybody wants to be able to just play football and not really worry about the business side of things.”

It’s no secret that the Bears could use some reinforcements on the defensive line. Last year the Bears notched an NFL-low 20 sacks. Of those 20 sacks, only 10.5 came from defensive linemen. Ryan Poles added some young defensive tackles through the draft, but the new faces at defensive end are veteran rotational players like DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green. None of them have the track record of success that Ngakoue does.

It’s also no secret that Poles and Matt Eberflus are open to adding more players at this stage of the offseason program, similar to how the team signed Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield at the outset of training camp last season.

Here’s what Poles said back in April when asked if he felt good about the Bears roster heading into training camp:

“Camp’s a long ways away. We’ll stay on our toes and if something presents itself we’ll be able to do that. We’ll be able to do it financially as well.”

Camp is no longer a ways away. Players report to Halas Hall this Tuesday and things pick up quickly from there. The Bears have yet to make any significant changes to the roster, but if they’re ready to look up Ngakoue, he’ll be ready.

“I have my sights set on nothing but whoever calls me and is ready to bring me in.”

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Many expected those comments to mean the team would be in on one of the defensive ends still looking for a team, or that the Bears would add some depth on the offensive line. Instead, they could be adding to a position that’s already perceived as a strength.

The Bears seem to be set at cornerback with Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon expected to start. They have intriguing young depth with players like Kindle Vildor, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell and Terell Smith all fighting for spots. That’s why some thought the team would be more likely to subtract at cornerback rather than add.

Maulet is a six-year NFL vet with three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to his name. Typically the Bears want more takeaway production than that from their corners, but Maulet has racked up 183 tackles in his career and hitting the ball carrier is a must for Eberflus’ defensive backs.

The Bears report to training camp on July 25.

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It’s obviously not unusual for football players to grow up football fans. Yet it’s a little surprising to see Hill, who grew up in Georgia, name check a Bears wide receiver like Johnny Knox.

Knox was a fifth-round pick for the Bears in 2009 and found instant success on offense, largely because he was really, really fast. In 45 career games, Knox racked up 133 catches for 2,214 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowler his rookie year. But Knox was limited to just 45 games because he suffered a career-ending spine injury in Week 15 of his third season. Knox doesn’t come up in conversation very muchー and almost never on a national stageー and when he does, it’s usually to talk about what could have been if he hadn’t suffered that devastating injury.

Hester isn’t a Bears deep cut, per se, but he certainly isn’t thought of as a wide receiver as much as he is as a return man. In fact, Hester joined the team as a defensive back and the team converted him into a wide receiver a little bit into his career as a way to get the ball in his hands more often. Apart from 2009 when Hester flashed as a pass catcher, the wide receiver experiment didn’t work too well. Over his Bears WR career, he averaged just 2.2 catches and 30.8 yards per game and averaged 2.3 receiving touchdowns per year.

So Hill name checking Hester and Knox is pretty cool for Bears fans, but honestly Hill and Waddle surpass the retro Bears duo on the field.

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Moore was unsurprisingly the top-rated wide receiver on the Bears. When Ryan Poles traded away the No. 1 pick to the Panthers for a haul that included Moore, he immediately became the team’s unquestioned WR1. 

Moore isn’t the biggest or strongest wide receiver. Accordingly, his best attributes are speed (93), acceleration (93), agility (92) and jumping (94). The number ratings alone seems fair, but where he ranks among other WRs is maybe a tad low. Moore’s rating has him tied with Brandon Aiyuk and Chris Godwin at 21st in the NFL. That’s below players like Devonta Smith who doesn’t have the same track record of consistency like Moore. 

Justin Fields is arguably the best quarterback Moore has played alongside since his rookie season with Cam Newton, so there’s a chance Moore takes a step forward and sees his Madden rating rise as the season progresses.

Other notable Bears WR Madden 24 ratings include Darnell Mooney’s 81, Chase Claypool’s 76 and Tyler Scott’s 71.

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We’re going to take a look at the ratings for the Bears’ top wide receivers and offer some quick thoughts on the assessments.

DJ MOORE – 86 OVERALL

It’s not surprising that Moore earns the top marks for the Bears. When Ryan Poles traded away the No. 1 pick to the Panthers for a haul that included Moore, he immediately became the team’s unquestioned WR1. Moore isn’t the biggest or strongest wide receiver. Accordingly, his best attributes are speed (93), acceleration (93), agility (92) and jumping (94). The number rating alone seems fair, but where he ranks among other WRs is maybe a tad low. Moore’s rating has him tied with Brandon Aiyuk and Chris Godwin at 21st in the NFL. That’s below players like Devonta Smith who doesn’t have the same track record of consistency like Moore. Justin Fields is arguably the best quarterback Moore has played alongside since his rookie season with Cam Newton, so there’s a chance Moore takes a step forward and sees his Madden rating rise as the season progresses.

DARNELL MOONEY – 81 OVERALL

Madden is apparently high on Mooney not only returning to form following his season-ending broken ankle injury, but also playing better as the No. 2 wide receiver again. Last year the Bears entered the season with Mooney as their top pass catcher and it didn’t work out as expected. Through the first three weeks of the season he only had four catches for 27 yards. He didn’t reach the endzone until Week 9 and he never crossed the 100-yard threshold in a game. His 81 rating places him tied for 41st at WR alongside Kadarius Toney, Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow, Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard.

CHASE CLAYPOOL – 76 OVERALL

It remains to be seen how far apart Mooney and Claypool are in the Bears passing attack pecking order, but Madden believes Claypool is significantly behind as the No. 3 option. Interestingly, Claypool has some high scores in big categories like jumping (94), speed (92), acceleration (90), catching (89) and spectacular catching (89). He gets pretty significant dings in other important areas though, like short route running (76), medium route running (75), deep route running (74), change of direction (75) and a very low awareness rating (68). Claypool certainly didn’t produce in the way that the Bears would have liked after trading away their second-round pick to acquire him last year. He’s another player who has a chance to climb with a full offseason to learn the playbook though. Claypool’s 76-overall rating places him tied for 77th in the NFL alongside players like DeAndre Carter, Devin Duvernay, Jamal Agnew, Jordan Addison and Randall Cobb.

TYLER SCOTT – 71 OVERALL

Bears rookie Scott is known best for his speed as a former running back and track star. It makes sense that acceleration (93) and speed (92) are his best attributes. Scott was a running back in high school and didn’t start playing wide receiver until 2020, his first year at Cincinnati, so it also makes sense that his awareness (69), short route running (72), medium route running (73) and release (66) ratings are a little lower. Scott ranks tied for 134th among all NFL WRs on Madden with players like Miles Boykin, Tutu Atwell and Willie Snead.

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It was never going to happen though. With the addition of Moore and rookie Tyler Scott, plus last season’s trade for Chase Claypool, the Bears are set at wide receiver. It’s more likely they’ll be subtracting at the position this summer, not adding. Further, there are other units that need much more help. The Bears could use more pass rushers at defensive end, or additional depth on the offensive line in case.

Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus have both made it clear they’re still open for business to add to the roster, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Bears made additional free agent signings over the next two weeks. If they do, here are some names that could be on their wishlist.

DAWUANE SMOOT – DEFENSIVE END

Smoot is coming off a torn achilles injury, so the medicals might dissuade the Bears from signing him. However, if the medicals are all good Smoot could be an interesting option. Smoot was an ascending player for the Jaguars before he started ceding snaps to other players in 2022. However, Smoot still managed to produce while playing less. He recorded five sacks while only playing 44% of the team’s snaps last year. Smoot has 22.5 career sacks, 27 TFL, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries since joining the league in 2017. But things really didn’t start clicking for Smoot until 2019.

YANNICK NGAKOUE – DEFENSIVE END

Ngakoue has said he’s looking for two things: a multi-year contract, and a team that’s ready to contend or has shown signs it’s on the up and up. Both of those criteria could disqualify the Bears. Poles has shown he’s going to be disciplined when signing players to long-term deals, reserving those types of contracts for players he’s convicted can be cornerstone players. Considering Ngakoue has played for five teams in seven seasons, he may not fit that bill. Of course, Ngakoue could see the Bears’ 3-14 record last season, see a QB who needs to improve in the passing attack in Justin Fields and pass himself. If things do come together though, the Bears would get an instant boost to their pass rush. In just seven seasons, Ngakoue has 65 sacks and 65 TFL. He’s had at least eight sacks every year. Most importantly, he’s great at creating takeaways. Ngakoue already has an incredible 21 forced fumbles to his name, which is the fifth-most in the NFL since he came into the league in 2016.

JUSTIN HOUSTON – DEFENSIVE END

Houston has two big connections to the Bears. First, he crossed paths with Poles in KC from 2011-2018. Then Houston went to Indianapolis where he played really well in Matt Eberflus’ defense in 2019 and 2020. Houston’s 22 sacks days are likely well behind him, but he proved he still has something left in the tank last year when he took a 20.1% pass rush win rate (17th-best in NFL among edge players per PFF) and notched 9.5 sacks in Baltimore, despite playing a career-low 44% of his team’s snaps. That could be exactly what the team is looking for, as they continue to develop their younger players. Houston has 111.5 career sacks, 130 TFL, 19 forced fumbles and 14 fumble recoveries in 12 years.

TAYLOR LEWAN – LEFT TACKLE

Like Smoot, Lewan is coming off a serious injury– the second injury to his right knee in three years– so the Bears would need assurance that his medicals are clear before moving forward. Before the recent spate of injuries though, Lewan was a reliable left tackle for the Titans. As things stand, the Bears are thin on the edges of their offensive line. They’re relying on Braxton Jones taking a big step forward in year two, and Darnell Wright making a smooth transition as a rookie. If either goes down, Larry Borom appears to be next in line, and he didn’t look as effective in year one of Luke Getsy’s new zone blocking scheme. The Bears signed both Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield to bolster the offensive line unit around this time last year, so they may do the same with another veteran like Lewan.

A.J. CANN – GUARD

The Bears are just as thin at guard as they are at tackle. Behind Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis are Lucas Patrick, Ja’Tyre Carter and Alex Leatherwood. This is Carter’s second NFL season, and he only played 31 snaps on offense last season. That’s about as inexperienced as it comes for someone who was deemed a project player when he was drafted. Patrick played guard in 2022 when his injured hand precluded him from snapping the ball, and it was a disaster. Per PFF, Patrick was the second least efficient guard in pass protection among players with at least 100 snaps. Leatherwood has yet to find his footing with the Bears. Cann is both reliable and durable, having started in 110 games since 2015. He only gave up 34 pressures last season, which ranked 33rd among all guards who played at least 500 pass blocking snaps.

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And wouldn’t you know it, PFF’s draft tool is already raring to go for the class of 2024. As previously mentioned, we have no idea where the Bears or Panthers will ultimately land in the draft once the 2023 season is done, so we’re going with what PFF has in their draft tool, which is the Panthers picking at No. 10 and the Bears right behind them at 11.

Without further ado, here’s our first crack at a two-round 2024 NFL mock draft:

NO. 10: DALLAS TURNER – EDGE – ALABAMA

The Bears knew they weren’t going to fill every hole on their roster in one year, and so far the position that hasn’t received an uptick in young talent has been the defensive end group. Turner is exactly what Bears GM Ryan Poles looks for in players. He’s lean, quick and athletic. Coming out of high school he was widely regarded one of the top recruits regardless of position, and some had him as the top edge rusher. Even though the production isn’t eye-popping (12.5 sacks in 28 games), scouts note his “flashes” show enticing talent. Turner will have a big opportunity to take a step into the spotlight this year with Will Anderson out of town.

NO. 11: EMEKA EGBUKA – WIDE RECEIVER – OHIO STATE

Now seems like a good time to reiterate that it is too early to be doing mock drafts. That said, Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. could be the best WR duo since Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase went crazy at LSU togetherー and Egbuka and Harrison Jr. are expected to enter the draft together. All the hype is around Harrison Jr. right now, but Egbuka was extremely productive in his sophomore season last year. He had 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 TDs. The Buckeyes move him around the field, and we know the Bears like versatile players in their offense.

NO. 42: BRALEN TRICE – EDGE – WASHINGTON

Poles grabs another edge rusher, just like this year when the Bears dipped into the defensive tackle well several times to add Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens and Travis Bell. Trice could have come out for the 2023 draft, but opted to return for another season with the Huskies. He’s another guy with the athletic profile Poles covets at 6’4”, 267 lbs. He’s another former five-star recruit, too. Trice took a big step forward in terms of production last season with nine sacks and 12 TFLs in 13 games. He also led all college edge rushers with 70 total pressures.

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This is Pace’s second stint as a director of player personnel. He held the same role with the Saints from 2013-2014, right before the Bears hired him to be general manager in 2015. After the Bears fired Pace in 2022, he signed on with the Falcons as a senior personnel executive. Pace will still report to Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, just as he did in his previous capacity.

Pace followed another former Bears GM, Phil Emery, to Atlanta. Emery started as a Falcons scout in 2016, then was named a senior personnel executive, like Pace. Emery retired earlier this year.

The Falcons clearly trusted Pace’s insight in the front office, since they signed many of the same players that Pace brought to Chicago over his tenure. Abdullah Anderson, Damiere Byrd, Germain Ifedi, Nick Kwiatkoski, Elijah Wilkinson and Damien Williams all joined the Falcons in 2022, and all had played for the Bears sometime during Pace’s time as GM.

Pace is widely known for making splash trades and big free-agent signings. Some of them worked out, as the Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks deal. Others flopped, like the move to trade up for Mitchell Trubisky or the decision to offer Tarik Cohen a hefty contract extension. Pace is also the GM who traded up to draft Justin Fields back in 2021.

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When Bears president/CEO spoke on Monday about the team’s future at Arlington Heights, it underlined the arduous process ahead for both the team and the town before development begins in earnest at Arlington Park.

Right now, the two sides are in the middle of a public squabble over the property value of the Bears’ new piece of land, which has a big impact on how much the Bears will pay in property taxes. The Bears paid just over $197 million to purchase the land earlier this year, but argue the value of the land should be assessed at $52 million. Understandable, since they’ve already begun demolishing buildings on the property and won’t be able to use the land for any commercial purposes for years to come. Churchill Downsー the former owners of the racetrackー and the local school districts reached an agreement for the value of the property to be set at $95 million for the 2022 tax bill. But that was a one year deal, so the Bears have to renegotiate to get the property assessment lowered again.

It still makes the most sense for the Bears to stick in Arlington Heights since they already shelled out nearly $200 million to buy Arlington Park. If they decided to move and buy a new property, it’d be awfully hard to recoup the same value by flipping Arlington Park just a few years later, and with fewer buildings on site due to the demolition they’ve already begun. If Arlington Heights plays hard ball too hard and pushes the Bears out, then they’d also miss out on an incredible opportunity to raise the profile and values of properties and businesses in their town.

Not getting a deal done would be a colossal misstep for both sides.

And yet, other cities and towns have thrown their names in the ring as the Bears and Arlington Heights dig their heels in as part of negotiations. Here are those cities and towns who hope to take advantage just in case things really do fall apart.

NAPERVILLE

The Southwest suburb was the first to jump at the chance to woo the Bears away from Arlington Heights. Mayor Scott Wehrli sent the Bears an open letter making a case for why Naperville would be such a great place for a stadium and Kevin Warren reportedly sat down to meet with Wehrli. The letter mentioned several “available or to be available” sites that may suit the Bears needs, but never specifically said what the town had in mind.

AURORA

The latest city to make a case to host the new stadium. In their open letter to the team, Aurora boasted that it’s the second-largest city in the state. They also pointed to their ability to work together with businesses on big developments like their $360M deal with PENN Entertainment to relocate Hollywood Casino.

WAUKEGAN

Waukegan pitched their town as a way for the Bears to stay close to the lake. The biggest sell may be that it’s close to Lake Forest where the Bears practice. Many players also live in the northern suburbs to be close to Halas Hall.

CHICAGO

Meanwhile, the Bears have tried to convince the team to stay at Soldier Field with fancy renderings of possible renovations. New mayor Brandon Johnson has also met with the team. A deal shouldn’t happen unless the city decides to sell the team the land and the stadium. To give you and idea of how serious the Bears are about staying in Chicago check out the ENTIRETY of the team’s joint statement with Johnson about the meeting:

“Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the City of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city.  We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future.  We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”

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The Bears hope Justin Fields (2021 first-round pick) and Darnell Wright (2023 first-round pick) will be cornerstones of the offense for years to come, but it’s far too early to tell what their legacy will be in Chicago. So now, we’re taking a look at Bears first-round draft picks who have already cemented their spot in franchise history. And if the Bears were to carve the faces of four first-rounders into a mountain outside Halas Hall, here’s who would make the cut.

MIKE DITKA – 1961

The term “game changer” gets thrown around a lot in sports, but “Iron Mike” truly revolutionized the game as the first great pass catching tight end. He became the first TE in NFL history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. Ditka also caught 12 touchdowns as in 1961 en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award. Ditka remains one of the most productive pass catchers in Bears history, regardless of position. His 34 receiving TDs are fourth-most in franchise history, his 4,503 receiving yards rank fifth and his 316 catches are sixth-best. Those are all Bears TE records. Of course, Ditka returned to the Bears when his playing days were done to lead the team to its lone Super Bowl win as Da Coach. In 1988, Ditka became the first tight end ever inducted into the Hall of Fame.

DICK BUTKUS – 1965

Butkus isn’t just one of the best Bears players of All-Time, he’s one of the greatest to ever play in the NFL. He was a ferocious linebacker whose ability to deliver bone-crunching hits is unsurpassed. Butkus truly struck fear in opponents’ hearts. Sacks and forced fumbles weren’t made an official stat until the 1980s so we don’t know how many times he dropped QBs or stripped the ball, but we do know he was a takeaway machine. Over nine seasons with the Bears he intercepted 22 passes and recovered 27 fumbles. Butkus made it to the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine seasons, was an All-Pro five times and won Defensive Player of the Year twice. Butkus was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

GALE SAYERS – 1965

One pick after selecting Butkus in the 1965 draft, the Bears struck gold again with Sayers. The “Kansas Comet” was an instant success. Sayers’ 22 all-purpose touchdowns in ‘65 remain an NFL rookie record (minus QBs). He was a first-team All Pro in each of his first five seasons. He won the NFL rushing title in 1966 and 1969 and led the league in YPC in 1968. He was also a prolific return man, which helped him lead the league in all-purpose yards from 1965-1967. In 1977, Sayers became the youngest inductee into the Hall of Fame at 34 years old. Unfortunately, knee injuries cut his career short and he only played in 68 games. If it hadn’t been for those injuries there’s a chance Sayers would be considered the greatest Bears player of all-time instead of the next guy on our list.

WALTER PAYTON – 1975

What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about “Sweetness?” Considered by many to be the greatest football player of all-time, regardless of position, Payton is still a face for the league even though it’s been 35 years since he last played. At the time of his retirement, Payton owned eight NFL records: most career rushing yards (16,726), most career combined yards (21,803), most career rushing touchdowns (110), most career rushing attempts (3,838), most career combined attempts (4,368), most rushing yards in a game (275), most seasons with 1,000 or more rushing yards (10) and most games with 100 or more rushing yards (77). He owned 21 Bears records. Payton wasn’t just a prolific runner who could make opponents miss in practically any fashion, he was also extremely durable. Payton missed one game in his rookie season, then went on an incredible stretch of playing in 186 consecutive games. Payton won the rushing title five years in a row, was a seven-time All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowler and won MVP twice. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1993.

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This is Pace’s second stint as a director of player personnel. He held the same role with the Saints from 2013-2014, right before the Bears hired him to be general manager in 2015. After the Bears fired Pace in 2022, he signed on with the Falcons as a senior personnel executive. Pace will still report to Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, just as he did in his previous capacity.

Pace followed another former Bears GM, Phil Emery, to Atlanta. Emery started as a Falcons scout in 2016, then was named a senior personnel executive, like Pace. Emery retired earlier this year.

The Falcons clearly trusted Pace’s insight in the front office, since they signed many of the same players that Pace brought to Chicago over his tenure. Abdullah Anderson, Damiere Byrd, Germain Ifedi, Nick Kwiatkoski, Elijah Wilkinson and Damien Williams all joined the Falcons in 2022, and all had played for the Bears sometime during Pace’s time as GM.

Pace is widely known for making splash trades and big free agent signings. Some of them worked out, like the Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks deals. Others flopped, like the move to trade up for Mitchell Trubisky or the decision to offer Tarik Cohen a hefty contract extension. Pace is also the GM who traded up to draft Justin Fields back in 2021.

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“Hard Knocks” follows several storylines during an NFL team’s training camp, from unheralded rookies trying to make the 53-man roster, to new superstar free agents trying to fit in with their new teammates, to charismatic coaches.

Typically, NFL coaches don’t like the distraction of cameras in the building and out on the practice field, so it’s rare that a team will raise their hand to volunteer for the show. And if no team volunteers, then the NFL can select a team.

Most teams can decline if HBO and the NFL come calling, but if a team meets the following criteria, they can’t say no:

–Must not have new head coach

–Must not have made made the playoffs over the past two seasons

–Must not have been on the show over the past decade

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is entering year two with the team, the Bears’ last playoff appearance was 2020 and they’ve never appeared on the show, so they didn’t have an out if selected. With Fields’ ascension as an exciting playmaker and the addition of Moore, some thought the Bears would’ve made for good TV. But almost nothing in the NFL matches the national attention that Aaron Rodgers demands in New York City. Not only is he still one of the most talented QBs in the league, but he remains one of the league’s kookiest characters. Rodgers gives us ridiculous headlines regularly, from Covid toes to hobbit holes. Think of what we may get when the cameras are on him constantly?

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The duo give the Bears a completely new look, and national media have taken notice. On Tuesday, PFF ranked the Bears’ linebacker corps as the No. 2 unit in the NFL.

“Tremaine Edmunds arrives from Buffalo after a long-awaited breakout that saw massive increases in his overall (81.9) and coverage (90.0) grades,” wrote Dalton Wasserman for PFF. “The latter mark, along with his 10 pass breakups, led all qualified linebackers.

“T.J. Edwards comes with less fanfare but was the unsung hero of the Eagles’ elite defense. He played nearly 1,200 snaps and graded above 78.0 against the run, in coverage and as a pass-rusher, which added up to the sixth-best overall grade (81.6) at the position.”

High praise like that is a far cry from what the Bears earned towards the end of the 2022 season. The Roquan Smith trade left the Bears without an anchor in the middle. Jack Sanborn availed himself of the opportunity and racked up tackles when given the chance. Sanborn got hurt in Week 15, and the Bears were left with a starting unit of Nick Morrow, Matt Adams and Joe Thomas. Morrow and Adams never lived up to their free agent billing and Thomas was largely a special teams contributor who was pressed into duty because of the vacancies left by Smith and Sanborn.

PFF noted Sanborn’s success as an undrafted free agent rookie in their assessment of the linebacker room, but there’s a chance Sanborn is replaced too. He wasn’t able to practice at all when media were present at OTAs and veteran minicamp, as he continues to recover from his ankle injury. Meanwhile, 2023 fifth-round draft pick Noah Sewell has had the opportunity to show coaches what he can do with the extra reps. Sewell has flashed some of the ability that convinced the Bears, like putting himself in position to make splash plays. If he continues to develop and Sanborn stays on the sideline when training camp begins next month, Sewell could take over the starting SAM job, which would give the Bears an entirely new linebacker lineup.

Considering how things went last year, that might be a very good thing.

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The Bears would certainly benefit by adding Hopkins to their wide receivers room. Any NFL team would. Accordingly, there’s a good chance Bears GM Ryan Poles reached out to Hopkins’ camp to see what it would take to convince him to come to Chicago. It’s unlikely that the Bears end up landing Hopkins, however.

When Hopkins was officially released by the Cardinals, the wide receiver went on the “I Am Athlete” podcast to share what he’s looking for in his next team. That is a quarterback who loves the game and brings his teammates along with him, a great defense, and a stable management situation. On the surface, the Bears appear to check two of those boxes with Justin Fields, and Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus securely in place for the near future. No one is ready to declare the Bears have a great defense, even with free agent signings like Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards.

Fields may not have shown enough in his development as a passer to impress Fields, though. On the same podcast, Hopkins listed the top five QBs he’d like to play with and Fields didn’t crack the list. Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert earned that honor.

The Bears can offer one thing more easily than other teams: money. According to OverTheCap, the Bears still lead the NFL with $32 million in cap space, so they’d be able to offer Hopkins a lucrative one-year deal without any salary cap finagling. That would also allow Hopkins to hit the market and cash in again next year if he has a great season in Chicago. 

What the Bears can’t offer is a legit shot to win a Super Bowl this year. At 30 years old, Hopkins still has good football years ahead of him, but he’s entering the backhalf of his career. If he wants to maximize his opportunities to win a ring, joining the Chiefs, Bills or Eagles makes a lot more sense.

Further, if Hopkins does sign a one-year deal this season, it’s in his best interest to team up with a proven top-tier passer like Mahomes, Allen or Hurts. Fields certainly has exciting upside as an explosive playmaker, and he throws a great deep ball that could set Hopkins up to make highlight reel catches. Fields does not have the track record of the other, more-established QBs.

Taking a look at the full picture of who could be in the running for Hopkins, and what Hopkins is looking for on the open market, it seems unlikely we’ll see him at Halas Hall this year.

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All of that put the team in a position to begin building things back up again. The blockbuster DJ Moore trade was the first real step towards contention in 2023, but big free agent signings like Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis and TJ Edwards continued Poles’ quest to assemble a real foundation for the Bears moving forward.

The next step is identifying which current Bears have earned a spot on the team as they work towards postseason contention, and rewarding them with new contracts. Several players are set to become free agents after this season, including Darnell Mooney, Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet, Chase Claypool, Trevis Gipson and Cairo Santos. The Bears aren’t going to re-sign everyone though. Some fan favorites may end up on other teams in 2024.

Spotrac released contract projections for many players who are set to hit the market with their NFL Market Value Tool. We’re going to use those numbers as a springboard to discuss their potential future with the team.

DARNELL MOONEY – FOUR YEARS, $59.77 MILLION, $14.9 AAV

The Bears love Darnell Mooney. When Poles and Matt Eberflus first began evaluating their personnel, Mooney was one of the first players singled out as a potential cornerstone for the franchise. They love his attitude, his work ethic and his growing relationship with Justin Fields. But Mooney needs to produce in year two operating in Luke Getsy’s offense. Things didn’t work out when the Bears tabbed Mooney to be the No. 1 wideout last year, so the question is can he make a bigger impactー like he did in 2020 and 2021ー with DJ Moore demanding more attention from the defense? The other big question: how does Mooney look coming off of last year’s ankle injury? If the Bears get positive answers to both of those questions, they’d happily pay him to ensure Fields has two legit pass catching options for years to come. At those numbers, Mooney would be the 18th-highest paid WR in terms of total money, and 23rd based on average annual value. But if they get a less than encouraging answer to either of those questions, the Bears may let Mooney walk for that kind of money.

COLE KMET – FOUR YEARS, $45.59 MILLION, $11.4 AAV

Kmet is the most likely Bears player to receive an extension from Poles, and it could come before the start of the regular season, if not before the start of training camp. Tight end is an incredibly important position in Getsy’s offense and Kmet showed the aptitude to pick up what was asked of him and develop the requisite skills to succeed over the course of the 2022 season. He grew significantly as a run blocker and pass protector. He finally got off the TD schneid and exploded for five scores in three games from Week 8 to Week 10. Kmet still has plenty of room to grow into an even more effective tight end, too, so his mix of solid floor and enticing ceiling is exactly what the Bears would want as they work towards Super Bowl contention. The value that Spotrac projects would make Kmet the eighth-highest paid TE in total money and 10th-highest in AAV. That’s a bargain considering there aren’t too many bonafide productive TEs in the league.

JAYLON JOHNSON – THREE YEARS, $23.3 MILLION, $7.8 MILLION AAV

When Jaylon Johnson didn’t show up for the first two weeks of Bears OTAs speculation brewed that Johnson was gearing up to hold out for a new contract. Turns out that was poppycock as Johnson came for the final week of the voluntary program and explained he was spending time with his daughter and doing charity work for his foundation back in California. However if Johnson receives an offer from the Bears like Spotrac projects, he will likely be very, very upset. Johnson sees himself as a top corner and those numbers would place him 28th among corners in total contract value and 30th in AAV. Johnson has good reason to believe he’s a top flight corner. He’s sticky in coverage and the Bears used him to shadow an opponent’s No. 1 receiver at times last year. There were some weeks where Johnson was so good that opposing quarterbacks never targeted him. That’s no small feat. But the Bears and the rest of the NFL want CBs to take the ball away, and that’s where Johnson is lacking. Over three seasons, Johnson has only notched one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. If he wants the big bucks from the Bears, he’ll have to improve in that area this year.

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People wondered what it was all about. Was Love trying to make some sort of joke a la Aaron Rodgers declaring himself the Bears owner? Did Love bungle that joke by insinuating Bears fans across the world are his collective dad? Why was this video even recorded?

Turns out it was for a completely innocuous reason. Love is in Paris with Justin Fields and DeShaun Watson for a youth football camp. A french fan asked Love to record the short video, so he did.

Here’s an explanation from the Twitter user who initially posted the video:

And here’s Love’s own explanation:

The Bears and Packers open their season together at Soldier Field this year, so Love will get an opportunity to pick up where Rodgers left off in regards to being the Bears’ owner/dad/archnemesis. Or maybe it will be the Bears fans who cheer so loudly that they make a statement as Love’s new guardian/conservator/foe.

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Yet, there are still plenty of other players who are deserving of the honor. If the Bears ever decided to reverse course, here are the guys who would be first in line to have their numbers retired.

NO. 23: DEVIN HESTER

Jersey retirements are reserved for players who either made a major impact for their franchise, or on the game as a whole. Hester did both. He’s the most prolific return man in NFL history with a record 21 combined return touchdowns. Hester twice led the league in punt return yards and kick return yards. He led the league in punt return scores three times, and kick return scores twice. He was named to four Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro three times. But the most memorable piece of history that Hester made was becoming the first man to return the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl for a touchdown. It’s something no one’s accomplished since, either.

NO. 50: MIKE SINGLETARY

Buddy Ryan’s shutdown “46” defense was named after Doug Plank, but it was Singletary who stirred the drink acting as a coach on the field. Singletary wasn’t known for being particularly big or fast, but he out-prepared everyone. Singletary is known as one of the early players to fully dedicate himself to film study and it’s been said that opposing coaches believed Singletary knew their offenses better than their own players. On the field he was a punishing tackler who was especially fearsome in run defense. Singletary twice won Defensive Player of the Year, he was a First-Team All-Pro seven times, Second-Team All-Pro twice more and was named to 10 Pro Bowls. Singletary was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

NO. 54: BRIAN URLACHER

It’s debatable where Urlacher ranks among the Bears linebacker greats, but it’s undeniable that he was the biggest and the fastest. A converted safety, Urlacher boasted incredible range in both pass defense and run defense, and that made him a star in the middle of Lovie Smith’s take on the Tampa 2. His 1,361 career tackles are a franchise record. His 22 interceptions tie Dick Butkus’ mark and trail only Doug Buffone’s 24 among all Bears linebackers. Urlacher won Rookie of the Year in 2000, Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, was named First-Team All-Pro four times, Second-Team All-Pro once and was an eight-time Pro Bowler. Urlacher was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

NO. 95: RICHARD DENT

Dent will always own a piece of Bears history as the team’s first (and so far, only) Super Bowl MVP. Folks remember his 1.5 sack, two forced fumble performance in Super Bowl XX best, but he was one of the most consistently fearsome pass rushers outside that big day. Dent holds the Bears all-time sacks record with 124.5 and ranks second in forced fumbles with 34. He led the league in sacks once and led the league in forced fumbles twice and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

NO. 99: DAN HAMPTON

It’s impressive when a player can consistently earn All-Pro honors at one position. It’s insane when someone can do it at two positions. Hampton was a versatile defensive lineman who lined up both inside and outside, and was named to All-Pro teams at each position. He made six All-Pro teams in all, four times at DT and twice at DE. Hampton was nicknamed “Danimal” for his tenacious play and ranks third on the Bears leaderboard with 82 sacks. He could’ve had more if not for the strike-shortened 1982. Hampton set an incredible pace with nine sacks in nine games that year, so if the Bears had played a full 16-game season it’s conceivable that he would have had a chance to set a franchise single-season sacks record. Hampton got the call to the Hall of Fame in 2002.

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“All I can tell you is it isn’t trending in a way that the Bears have wanted it to trend in this offseason,” Marc Silverman said on the radio.

According to Silverman, his mentality isn’t where the Bears would like it to be, especially considering he’s nursing minor injuries that cost him part of minicamp.

“I have heard from a few people inside that building that he is not somebody who is very self-motivated,” Silverman said. “There’s a long way to go. Chase Claypool can change the narrative.”

Claypool struggled during the 10 games he played for the Bears last season. As a result, he caught a lowly 10 passes for 140 yards. The Bears, obviously, expect more from a receiver they paid a hefty price for.

Back at last season’s trade deadline, Ryan Poles sent their second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Claypool. The Miami Dolphins — on account of illegal tampering — forfeited their first-round pick, essentially making the pick the Bears traded into a first-round selection.

That’s a hefty price to pay for an unproductive receiver. Fortunately, Claypool has one season left on his rookie deal before the Bears will be forced to make a decision about their collective futures. But, according to Silverman, he’s staring down the barrel of being pegged as a bust.

For what it’s worth, the Bears have spoken emphatically about Claypool this offseason. They appreciate his dedication off the field in the film room while he’s nursing “soft tissue” injuries. And they’re enthralled about his potential with Justin Fields.

MORE: How Chase Claypool is showing Bears new, improved receiver this offseason

“I’m excited where he is,” wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. “He’s more into what we’re doing offensively. He asks a lot of good questions. He’s here extra too — when he doesn’t have to be here, he’s here doing a lot of extra things, trying to get better, watching tape on his own, that kinda thing.

“He’s a big target, as we know. People forget that he’s 230 pounds but he ran a 4.42. He’s really fast. He was out here and he was getting behind the defense a few times. We’re excited to have him.”

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And yet, when the Bears finished up their first day of mandatory minicamp social media quote boards weren’t about what happened on the field. They were about Justin Jones calling Packers fans “shitty” when asked about the state of the NFC North.

“It’s funny,” said Robert Tonyan on Wednesday.

Tonyan grew up in McHenry and played for the Packers from 2017-2022, so he’s about as familiar as anyone could be with the Bears-Packers rivalry. Yet he didn’t think Packers fans were any more obnoxious than any other fan base in the country.

“Honestly, whatever stadium I went to I felt like that was the case, you know?” Tonyan said. “Fans are wild. Especially when they’ve had a couple of drinks.”

He’s right. In every corner of the NFL, there will be fans that get rowdy, especially for rivalry games. When quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers start participating in the trash talk, things can escalate.

“This rivalry is huge,” Tonyan said. “It’s one of the strongest in the NFL so there’s obviously going to be that banter for sure.”

So, no, Tonyan didn’t seem surprised to hear that a player on the Bears would have beef with Packers fans. In fact, Tonyan was encouraged by it.

“I like that. I like that fire in him.”

Football is a passionate sport and players need to find a fire within them somehow, some way. For Jones, it appears part of that fire comes from soaking up jeers from the fans in the stands.

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Jones addressed the media on the first day of veteran minicamp, and when he was asked about the new-look NFC North, Jones took the opportunity to shred Packers fans.

“They’re really shitty,” Jones said bluntly. “They’re just freaking obnoxious. Just yelling about all sorts of things that don’t even matter… half of them don’t even know football. It’s so weird to me.”

Jones’ displeasure stems in part from Aaron Rodgers’ departure. Players took note when Rodgers said he owns the Bears, and Jones wanted the opportunity to prove him wrong this year.

“I wish he played one more year with Green Bay, honestly… I wanted to go back up there and I wanted to play them and I wanted to beat them and I wanted him to see it.”

With Rodgers or without Rodgers it is very clear that Jones has the Week 18 trip to Lambeau Field circled on his calendar.

“I want to go out there and I want to beat the hell out of them on their field, and I want to hear the boos. That’s what I look forward to.”

Even though Jones wanted to beat Rodgers, he recognizes things are probably better for the team with Rodgers out of the division.

“I’m ready to take (the division) over. It’s a good time to be a Bears fan.”

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To get ready for the upcoming season, Sports Illustrated is taking a deep dive into all 32 teams in 32 days. On Monday it was the Bears’ turn, and Matt Verderame argued that the Bears’ passing game will turn out to be the team’s strength.

“This is a stark change from last year, when the passing game was a disaster,” Verderame wrote. “This season Fields has the look of a dramatically improving quarterback, and he now has a true top-end receiver on the perimeter in Moore.”

“With Moore joining the fray, Darnell Mooney will go from an underwhelming No. 1 to a quality second option. Going further down the depth chart, Chase Claypool makes more sense as a third pass catcher, with Velus Jones Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown filling out the room.”

Verderame didn’t even mention rookie Tyler Scott, who has an opportunity to earn a role in the offense as a speedy deep threat. Moore’s addition also allows the Bears wide receivers to settle into more defined roles than they used last season. 

“It helps a little bit more to be able to say OK, we kind of know what these guys are,” said Bears wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert last month. “We don’t have to try to search to see who can do what now, we kind of know what they can do and put them in position to make plays. It’s easier that way, for sure.”

The wide receivers room as a whole looks vastly different from last season. At this point in the year, we were debating who among the likes of St. Brown, Jones, Dante Pettis, Tajae Sharpe and David Moore would emerge as the No. 3 and 4 WRs behind Mooney and Byron Pringle. Now with more talent in the room, the question is which WR may be cut when the roster is eventually trimmed to 53 players.

Of course, things will look better regardless of any skill position upgrades if Fields takes the next step in his personal development. Fields says he’s more comfortable at this point in the year simply because he’s already got a year under his belt in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s system. It’s the first time in his short professional career that he’s not starting from scratch in the summer program.

“It’s truly amazing when you have that feeling going in, knowing where your guys are going to be, more comfortable with the footwork stuff,” Fields said during Bears OTAs. “It’s been great.”

Add it all together and there are real reasons to believe that the Bears passing game could turn from a weakness into a strength.

“It’s not the Greatest Show on Turf,” wrote Verderame. “But the Bears have a real group with upside.”

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“Brisker shined for Chicago in a lost season,” Verderame wrote. “The rookie played in 15 games and totaled 104 tackles, including five for loss, along with four sacks and an interception. Perhaps most impressively, Brisker didn’t miss a single snap when active.”

Interestingly, Brisker said last year was a disappointment based on his standards, largely because of a thumb injury that set him back early in the year.

“I felt like last year I should have, I felt like I could have been more involved in the defense and things like that,” Brisker said earlier this month. “This year I feel a lot more comfortable with the coaches, with the defense, with the players. I feel like myself. I feel like it’s going to be a way different year than it was last year.”

Brisker was unhappy with some of his footwork from last season and added his eyes were sometimes in the wrong place. He’s confident he can clean that up this year. Further, Brisker believes he can help the defense in different ways. Brisker played almost exclusively if not entirely at strong safety, but has already taken some snaps at free safety this summer as Eddie Jackson ramps up from his Lisfranc injury.

“Just being moved around, being involved, playing low, playing high, getting more blitzes, getting my name called more, things like that,” Brisker said.

“Let me help my teammates, let me help us win. That’s why I’m here. To win games, to go to the playoffs and win a Super Bowl.”

Verderame doesn’t see a Super Bowl in the Bears’ future this year, but he does see Brisker helping the team moving forward.

“The Bears have a long way to go before fielding a title-contending defense, but Brisker has the look of a cornerstone,” Verderame wrote. “He can do it all from the back end, giving coach Matt Eberflus a potential star in the making.”

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Fields grew up in a suburb of Atlanta, so he was a big Vick fan when Vick was tearing up the league as the most dominant rushing quarterback the league had ever seen.

“I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old, I had his cleats,” Fields said last year.

So it was extra special when Fields broke Vick’s record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game. Fields had 178 rushing yards against the Dolphins last year, which just edged out Vick’s 173 yards against the Vikings back in 2002. By the end of the year, Fields’ 1,143 rushing yards on the season passed Vick’s 1,039 yards for second most in a single season. Lamar Jackson holds the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a QB with 1,206.

After Fields broke Vick’s record, Vick applauded the feat. Just like Fields, Vick was more than just a running quarterback. Back at Ohio State, Fields was more of a passing threat than a rushing threat and the Bears want that passing game to develop more this season. 

We don’t know what Fields and Vick talked about during their time together at Halas Hall, but no one is better equipped to share how the threat of running the ball can help open the passing game better than Vick.

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The Bears making a deal to acquire Cooks feels out of the question at this point, but if he hits the open market could Bears GM Ryan Poles be a serious player in whatever market that develops? Probably not.

On the surface, adding Cook would make any offense better, including the Bears offense. He remains one of the most dynamic backs in the game. Cook has the rare blend of strength to break tackles, elusiveness to make guys miss and sheer speed to leave would-be tacklers in his dust. He’s put together four consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons, and he’s still in the prime of his career. Cook turns just 28 years old this August.

Cook would likely be a great fit in Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s zone rushing scheme, too. The idea is the offensive line creates a gap so that the running back can make one cut, beat one man, then take off. One of Cook’s strengths is the ability to make cutbacks like those required to have success in the system.

There are a couple reasons why the Bears wouldn’t want to make a strong play to add Cook to the fold, however. Money and space.

Poles has proven in just over a year that he will be disciplined when it comes to managing the team’s salary cap. He’s reluctant to spend more than his evaluations dictate for free agents, and since Cook is a legit superstar he could command a contract that goes beyond Poles’ comfort level. Given reports that the Dolphins are already interested in adding Cook to their high-octane offense, a bit of a bidding war could emerge. If so, the Bears will probably want to sit on the sidelines.

Even if Cook doesn’t earn a monster contract on the open market, the Bears have already invested a lot into their running backs room this year. Poles signed D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer in the first waves of free agency. Then, he drafted Roschon Johnson in the fourth-round of this year’s draft. Running back is considered a non-premium position in today’s NFL and Poles has said before that he takes positional value into account when allocating resources. After overhauling the position through both free agency and the draft, it doesn’t seem likely that Poles would want to spend even more.

In cases like this, the more obvious choices usually win out in the end. A homecoming in Miami to play in Mike McDaniel’s offense makes a ton of sense. The Jets could be a player since they’re in win now mode, and starter Breece Hall is coming off an ACL injury. Looking at the big picture, the Bears probably won’t emerge as the top bidders for Cook’s services.

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The biggest move is expected to come on Friday, when it’s reported the Vikings will cut Dalvin Cook if they can’t find a team willing to trade for him. Other household names are gone too. The team cut wide receiver Adam Thielen and linebacker Eric Kendriks earlier this year. The pair combined for 18 years worth of experience playing for the Vikings. Two starting cornerbacks, the legendary Patrick Peterson and 2020 draft pick Cameron Dantzler are both gone. The Vikings traded marquee pass rusher Za’Darius Smith just one year after signing him. 

These aren’t a few tweaks to replace some aging stars with younger talent. It’s a wide scale re-tooling. There’s talk that the Vikings may not be done yet, with reports that another big time pass rusher, Danielle Hunter could be on the move next.

Could the Bears be the team that trades for Hunter? They certainly have room to add a pass rusher with his track record. Last season the Bears ranked dead last in the NFL just 20 sacks. Hunter has 71 sacks to his name over seven seasons in Minnesota. That includes four seasons of 10+ sacks. Currently the Bears have no defensive ends with a single 10-sack season on their resume. Trevis Gipson and DeMarcus Walker are tied with a career-high at seven sacks.

Hunter also has plenty of experience playing defensive end, so he wouldn’t need to convert to the position from outside linebacker. A move like that is intriguing, but comes with some uncertainties since not all players can make the transition seamlessly.

Ryan Poles has shown he’s not afraid to use his draft capital to make a big move that he believes will help the team. See last year’s Chase Claypool trade. The Bears still have the most financial flexibility to offer Hunter a new contract among all NFL teams. Poles seems primed to extend Cole Kmet and has similar decisions to make about Darnell Mooney and Jaylon Johnson, but if Poles wants to prioritize pass rush, he has the resources to do so.

There’s one problem though. The Bears and Vikings are division rivals, and deals between teams in the same division rarely happen. Why would the Vikings want to risk Kirk Cousins getting rocked by Hunter twice a year for the foreseeable future when they can send him to another team and see him far, far less often?

If Hunter played for any other team, rumors of Hunter coming to Chicago would probably have some legs. Given reports that interest in Hunter is high, the chances of the Vikings and Bears coming together for a trade feel much less likely.

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Clark is set to turn 30 years old later this month, but he was still a highly productive player for the Chiefs last season. His 56 total pressures tied for 20th-most in the NFL among edge players per PFF.

There was a thought the Bears may be interested in Clark since GM Ryan Poles has ties to Clark from their time together in Kansas City. The two were in the building together from 2019-2021, and Clark earned Pro Bowl honors in each of those three seasons.

Over his eight year career, Clark has 58.5 career sacks, 67 TFL, 14 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. The Bears could use someone with a track record of production like that considering they ranked dead last in the NFL with just 20 sacks in 2022. The Bears have added a few pieces to the defensive end group, including DeMarcus Walker, Rasheem Green, Jalen Harris and D’Anthony Jones. But Walker just set a career high with 7 sacks last year, which greatly outpaced the 2.5 sack per year pace he set over the first five years of his career. Green is another veteran, but similarly has only notched 17 sacks over five seasons. Harris and Jones are each undrafted free agents, so they’re unknown commodities at the NFL level.

The edge rusher market had slowed down after the first wave of free agency wrapped up, but it appears to be picking up as teams finish OTAs. Leonard Floyd agreed to a deal with the Bills on Monday to kick things off again. There are still several names available on the market, like Yannick Ngakoue, Dawuane Smoot and Justin Houston.

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Rapoport was sure to emphasize that he does not know who the “Hard Knocks” team will be, but he did report that some big wigs within the Jets organization would welcome the film crews into their building if chosen.

“Let’s just say there are some higher ups with the Jets, who if they were on ‘Hard Knocks,’ would not be very upset by it,” Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“I think the business people and really high-up people with the Jets, all the way up to ownership would probably be pretty psyched about it.”

“Hard Knocks” is a show produced by both HBO and NFL Films that follows a team from the start of training camp up to the start of the season. Historically, it tracked players who were on the roster bubble fighting for a job. Recently, the show has focused more on superstars and big personalities in addition to the fringe players.

Mutual interest is usually all it takes for a team to be selected for the show, so if Jets ownership “would probably be pretty psyched” to have “Hard Knocks” follow their team, it seems unlikely that HBO and NFL Films would force another team to participate. The Bears have said before they would not want the show’s cameras in Halas Hall. 

If no teams volunteer for the show, the powers that be will select a team to be featured. However if a team has a new head coach, has made the playoffs in the last two seasons or has been on the show sometime over the past 10 years, they’re exempt from being forced on the show. The Bears are one of four teams who do not meet any of those criteria, so they can be chosen if no team volunteers.

“They treat players right, so even though football people are wary of it, it seems like the product and the treatment has been really good,” said Rapoport. “The Jets don’t need any more publicity. They’re going to get it from our network and other networks, largely because of your friend Aaron Rodgers.”

That includes this network. 

The Bears are certainly a compelling team to follow this year, considering the strides Justin Fields made last season and the expectations for the offense as a whole with DJ Moore in the fold now. But almost nothing in the NFL matches the national attention that Rodgers demands. Not only is he still one of the most talented QBs in the league, but he remains one of the league’s kookiest characters. Rodgers gives us ridiculous headlines regularly, from Covid toes to hobbit holes. Think of what we may get when the cameras are on him constantly?

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Now it sounds like Johnson is happy to go to work and let the money take care of itself. The Bears star cornerback shared more about his headspace heading into the final year of his contract with ESPN’s Key, Jay & Max last week.

“Honestly, for me, it used to be a lot of pressure,” Johnson said on ESPN Radio. “I would even say for me going into my third year, I felt like that was the year for me to put myself out there to be able to have a new contract, to be able to re-up.”

Johnson was as dominant as ever last season, to the point that there were several games where opposing QBs didn’t throw the ball his way at all. But in Matt Eberflus’ and Alan Williams’ defense, takeaways are king and Johnson has never been known as a ballhawk. In three seasons Johnson only has one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Of course, Johnson has had fewer opportunities to come down with the ball since QBs rarely look his way. Improvements in the Bears secondary could lead to quarterbacks challenging Johnson more often, however. The Bears will want to see if Johnson can increase his ball production before offering him a huge contract.

“For me, it’s just about going out and being who I am,” Johnson said. “I know I can be a dominant corner. I am a dominant corner in this league, following No. 1 wide receivers and just finding ways to continue to do my job at a high rate, continue to be a better teammate, continue to find ways to win.

“With winning comes paychecks, and I think at the end of the day, I need to focus on winning. That’s what I’m worried about going into Year 4.”

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The hubbub began when Cook County jacked up their property value assessment for Arlington Park to reflect the $197.2 million price the Bears paid to buy it. Accordingly, property taxes went up considerably. The Cook County Review Board recently reached a tax deal with Churchill Downs for the 2022 bill, and now the Bears want a break of their own. Understandable, considering the Bears have just begun demolishing the interiors of some buildings at the old racetrack, and won’t be able to use the property for several years.

Regardless, it makes the most sense for the Bears to stick with Arlington Heights, since they already own the land. It makes sense for the local taxing bodies to reach an agreement too, since the Bears will bring in beaucoup bucks.

Wherever the Bears land, they’ll need a new name for their stadium. There will be a naming rights deal, but all new names are not equal. For instance, the Bulls and Blackhawks did a solid job partnering with United Airlines. The United Center just sounds good, and the airline has ties to the city as O’Hare is one of their hub airports. Along those lines, here are a few partnerships we would like to see for the next Chicago Bears Stadium.

VIENNA BEEF DOME

Pizza gets all the hype nationally, but Chicago is just as much of a hot dog and Italian beef town as it is a pizza town. And when you think Chicago dogs or beef sandwiches, you gotta think Vienna Beef. The company is the ubiquitous supplier for dog stands around the city and its roots date all the way back to the 1893 World’s Fair. Plus, think of all the outstanding free food giveaways that could be tied in for fans to enjoy.

KRAFT PARK

Kraft Heinz used to be in the naming rights game, with Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. That’s now called Acrisure Stadium, so maybe the food conglomerate wants a new sporting arena with their branding? Their long list of products also lend themselves to further branding opportunities. Who wouldn’t want to relax in the plush Velveeta Lounge or join the Ore-Ida Potato Sack club? The team could even replace boring remote parking shuttle buses with a fleet of Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles. Kraft has been in Chicago since 1903.

OLD STYLE STADIUM

Fun fact, when I was a little kid I used to think the Old Style logo was the Chicago flag from seeing the sign hanging over every bar throughout the city. Technically the brewers who make Old Style hail from La Crosse, WI, but Chicagoans have adopted the beer as their own. Hell, an Old Style is half of the classic Chicago Handshake. Extra points are awarded here because the Bears like to play an old style of football, which is to say they’re a defense-and-run first team.

OLD REPUBLIC FIELD

Insurance may not be as fun as hot dogs and beer, but Old Republic already has a landmark in the city with their beautiful building on Michigan Avenue. Insurance is also a very sensible industry and new Bears president Kevin Warren seems like a very sensible man. Old Republic was founded in 1923, and they bought the building in the city in 1956.

MORTON SALT STADIUM

No former salt warehouse has had a glow up quite like what the old Morton Salt Elston Dock accomplished when it reopened as The Salt Shed, a new multi-stage music complex. Why stop there? Morton Salt is nearly as old as the city itself. It began as a salt sales agency way back in 1848. The Morton Salt Girl is as iconic of a logo as you’ll find in the city, and their slogan, “When it rains it pours,” fits perfectly for how things have gone for the franchise over the past 40ish years.

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There are legitimate questions as to whether Floyd and the Bears would have been a good fit, but it’s no secret that the Bears are monitoring the market and are open to adding another piece to their pass rush before training camp begins in late July.

The Bears made 10 selections in the draft, and loaded up at defensive tackles with three picks at the position. Accordingly, that’s led many to believe DE will be a position the team addresses in the later waves of free agency. However, more than a month after the draft, the market has hardly moved. Outside of the Floyd deal, Poona Ford also signed a deal with the Bills, the Seahawks brought in Mario Edwards Jr. and the Commanders traded for Za’Darius Smith. That’s been about it.

That means there are still plenty of players available for the Bears to sign now. Of course DEs on other teams will be cut now that the draft is in the rear view mirror. For now, though, let’s focus on players who are currently on the market, and who could sign with the Bears when free agency heats up again. Note, all the ages listed are how old a player will be when the regular season kicks off.

DAWUANE SMOOT – 28 years old

Smoot is coming off a torn achilles injury, so the medicals might dissuade the Bears from signing him. However, if the medicals are all good Smoot could be an interesting option. Smoot was an ascending player for the Jaguars before he started ceding snaps to other players in 2022. However, Smoot still managed to produce while playing less. He recorded five sacks while only playing 44% of the team’s snaps last year. Smoot has 22.5 career sacks, 27 TFL, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries since joining the league in 2017. But things really didn’t start clicking for Smoot until 2019.

FRANK CLARK – 30 years old

Ryan Poles knows exactly what he’s going to get in Clark from watching him in Kansas City from 2019-2021. It just so happens that Clark put together three Pro Bowl campaigns during that stretch. That familiarity could be the key in getting a free agent deal done as OTAs approach. Clark is still a productive player, too. Last season, his 56 total pressures tied for 20th-most in the NFL among edge players per PFF. Clark has 58.5 career sacks, 67 TFL, 14 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries in eight seasons.

JUSTIN HOUSTON – 34 years old

Houston has two big connections to the Bears. First, he crossed paths with Poles in KC from 2011-2018. Then Houston went to Indianapolis where he played really well in Matt Eberflus’ defense in 2019 and 2020. Houston’s 22 sacks days are likely well behind him, but he proved he still has something left in the tank last year when he took a 20.1% pass rush win rate (17th-best in NFL among edge players per PFF) and notched 9.5 sacks in Baltimore, despite playing a career-low 44% of his team’s snaps. That could be exactly what the team is looking for, as they continue to develop their younger players. Houston has 111.5 career sacks, 130 TFL, 19 forced fumbles and 14 fumble recoveries in 12 years.

YANNICK NGAKOUE – 28 years old

Ngakoue recently said he’s looking for two things: a multi-year contract, and a team that’s ready to contend or has shown signs it’s on the up and up. Both of those criteria could disqualify the Bears. Poles has shown he’s going to be disciplined when signing players to long-term deals, reserving those types of contracts for players he’s convicted can be cornerstone players. Considering Ngakoue has played for five teams in seven seasons, he may not fit that bill. Of course, Ngakoue could see the Bears’ 3-14 record last season, see a QB who needs to improve in the passing attack in Justin Fields and pass himself. If things do come together though, the Bears would get an instant boost to their pass rush. In just seven seasons, Ngakoue has 65 sacks and 65 TFL. He’s had at least eight sacks every year. Most importantly, he’s great at creating takeaways. Ngakoue already has an incredible 21 forced fumbles to his name, which is the fifth-most in the NFL since he came into the league in 2016.

CARLOS DUNLAP – 34 years old

Dunlap’s career is winding down, so he may not want to play on a rebuilding team like the Bears, but if he doesn’t get interest elsewhere the Bears may want to bring him in. Dunlap finally got a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs last season, so Poles can call up his buddies in KC to get some info on what he brought to the locker room. Last year, Dunlap had four sacks, six TFL and one forced fumble while playing 50% of KC’s snaps. He also had 17 stops in the run game, per PFF, which was tied for 30th in the league among edge players. Over his 13 year career he has 100 sacks, 123 TFL, 22 forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries.

MELVIN INGRAM – 34 years old

Ingram is another older player, so like Dunlap he may prefer to chase a ring on another team. After lackluster seasons in 2020 and 2021 it looked like Ingram might be done, but he enjoyed a resurgence with the Ravens last season. In 11 seasons he has 57 sacks, 81 TFL, 16 forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries.

ROBERT QUINN – 33 years old

Everyone in the Bears locker room loves Robert Quinn. He brought tangible veteran leadership to the team, so for that reason alone the Bears might want to bring him back. However, Quinn was “highly upset” when he was traded last year, so he may not want to return. In 2021, Quinn set a Bears record with 18.5 sacks, but his production dropped sharply last year. He only managed one sack in 13 games.

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The Bears drafted Floyd with the No. 9 pick of the 2016 draft. He never lived up to his top-10 pick billing and the Bears cut him ahead of the 2020 season. From there, Floyd joined the Rams and began to flourish. After notching just 18.5 sacks in four seasons for the Bears, Floyd erupted for 29 sacks in three seasons for the Rams.

The Bears could use that type of pass rush production this year, considering they’re coming off an NFL-worst 20 sack campaign. There are reasons to believe Floyd wouldn’t have fit in the Bears defense. He’s played outside linebacker over his career, but the Bears call for their pass rushers to line up as defensive ends. There are also reasons to believe Floyd would not want to return to Chicago. For one, they’re the team that cut him after four seasons. Further, they’re rebuilding, while the Bills are set to compete for Super Bowls now. It helps that Floyd has the opportunity to rejoin Von Miller in Buffalo. The duo was dominant in Los Angeles and their three combined sacks in Super Bowl 56 helped deliver the Lombardi Trophy to the Rams.

The Bears defensive end group now includes Trevis Gipson, DeMarcus Walker, Rasheem Green, Dominique Robinson, Jalen Harris and D’Anthony Jones.

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The Bears released a video of their players leaving the practice field with a simple question: “What is your favorite Taylor Swift song?” The players not only came through with a great mix of tunes, showing off their Swiftie status. Some also sang, showing off their impressive pipes.

Things start strong with Dante Pettis playing air guitar while providing a stirring rendition of “Our Song.” This may be the closest Swift fans in Chicago get to hearing the song live, since it was not included as one of the “surprise songs” on Friday or Saturday night.

Pettis leaves frame, which allows Justin Fields to start into the smash hit “You Belong With Me.” But the jam draws Pettis back, and he duos with his QB while showing off some unique dance moves.

“I know all of them, I’m a Swiftie,” Pettis said in the video.

New defensive end DeMarcus Walker gets the first solo of the show with his take on “Blank Space.” Although Walker probably won’t be accused of being a bigtime Swifthead any time soon, because he could only recall one line from the song.

From there, it’s a rapid round of Bears firing off their favorite songs.

Swift’s single “22” from her album “Red” got votes from Khalil Herbert, Velus Jones, Josh Blackwell and Andre Szmyt. “Shake It Off” was the pick for Braxton Jones and Tyson Bagent. The big winner was “You Belong With Me,” which received votes from Fields, Chase Claypool, Roschon Johnson and Noah Sewell.

Trenton Gill gave his nod to “Love Story,” then specifically requested it in the hopes Swift may see the video.

“I’ll be there Saturday night, Taylor,” Gill said. “Sing that song for me. I’ll be in the stands.”

Lucky for Gill, “Love Song” was included in Swift’s setlist on Saturday night.

DeMarquis Gates didn’t have a favorite song, but shared a favorite Swift storyー or rather meme. When the internet was flooded with fake stories of Swift dating obscure athletes, Jack Sanborn was jokingly linked to the pop superstar.

Finally, we must recognize some superlative performances from the Bears. Daurice Fountain showed off his truly incredible falsetto on his rendition of “Bad Blood.” However the top award must go to Patrick Scales for putting together an evocative performance of “Call It What You Want,” complete with choreography.

Swift wraps up her three-night residency with a show at Soldier Field on Sunday night.

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Add it all together, and it’s understandable that many expect the Bears to climb out of the NFL’s basement in 2023. Taking a look at the big picture, just four more games this year would represent a big improvement and set the team up to push for the postseason in 2024. NFL Network analyst, and noted Bears fan, Adam Rank believes the Bears will put their rebuild in hyper drive, however. In a video published on Saturday, Rank predicted the Bears would go 12-5 this season.

Rank’s impressive campaign for the Bears begins with a quick start against the Packers and Buccaneers.

“You think I’m going to pick the Bears to lose Week 1 to the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers?” Rank said. “No way.”

He has the Bears losing their first game of the year in Week 3 at Arrowhead Stadium.

“Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs? Nah, I gotta be somewhat realistic here.”

That loss must’ve been a hard-fought battle that gave the Bears confidence, because in Rank’s world it sparked a four-game win streak. Following the loss to the Chiefs, Rank has the Bears beating the Broncos, Commanders, Vikings and Raiders. The Bears face a mini hiccup in Weeks 8 and 9, when they drop two road games to the Chargers and Saints. Then, Rank has the team getting back on track on Thursday Night Football with a win over the Panthers. The Bears then use the extra time to help them travel to Detroit for another big divisional victory.

“I know everyone loves the Lions this year, but give me a win there.”

The Bears’ dreams of going undefeated in the NFC North die in Week 12, where Rank chalked up a loss to the Vikings in Minnesota. The bye week doesn’t help in Rank’s world, and the Bears drop another game to the Lions at home in Week 14.

That puts the Bears at 8-5 heading into the final quarter of the season. If that’s the case they will be firmly in the hunt for the playoffs, and Rank believes they’ll surge into the postseason with four straight wins.

“Matt Eberflus knows what to do to handle DeShaun Watson (in a win against the Browns. Oh, this works out perfectly. Win over the Cardinals, win over the Falcons who I actually think are going to be very good, and close it outー yeah highlight that!ー that’s a win at Lambeau.”

If things work out in real life like they did in Rank’s prediction, then we’ll probably be talking about postseason awards for guys like Fields and Eberflus. Realistically, a turnaround of that caliber would take mammoth improvements all over the roster, not just with Fields and the offense. Rank recognizes his predictions might not be exactly objective, either.

“I might be very biased. I might be very one-sided. But I have the Bears with 12 wins this year. Meme me.”

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If Cairo Santos plays up to his standard, the answer is most likely, “Not much.”

“Cairo Santos finished like fifth in the NFL in kicking field goals,” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “So I mean if you call that struggling, fifth in the NFL in field goals… I understand the extra point question and he fixed that towards the end. I mean a lot of people would kill to have a top-five kicker.”

Santos truly finished seventh in FG% at 91.3%, but the point remains, he was more than solid. In fact, Santos is the most accurate kicker in Bears history. He’s converted 89.7% of his chances, dating back to 2017. Robbie Gould is second with an 85.4% hit rate from 2005-2015.

But as Hightower alluded to, fans like to look at Santos’ numbers from 2022, point out the five missed extra points, and say the 31-year-old kicker is washed. Really, you can take two of those missed XPs and throw them away, because they came in Week 1 when rain was blowing sideways at Soldier Field and conditions were so sloppy that the paint on the field turned wavier than the roughest seas at Lake Michigan.

There was a stretch when Santos missed three XPs in five weeks. For a normally sure-footed kicker, it was alarming. But Santos diagnosed his problem as a “glitch” with his visuals. So he adjusted where he lined up, fixed the glitch and got back on track. Santos finished the season with three perfect weeks. Santos was confident at the time that the issue was behind him, and the Bears remain confident in him now.

Which brings us back to Szmyt. What is he doing here if Santos is still the guy?

“Competition’s always good,” said Hightower. “Having more than one leg in camp is always good. What I like about Andre the most is the fact that he’s a really really good player, a really good, quick ball-rise, strike, elevation. I like the fact that he’s got that one-track mind so he has the mental toughness and the fortitude to play that position. So it’s good. Working with him, just seeing him, and hopefully we can help him develop and be a player and help him contribute to the team, feed his family long-term. That’s what our job as coaches is, is to develop them while they’re here.”

It’s the classic case of iron sharpens iron. It’s the same reason punter Ryan Anderson is at Halas Hall. Do the Bears really want to move on from Trenton Gill? No. But if having a guy beside them on the sidelines can give a little energy boost for practices in May, they’ll do it.

Szmyt also provides a security blanket in case something does go wrong with Santos. Let’s say Santos comes back and has another “glitch” that affects his kicking, but this time it takes longer to correct. Or let’s say Santos gets injured. Having a player like Szmyt in training camp, or on the practice squad ensures the team won’t have to move forward with a new kicker who’s completely unfamiliar with the team and the coaches.

But if Santos is the same, reliable kicker as before, the job should be his.

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“The look was kind of inspired by Mike Ditka,” Sudekis said on “Hot Ones.” “You know, the shades, the short polyester shorts and the mustache was very much Ditka.”

Ditka’s look is known the world over since the 1985 Bears shuffled their way into the spotlight, but his gruff demeanor is a far cry from Lasso’s characterization. Ditka was a crass coach infamous for moments like flipping the bird to photographers. Lasso is endlessly positive and rarely antagonistic.

Accordingly, Sudekis explained that Lasso is an amalgamation of different teachers and mentors he’s had over the years, including his high school basketball coach Donnie Campell.

“He would do those little turns of phrases like Ted does,” Sudekis said. “I always loved those things. He was also the one who introduced myself and my teammates to John Wooden.”

Ditka’s been parodied, impersonated and idolized in media for decades. Now we can add Ted Lasso to the list of pop culture phenomena inspired by him.

All NFL rookies who are selected in the draft are signed to four-year contracts, but teams are given an option to tack on an extra year for their first-round picks. The deadline to make that decision is the offseason prior to the player’s fourth year. The Bears drafted Fields in 2021, so they’ll need to decide whether or not to pick up his option next spring. If they opt not to pick it up, he’ll become a free agent. 

In a recent roundup of all the 2021 first-round draft picks, Sports Illustrated predicted that the Bears will pick up Fields’ option.

“There’s a world where Fields flops this year, and then the Bears have a tough call on their hands,” wrote Matt Verderame. “However, considering all the progress Fields made in his second season, the more likely scenario is that general manager Ryan Poles has an easy decision in front of him.”

If the Bears decline Fields’ fifth-year option it doesn’t rule out a contract extension after year four. That’s what happened with the Giants and Daniel Jones. Of course, the Bears could decide to offer Fields a new contract early, and avoid the option entirely.

The price for quarterbacks goes up every year. Patrick Mahomes broke the bank in 2020 with a 10-year contract worth up to $503 million dollars. Two years later the Browns gave Deshaun Watson a five-year deal worth $230 million, entirely guaranteed. This year, Jalen Hurts reset the annual average value market with a contract worth $51 million per year. Lamar Jackson reset the market again shortly afterwards with a deal worth $52 million per year.

It’s not just the monster deals for the elite playmakers either. Jones earned a four-year, $160 million deal from the Giants this offseason with $92 million guaranteed, after his fifth-year option was declined. That puts him at $40 million in average annual value. Jones is far from the worst quarterback in the league, but he’s certainly not in the same tier as Mahomes, Hurts or Jackson.

With so much money being thrown at QBs, the Bears need to know if Fields is the guy as soon as possible. They’ve taken strides to put him in a position to succeed by injecting talent into their wide receiver room and reworking the offensive line. The question now is how far Fields can go with more talent around him.

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“I can’t buy into it yet,” Simms said on his podcast, “Chris Simms Unbuttoned,” to explain the ranking. “I need to see a little bit more before I’m ready to say he’ll take over the world, or do something special.

“The throwing is a collection of great plays with no consistency. In fact his overall quarterback game is that. That’s where he’s 23 for me.”

Simms did concede that Fields is an “insane” playmaker when he rushes the ball, and noted his penchant for putting together some of the most exciting highlights in the game. But to Simms those big plays are empty calories.

“When you put him up there with some of the better running backs and receivers in football, it’s as dangerous as some of those guys in the open field.

“You get into it, and you see that, and you start to go, ‘This is awesome when you see it on ESPN or the NBC Sports highlights. Yeah, these are cool to watch.’ But then you start to break down the game and you go, ‘Oh man, he missed this throw,’ or ‘He should’ve thrown it, but he didn’t throw it.’”

Simms also went into great detail on how he doesn’t like Fields’ “elbowy” throwing mechanics, as he has several times in the past. We don’t need to rehash it here, since Simms has consistently critiqued Fields’ mechanics ever since he had Fields ranked the No. 4 quarterback in the 2021 draft behind Kellen Mond (who was waived by the Vikings after his rookie year) (and yes he had Zach Wilson ranked No. 1).

Regardless, Fields’ supreme rushing talent probably should elevate him to 20, over the likes of guys like Jimmy Garoppolo and Mac Jones, who are slotted ahead of him.

Fields falls in Simms’ “S–t or get off the pot” tier of quarterbacks, along with Baker Mayfield (No. 24), Garoppolo (No. 22), Tua Tagovailoa (No. 21) and Jones (No. 20). That’s to say, Fields is among the players who need to show what they’ve got this year, in Simms’ eyes.

That’s not completely unfair. Last season, the Bears were frank in saying they had an incomplete grade on Fields’ year because he was often running for his life behind a leaky offensive line, and didn’t have much help from the skill players around him. The Bears have injected some talent on the offense though, with big additions like new No. 1 WR DJ Moore, first-round draft pick Darnell Wright and free agent signee Nate Davis.

It’s also no secret that Fields has room to grow. The Bears have worked on his footwork to try to improve his accuracy in the short game. It’s Fields’ goal to work through his progressions more quickly this year, too. Improvements in both of those areas would go a long way towards turning Fields from an exciting playmaker with high upside into a top-tier QB.

What is a little unfair was Simms suggesting Fields wasn’t confident in his ability to throw accurate balls, the Bears don’t trust him, and he wasn’t as good of a leader as some of his peers.

“He doesn’t want to throw it, because he doesn’t trust where it’s going to go,” Simms said.

Many things have been said about Fields, but that’s a new one. One can critique his processing, or not recognizing receivers who are “NFL open” vs. open in the college game, but you can’t find anyone in the Bears locker room more confident than Fields. He doesn’t believe he can be great, he knows he can be great, and he instills that belief in others.

If you’re mad about the ranking, consider this: last year Simms had Wilson ranked No. 22 and Jalen Hurts ranked No. 25. Obviously each of those were completely off base as Wilson fell flat as one of the worst QBs in the league, and an even worse leader. Of course Hurts emerged as one of the best in his incredible campaign leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

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