The Bears hope to remove the references to Sid Luckman as their last drafted franchise quarterback when they are expected to take USC’s Caleb Williams No. 1 overall. But they’ll have to do something they haven’t done in generations: develop a young QB.
Before the Eagles got A.J. Brown for Jalen Hurts and the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill to aid Tua's development, the Buffalo Bills traded for Stefon Diggs to help Josh Allen take his next step as a QB. Getting true WR1s for young QBs is a model most teams have followed.
Breaking: Rick Dennison is out as Vikings offensive line coach/run game coordinator after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. MIN will promote assistant OL coach Phil Rauscher to replace Dennison, hired Auburn special teams analyst Ben Steele as an assistant.
DJ Moore, noted cigar enthusiast according to Justin Fields, provided the locker room with celebratory cigars after the Bears won their fifth straight home game.
Fields equated the whole day to feeling "like a movie," from beating his hometown Atlanta Falcons to hearing fans…
Bears fans put up these signs on the drive into Halas Hall. Continued support for QB Justin Fields and a message for the Bears to pay CB Jaylon Johnson.
BREAKING: The Chicago Bears are shifting their quest to build a new domed stadium away from Arlington Heights and plan to invest $2 billion to fund a new publicly-owned lakefront stadium in Chicago, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Justin Fields is 95 yards away from joining elite company as the 3rd QB ever to rush for 1K yards in a season. Was that ever a goal of his?
"No not really. Like, I think I've said this before but I really wasn't even this good of a rusher in college. I didn't run this much in
I just got off a Zoom call with Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller, who detailed the halftime speech she gave and the reception it received.
"I had coaches come up to me and say 'I’ve been wanting to say that for awhile now,'" Fuller said.
Caleb Williams on first goal as a member of the Chicago Bears: Learn all my teammates names, their families, learn the playbook and get ready to go win games.
Fields said he did apologize to the Bears defense after the 27-24 loss in ATL. He felt it was necessary because the D did their job holding Falcons to a FG before the O had a chance to lead a game winning drive and he threw a pick. Eddie Jackson stopped him and said the game is
Fields did say he hopes to set NFL's single-season QB rushing record held by Lamar Jackson (1206)
" I’m already deep in it this year so might as well try to go get that record. I think I need, what, 206? So, three games left? That’s about 70 yards a game? We’ll see what happens"
After taping today’s
@AroundtheHorn
, my family and I said our final goodbyes to my grandmother.
She never missed an episode in the 13 months I’ve been part of this amazing show. I’m so grateful I got to share this experience with her and will hold these memories close.
Ryan Poles said the simulations the Bears ran gave them a "50-50 shot" that Rome Odunze would be there at No. 9. He was getting nervous as the Bears were closing in on their pick and said assistant GM Ian Cunningham had to "hold me back from not trying to trade up to do something…
Today, the Houston Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins for a $10 million of David Johnson's salary, a 2nd and a 4th.
The Vikings traded an on-par receiver in Stefon Diggs and got four picks, including a first rounder.
Let that sink in.
Keenan Allen was on the phone with his agent Joby Branion Thursday when the Bears called in the process of working out a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers. Allen said there were two teams the Chargers would allow him to explore in a trade - the Jets and the Texans - but…
DJ Moore decided a couple days ago that he wanted to dress up like Santa for the Bears game. So he ordered a Santa suit, ironed it last night and the rest is history.
No matter what happens this weekend, if Aaron Rodgers leaves the NFC North, the Vikings, Bears and Lions all receive an “A” grade for the draft. Shoot.
My first season covering the Bears is in the books. I appreciate everyone who followed along with my coverage. Looking forward to an intriguing, exciting and eventful offseason in Chicago.
Everson Griffen was involved in a car accident on his way into the practice facility on Thursday. Mike Zimmer said the DE swerved to miss a deer in the road. It’s why he showed up on the injury report with a concussion.
I leave Minnesota and the Vikings become Super Bowl contenders.
No more poking holes in their 8-1 record. Good teams find ways to pull off come back wins. Great teams do the improbable.
Caleb Williams is already building a connection with DJ Moore. He's met his family, hung out with him during the dinner on his top 30 visit and has talked to Moore every week since then. "That's a big connection for me, getting the ball to 2."
Some thoughts:
1. If a contract extension doesn't come for Matt Eberflus (aka assurance for the next offensive staff coming in), then I think it will be challenging for the Bears to find the pool of candidates they want for an OC, QBs coach, etc. If you're an OC with offers to…
Today marks the end of National Epilepsy Awareness Month.
I sat down with Justin Fields, who was diagnosed with epilepsy after having a seizure in 9th grade, to talk about his journey managing the neurological condition and ending stigmas around it.
A final note as I leave one home for another today.
This week was highly emotional. I’m blown away by the kindness so many of you have shown me as I take the next step in my journey. Minnesota will always be a part of me. I’m forever grateful for that.
To the next 5 years!
Per source, Dalvin Cook had an unexpected family emergency come up on Tuesday and had to return to Miami. He will be unavailable to play in Sunday's finale vs. Detroit.
Matt Eberflus said Keenan Allen told him he was "trying to go incognito" when he showed up at USC's pro day to watch Caleb Williams.
Eberflus: "I said 'you’re in Bears gear and you’ve got your Keenan Allen beard sticking out. I said I don’t know if you’re pulling that off right…
I am, actually. I go to Orange Theory 4-5 days a week. Thanks for your concern.
You know what’d be nice? If women reporters didn’t have to deal with bullshit like this in their mentions from some loser who hides behind an avatar. Come say this to my face, home boy.
-30-
Thanks to everyone who followed along and engaged with my Bears coverage during my second season in Chicago (8th overall covering the NFL - time flies!)
I feel very fortunate that I get to do this for a living and look forward to reporting on what will be a very eventful…
Vikings fullback CJ Ham opens up his press conference the same way he did his last in August.
"What do dentists call x-rays?"
*silence from us media peons with no humor*
"Tooth pics."
Kiran Amegadjie, a Hinsdale native, grew up a Bears fan and met Matt Eberflus last year at the golf club his father belongs to. He said that he told Eberflus he would one day be sitting in his office as a Bears draft pick. Eberflus reminded him on that interaction when the team…
Justin Fields was asked about his future with the Bears given the team's draft position, talk of the QBs in the draft and whether that's fair to factor into his evaluation over the next 5 games of the season: "Life isn’t fair so me, personally, I’m just focused on what I can…
Justin Jefferson, speaking with ESPN's Suzy Kolber, on his message to Kirk Cousins: "Kirk, definitely just, I'm coming here and I'm gonna be that receiver for you. Just coming in and we're gonna go get a Super Bowl."
Rome Odunze said he was a Devin Hester fan growing up. Said he used to watch a video of Hester returning kicks, that was set to a Lil' Wayne song, all the time. He wore No. 23 because of Hester.
Justin Jefferson has broken the NFL's Super Bowl era receiving record, surpassing Anquan Boldin's (1,377) mark set in 2003.
This guy didn't get his shot until Week 3. Imagine where he'd be if the Vikings utilized him from the jump.
Kevin Byard says he knows a lot of the Bears secondary already given how much film he's consumed. Naming players by name, their traits. Says he knows Montez Sweat from his high school days (Sweat went to Byard's rival HS). The goal for Byard in joining the Bears D? "Knock Detroit…
I shouldn't respond to this, but do not insinuate that I don't know what I'm talking about when I asked for clarity. I followed up on something that needed it. Don't be a PITA when someone is trying to do their job.
Here's the exchange and follow up with context provided.
When…
My read on the Harbaugh/Vikings situation in speaking with sources: Harbaugh was in the mix for the Minnesota job because of his connection to Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He operated under the assumption that the job was his and prepared for the interview as such.
The Chicago Bears are finalizing a deal this morning to hire Shane Waldron as their next offensive coordinator, per source. Waldron was the first name that surfaced two weeks ago when the Bears began interviewing OC candidates. He comes to Chicago after spending the last 3…
Matt Eberflus said he had Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze and his families in his office yesterday - 12 people in total - and took time to thank their parents. "To have the quality of men you have in Caleb and Rome, that doesn’t just happen... you have to be raised that way."
The Vikings are the first team in NFL history to have one player record 175 rushing yards and another player record 175 receiving yards in the same game, regardless of win or loss, per Elias.
A team spokesman addressed the rumors regarding Halas Hall being raided today as false. We were also told that the police have not been to Halas Hall in connection to Alan Williams.
Kirk Cousins' contract is inevitably coming under fire with the Vikings missing the postseason, but he's not alone. The six highest-paid quarterbacks in terms of the average annual value of their contract in 2018 all missed the playoffs: Aaron Rodgers...
Matt Eberflus said Justin Fields is 'day to day' but would not rule out the possibility of his injury being season-ending. That's quite the discrepancy.
Justin Fields spoke for 1 minute in the locker room to clarify his comments made earlier today: "I’m not blaming anything on the coaches. I’m never going to blame anything on coaches, never going to blame anything on my teammates. I will take every - whatever happens in a game -…
Bears rookie WR Tyler Scott on the emotions he felt postgame after a deep pass on third/9 that would have likely sealed the game for Chicago slipped thru his hands: "I had a clean release. It felt like a great muscle memory type of route. And ran thinking of, as I’m on running,…
The Bears are sending a 2024 6th round pick to the Miami Dolphins for veteran guard Dan Feeney, source confirms. With Teven Jenkins leg injury keeping him "week to week," Chicago adds much needed interior depth w/ an OL who has experience at LG, C and RG.
ROI on the DJ Moore investment
Justin Fields has a 98.7 QBR targeting DJ Moore this season, the highest mark of any QB-receiver duo with 50 targets this season (out of 66 QB-receiver combos)
Highest QBR between QB-receiver combos
Justin Fields - DJ Moore 98.7
Tua…
Cousins on Jefferson: "I’m so grateful that we drafted him. I’m so grateful that we have him. In addition to being such a capable receiver, he has a great demeanor about him during the game. He doesn’t get high or low, just kind of stays the course."
Keenan Allen is the best wide receiver in the history of the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers franchise with 904 catches for 10,530 receiving yards (11.6 yards per catch over an 11 year career - wow) and 54 touchdowns.
Pairing Allen with DJ Moore, who is coming off his best year…
I’m told Kevin McDermott lost the tip of his pinky tonight when it got caught in a player’s face mask. He got it stitched up in the game and was able to go back out. The belief is he’ll be able to play through it going forward.
Vikings control their own destiny for the No. 5 seed if Minnesota wins its final 2 games vs. GB, Chicago. A first round matchup against a depleted Philly team, who the Vikings whomped in Week 6, is definitely a favorable draw.
"I'm going to go talk to my parents," a tearful [Tyler] Goodson said in a somber locker room. "They're probably the only people that are loving me right now." via
@HolderStephen
.
😥
This weekend,
@SportsCenter
is running a series on the outlook for 2nd year quarterbacks across the NFL. Here's my piece on Justin Fields and what awaits him in his second season with the Chicago Bears.
Vikings owner Mark Wilf released this statement amid rumors over Mike Zimmer’s future
“We value Mike and Rick’s leadership and we have every intent of Mike continuing as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Rick leading our football operations, next year and beyond.”
New Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool is here. He said he had plans for Pittsburgh’s bye week when he found out he was being traded. Smiled and said he’ll be able to get some of his money back.
After 4+ years of living in Minneapolis, the on ramps to 35W South at 31st/Lake and at 36th/Stevens are FINALLY open. Can’t tell me nothing today. Top 5 moments of living in the Twin Cities, hands down.
Cool little tidbit from Elias: Vikings-Bengals was the first regular-season game in NFL history with a game-tying score with 0:00 left in 4th quarter and a game-winning score with 0:00 left in OT.
Chase Claypool said the Bears' route tree is more complex than what he ran in Pittsburgh. Can the Bears simplify it for him to see the field more or would that take away from what they do offensively?
Luke Getsy: "It wouldn’t be the second. It wouldn’t be the latter there. He’s
When Tyson Bagent went into the game in relief of Justin Fields, he emphasized to Bears coaches that he knew the entire offense and "don't hinder the offense just because I'm going in there," meaning they could call what they would have if Fields was still in the game.
His…
When asked about the Bears losing by 31 today, Justin Fields pointed to what he's learned these last few weeks.
Fields: "I'm looking at it like the big picture, life in general to be honest with you. I think this past week has had me kind of look at it like what are the…
Some clarity on Nate Davis’ status, per a source. Davis is dealing with a death in his family that happened this morning. This family health situation has been on-going throughout the offseason and is the non-injury reason for his absence throughout camp/preseason.
I spoke with Andrew M. Stroth, a sports attorney based out of Chicago who is working with former Bears DC Alan Williams. He told me Williams is resigning due to health concerns and and family issues.
"Given the false rumors and what seems to be out there on social media, I just…
Justin Fields on how different things feel with the direction the Bears are headed in from 365 days ago until now: "Just the camaraderie with the team. Everybody in this locker room loves each other. I think that's number one. We all push each other to be our best. No matter if…
What happens when the Bears deploy 11 personnel w/ Chase Claypool, N'Keal Harry and Darnell Mooney? Mooney: "That would make everybody dangerous. Just pick your poison (of) who you want to take away. We’ve got the big body guys out wide, I’m the little shifty guy in the middle; I
Brett Favre also expressed his condolences: ""My time with the Vikings was very special because the team embraced and welcomed me as one of their own. Tarvaris could have been anything but welcoming, but [instead he] was pure class and as good a teammate as any I've played with.