Category: Latest Bears News

Bears rookie Caleb Williams must ignore comments from the outside

Caleb Williams has probably heard a lot of outside noise since being drafted by the Bears. He must ignore it and focus on playing football.

A lot of negative things can be said about the Chicago Bears. They have 10 wins over the past two seasons, they haven’t won a playoff game since 2010, and they don’t have a history of a winning culture. They’ve also had a slew of head coaches, general managers, and quarterbacks over the years, which shows how bad things have gotten for this franchise.

It is easy to have a negative thought pop into your head when evaluating them at this point. They have a lot of promise but a similar level of promise has failed this team before.

Since Ryan Poles was hired as general manager, however, things feel different. We don’t know if Matt Eberflus is the head coach of the future, and we certainly don’t know if Caleb Williams is the guy in the long-haul. Both of them have to win football games to stick around.

That’s especially true for Williams, who was selected first overall in the 2024 NFL draft. The word “generational” has been thrown around before, which might be a stretch, but there is no doubting that he can be a star in this league.

So far, it seems like the Bears have been committed to having the best version of Williams on the field. They have slowly been upgrading the offensive line and the weapons around him. With guys like receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, along with running back D’Andre Swift and tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, there will be no shortage of help.

Another thing they need to help Williams with is their commitment to the off-the-field noise. He has and will likely continue to hear negativity. He may eventually be great, but hitting the ground running in the NFL as a true rookie is borderline impossible.

This is what Williams must do to be successful. The outside noise that may come in from former players, fans, and media is just that, noise. Finding a way to block it all out is a key to his success as a player. If he does all of these things (along with developing his football skills), he could go on to be an all-time great Bears QB.

Former Bears QB Justin Fields will benefit from fresh start with Steelers

Former Bears QB Justin Fields is getting a fresh start with the Steelers.

The Chicago Bears had some good times with Justin Fields. Unfortunately he didn’t develop well enough as a passer, and general manager Ryan Poles decided to move on with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

There should be no hard feelings on either side. A general manager traded an underperforming quarterback who was drafted before he got there. More than that, Poles respected Fields’ wishes in regards to his next landing spot: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now, Fields gets a fresh start with Pittsburgh, where he’ll have to battle Russell Wilson for the starting quarterback job.

Fields is still a decent player. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of his ability to make something out of nothing, but that wasn’t good enough with his limited passing ability to stick around as a starter in Chicago. Only time will tell if the Steelers can figure him out. 

Pittsburgh has Mike Tomlin as their head coach, and he’s well known for establishing a great football culture. Fields mostly had a bad experience in Chicago in terms of winning and losing, so his recent subtle jab about the difference in culture with the Bears and Steelers makes sense.

Fields has the talent and athleticism to become a top QB in the NFL, if Pittsburgh handles this situation the right way. Wilson also has a lot that he can offer a young quarterback who has a lot of the same skills. Having a Super Bowl champion like that around will be great for Fields.

Here’s how bad the Bears were in the fourth quarter in 2023

Warren Sharp broke down just how bad the Bears were during the fourth quarter last season.

It’s no secret the Chicago Bears struggled in the fourth quarter during the 2023 season.

Chicago lost a total of six games by one score last season, which included three contests where the team gave the game away in the fourth quarter. The Bears blew a 21-point lead to the Denver Broncos in Week 4; they blew a 12-point lead in the final minutes to the Detroit Lions in Week 11; and they blew a 10-point lead to the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.

Warren Sharp broke down the Bears’ performance last season, highlighting how bad they were closing out games in the fourth quarter even beyond those blown leads.

If you look at Chicago’s performance in the first three quarters alone, they would’ve finished with a 10-6-1 record, which would’ve been the eighth most wins in the NFL. The Bears also outgained opposing teams by 430 yards and ranked 10th in total line of scrimmage EPA (offense and defense) through three quarters.

By comparison, the fourth quarter was a disaster. They had -50.7 total EPA (worst in the NFL), 14 turnovers (most), 10 interceptions (most), were outgained by 446 yards (second worst) and ultimately finished with the worst record in the NFC North (7-9).

Bears coach Matt Eberflus will certainly be under the microscope this season after his team failed to pull out close games in 2023, especially after the team opted to stick with him at coach following a rough first two seasons.

While it’s unfair to compare last year’s squad with the current roster, it’s clear Chicago needs to learn how to close out games if they hope to contend for the postseason. And that starts with their head coach.

Bears dubbed team under pressure to succeed in 2024

Pro Football Focus believes the Bears are among the teams under the most pressure heading into 2024.

The Chicago Bears have been one of the most-talked about teams this offseason following a slew of additions and the direction they’re headed in 2024.

In fact, expectations are quite high for a team coming off three consecutive losing seasons and in one of the NFL’s best divisions.

Pro Football Focus compiled a list of teams under the most pressure to succeed in 2024, and the Bears made the cut. That has everything to do with the new direction they’re headed and how their offseason additions have positioned them for immediate success.

With stars at several positions and a fantastic all-around roster, the Bears will need to exorcise their demons in 2024 and at least vie for a wild-card berth. If underachievement continues, then uncertainty at head coach looms.

At the center of the optimism surrounding Chicago is the addition of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who was selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Outside of Williams’ addition, general manager Ryan Poles also made some moves to acquire receivers Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift, safety Kevin Byard and tight end Gerald Everett.

While the offense has garnered plenty of attention, this defense has the potential to be a top-10 unit. They have a top linebacker group and a secondary that could be one of the best in the league. The only question mark is the defensive line.

Things have been set up well for the Bears to find success in 2024. While it’s not Super Bowl or bust, it’s fair to expect playoff contention for Chicago this season.

Bears 2024 training camp: When rookies and veterans will report

The Bears kick off training camp next month. Here’s when rookies and veterans will report to Halas Hall.

The NFL announced the report dates and locations for all 32 teams’ training camps ahead of the 2024 season. The Chicago Bears previously released their open training camp schedule, with the first public practice scheduled for Friday, July 26.

For the fifth straight year, the Bears will hold training camp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill. Before that, they held camp at Olivet Nazarene in Bourbonnais, Ill., for 18 years prior.

The Bears rookies will report Tuesday, July 16, and veterans will report Friday, July 19. The team will hold nine open practices, where a free ticket is required for entry. Free tickets will go on sale Thursday, July 9.

Chicago will host a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals, at Halas Hall, ahead of their preseason game in Week 2. That practice will be held Thursday, Aug. 15, before their game on Saturday, Aug. 17 at Soldier Field.

Bears officially sign WR DeAndre Carter

The Bears have announced they’ve signed WR DeAndre Carter to a one-year deal.

The Chicago Bears have officially signed wide receiver and special teams ace DeAndre Carter to a one-year deal, the team announced Tuesday.

Carter, 30, signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He had a brief stint with the Bears in 2020, where he appeared in four games, and now he’s back.

Carter also had stops with the Oakland Raiders (2015), New England Patriots (2015-16), San Francisco 49ers (2017-18), Philadelphia Eagles (2018), Houston Texans (2018-20), Washington Commanders (2021), Los Angeles Chargers (2022) and most recently the Las Vegas Raiders (2023).

Carter will compete for one of the final receiver roster spots, where his special teams contributions make him a strong contender. He’s an experienced kick and punt returner in his six-year career, where he can be a weapon for Chicago with the new kickoff rules.

Those final receiver roster spots will be something to watch in training camp, where special teams will play a key role. Carter will battle the likes of Velus Jones Jr., Dante Pettis and Nsimba Webster, who all have return experience.

Justin Fields takes a subtle jab at Chicago Bears’ culture

Justin Fields explained the culture difference between the Bears and Steelers.

The Chicago Bears have ushered in a new era with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who was selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. But with going all in on with Williams, the team decided to move on from Justin Fields in the process.

While it didn’t work out for Fields in Chicago, things aren’t all bad for the former first-round pick. General manager Ryan Poles worked with Fields to move him to a team he wanted to go to: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A fresh start is exactly what Fields needs, and it seems like he’s found that in Pittsburgh, which presents an entirely different culture than he was used to with the Bears.

“Me being in two different places now, I realize you don’t get this culture everywhere,” Fields said last week. “I think Chicago, they’re kind of changing the narrative now, but this has been the culture here for so many years. You can see it, just the way that we attack each and every day. Coach [Mike Tomlin], he stays on us about it, so I think just having that, reiterating that each and every day, that keeps guys on their toes. Guys are ready to compete each and every day.”

While Chicago looks to be turning things around, that hasn’t always been the case. Fields didn’t come into the best situation when he was drafted by the Bears in 2021. After playing under Matt Nagy for one season, the team brought in a new head coach in Matt Eberflus and a general manager in Ryan Poles, who rebuilt everything from the bottom up.

During Fields’ three seasons in Chicago, the Bears went 16-35 and failed to produce a winning record. Meanwhile, the Steelers haven’t had a losing record in two decades.

Fields didn’t have a good supporting cast in Chicago, and, ultimately, he didn’t prove enough for the team to pass on a potential generational talent in Williams.

It’s no secret the Bears haven’t exactly had a winning culture over the past few decades, but the hope is that’ll finally start changing.

Bears’ Rome Odunze chasing Puka Nacua’s rookie records

Bears rookie WR Rome Odunze is looking to one-up his former Washington teammate, Puka Nacua.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is coming into his rookie season looking to make an immediate impact in the NFL.

The ninth overall pick, who will grow alongside No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, has some lofty individual goals — win Offensive Rookie of the Year and break records.

In fact, Odunze is looking to one-up his former University of Washington teammate Puka Nacua, who caught 105 passes for 1,486 yards — both rookie records — last season with the Los Angeles Rams.

“That rookie season record, I’m absolutely chasing that,” Odunze said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “Of course, [I’m] chasing those records and that’s important. I’ll hopefully leave the Bears organization better than I found it. If I have my name on some of those records, that’s just one facet of doing so.”

While there’s no denying Odunze should be a favorite target of Williams’ this season, it could be difficult for him to break those figures given he’s part of a receiving trio also featuring veterans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, who will also be popular targets.

But Moore and Allen also figure to be the main focus for opposing defenses, who will ultimately have to pick their poison between Chicago’s top three wideouts — and Odunze could be the beneficiary.

Earlier this offseason, Moore said it would be a race to 1,000 yards between the three receivers. Could Odunze hit the mark first?

Vibes around Bears HC Matt Eberflus are different now

The Bears made the choice to keep Matt Eberflus as the head coach. It seems like that is a decision that fans are okay with, for now.

Last season, it seemed like there would be no chance that Matt Eberflus would return to the Chicago Bears as their head coach in 2024. He didn’t have the best reputation early because the team did a lot of losing in his first two seasons. It certainly wasn’t all on him as the roster was in shambles, which made it hard to win.

Eberflus didn’t do a good job with the media, which made people wonder about his ability to lead this franchise. The Bears had a strong end to the 2023 season, which cooled the seat down just a tad. But then there was an all-time great coaching free-agent class available. Still, Chicago stuck to their plan and didn’t fire Eberflus just to pursue a big name.

Now, over the last few months, we’ve seen a different Matt Eberflus. Not only did he change his overall look, but he also changed the way he approached the media and coaching in general. There’s a completely new vibe that surrounds him.

It is also very clear that general manager Ryan Poles, who has done a great job since taking over, loves Eberflus. He wants to win with him, and you have to respect Poles for going with his guy no matter what others think.

But the pressure isn’t off Eberflus just because he got the backing of his GM this offseason. Eberflus needs to win football games in 2024, and he’s set up to do so. A rookie QB is coming in, but he is one that they can win with. The tools are there for Caleb Williams to score big-time points with a great defense backing him up. If they don’t hit the ground running, Eberflus’s seat will start to warm up again.

Nobody wants this guy to fail. Players, coaches, fans, and local media all want to see the Bears win. With Eberflus coming in with a whole new feel, it is fair to give him the chance he deserves with a good roster to coach up.

Why the Bears must keep Montez Sweat healthy in 2024

The Bears can’t afford to lose Montez Sweat to injury this season.

The Chicago Bears are a good team on paper. However, they have some stuff to work out to improve on the field. They have a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams and an offense that is going to take some time to get their chemistry together on a full-time basis.

They need their defense to play well all season long to have a chance of contending for the playoffs. They took a big step in 2024, but it didn’t come until the second half of the season. The timeline lines up to when Chicago traded for star defensive end Montez Sweat.

He’s a great player that they needed on the defensive line to shore up the pass rush so that the rest of the unit could fall into place. Some people were skeptical about the trade when general manager Ryan Poles first made it, but he showed exactly why it was a smart move right away.

Sweat missed seven games in 2021 due to injury with the Washington Commanders. But he played in all 17 games in back-to-back seasons from 2022-23. He was back to full health and feeling good, which showed on the field.

Which is why the Bears must keep Sweat healthy in 2024. If he goes down, they are in big trouble. Their pass-rushing depth isn’t great behind Sweat, where DeMarcus Walker and rookie Austin Booker are the key names on the roster. Losing him would be a brutal blow for their postseason aspirations.

Injuries happen in football but the Bears can’t afford to lose Sweat. Their depth at edge rusher will increase over the years, but they didn’t do enough this offseason to add there. Keeping Sweat on the field will be a top priority.