Category: Latest Bears News

Bears sign OT Alex Taylor to the practice squad

After injuries of offensive tackles Jason Peters and Larry Borom, the Bears signed Alex Taylor to the practice squad.

The Chicago Bears signed offensive tackle Alex Taylor to the practice squad, the team announced Wednesday.

It’s not exactly encouraging news following injuries to left tackles Jason Peters (quad) and rookie Larry Borom (ankle). Backup right tackle Elijah Wilkinson stepped in at left tackle in the second half of Chicago’s Week 1 loss.

The Bears practice for the first time on Wednesday, so we’ll get an idea of exactly where Peters and Borom are when the first injury report is released.

Taylor, an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina State, spent most of the 2020 season on the Cleveland Browns practice squad. Taylor was waived last month among the team’s final roster cuts.

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Matthew Stafford named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following win vs. Bears

Matthew Stafford was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after the Rams’ beatdown of the Bears in Week 1.

With Week 1 in the books, the NFL announced its players of the week among the NFC and AFC. And with the way the Los Angeles Rams delivered a beatdown of the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, it’s not a surprise to find quarterback Matthew Stafford among those honored.

Stafford was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his near-flawless performance against the Bears on Sunday Night Football. Stafford completed 20-of-26 passes (76.9%) for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns for a 156.1 passer rating, where he abused Chicago’s secondary all night.

Two of his touchdowns were longer than 50 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown to receiver Van Jefferson on their first offensive series to a 56-yard bomb to receiver Cooper Kupp on their opening possession of the second half.

The Bears will be looking to rebound when they host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, where they’ll face another impressive offense. But it doesn’t figure to be as explosive as this Rams offense was.

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7 things to know heading into Bears vs. Bengals in Week 2

From the top rushers in the NFL facing off to Eddie Jackson’s past success, we’re previewing the Bears’ Week 2 matchup vs. Bengals.

The Chicago Bears will host the Cincinnati Bengals in their home opener, where Chicago will be looking for their first win of the season in Week 2.

The Bears and Bengals haven’t faced each other that often, playing just 11 times dating back to 1972. But this 12th matchup will go a long way in showing exactly what these two teams are made of following some surprising Week 1 outcomes.

Here are seven things to know ahead of the Bears’ Week 2 game against the Bengals:

Chicago vs. Cincinnati: Which Bengals player would you want on the Bears?

The Bengals have a ton of talent on their roster, from Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins. But which player would you want to steal for the Bears?

The Chicago Bears will host the Cincinnati Bengals in their home opener in Week 2, where the Bears will be looking to rebound following an embarrassing 34-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in prime time.

While Chicago’s offense had their own issues — starting with scoring only 14 points and a lack of a downfield passing attack — they weren’t the biggest concern coming out of the Week 1 loss.

That honor belongs to the Bears defense, who were blown out by Matthew Stafford and the Rams, giving up 34 points and exposing a weakness in the secondary. While they were playing arguably a top offense in the league, it certainly raised plenty of concerns for a declining defense.

Meanwhile, the Bengals are coming off a stunning overtime victory over the Minnesota Vikings, where their offense found some success. But the offensive line did allow five sacks on Joe Burrow, which could set up a big day for Chicago’s pass rush on Sunday.

The Bears are early 2.5-point home favorites against the Bengals. And following their brutal Week 1 loss, it’s not hard to see why there’s not a lot of confidence in Chicago to turn things around against Cincinnati.

But there’s also plenty of talent on the Bengals’ roster, which starts with their loaded offense with Burrow and his weapons running back Joe Mixon and receivers Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd, and continues on defense with defensive end Trey Hendrickson and safety Jessie Bates.

So, which Bengals player would you want to steal for the Bears?

VOTE!

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Twitter reacts to Bears WR Marquise Goodwin throwing shade at Matt Nagy

Bears WR Marquise Goodwin took a shot at HC Matt Nagy, and fans are loving it.

There has been a lot of criticism about the Bears’ offensive game plan in their 34-14 loss to the Rams on Sunday Night Football, where Chicago’s downfield passing attack was nonexistent.

The Bears pounded the ball with running back David Montgomery and relied on quick, short passes from quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton’s longest pass attempt was 16 yards, and he didn’t complete a pass over 10 yards. In fact, only 5 of his 38 attempts were for 10 yards or more.

There’s been plenty of frustration from fans. But there was a quote from wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, who signed with the Bears this offseason, about the Bears’ approach against Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey that was quite telling. In fact, you could say this was a direct shot at Nagy.

“He’s a unique player, All-Pro, Pro Bowler, instinctive, especially in short spaces. And us not running past 10 yards, that fell right into his hands I feel like.”

As you can imagine, Twitter had quite a reaction to Goodwin’s comments, which has many wondering if Nagy has already lost the locker room after Week 1. Many are praising Goodwin for his honesty, which shed a light on Nagy’s poor offensive scheme.

Akiem Hicks breaks his silence, wants to retire a Bear

Akiem Hicks, who’s in the final year of his contract, is hoping to retire a Bear.

For all of training camp and the preseason, Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks went radio silent when it came to talking with the media. The former Pro-Bowl lineman was present for most of camp, outside of one absence, and was an active participant throughout the summer. But through it all, Hicks declined to speak to the media. Until now.

Volunteering at the SOS Children’s Villages in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, Hicks spoke with Mark Grote of 670 The Score and explained his desire to not talk this summer.

“I know that there’s been talk about me not speaking for months at a time. Going into training camp, I think for me I’ve wanted to focus on the celebration of this moment in my career. No matter what I said, no matter how I phrased my intention on being a Bear for the rest of my career, that’s what I want, that’s what I feel is right for me. I’ve just had so many joy-filled moments as a Chicago Bear. I can’t see myself in another jersey. I think for me, less battle about contract situations and just enjoying this space.”

Hicks told Grote he still intends to retire as a Bear.

“I think I’ll do everything in my power to do so,” he said.

The veteran lineman is in the final year of his contract and reports surfaced during camp he was looking for an extension, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Hicks also said he’s not concerned about his contract status at the moment and is solely focused on football, according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun Times, who was also in attendance at the event.

“All that contract [stuff] goes away when you’re out there doing that thing you love,” Hicks said.

Judging by his performance on Sunday where he had three tackles and half a sack, he’s probably telling the truth.

The 10-year veteran has been with the Bears since 2016 when he signed as a free agent. Hicks quickly became a fan favorite and signed a four-year, $48 million deal the next season, anchoring a formidable defensive line over the next few seasons. He had a career year in 2018, earning Pro-Bowl honors. Hicks has 225 total tackles, 28 sacks, and five forced fumbles in his time as a Bear.

The future is unknown for No. 96 and is turning 32 this fall. This very well may be his last year as a Bear, but there’s no denying his heart is in Chicago. If he keeps playing like he did on Sunday, a contract extension could become more of a reality.

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Bears worked out three defensive backs, including DJ Hayden

Following struggles in the secondary in Week 1, the Bears worked out three defensive backs on Tuesday, including DJ Hayden.

The Chicago Bears have questions on defense following Sunday night’s 34-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, especially in the secondary.

And it showed in how the Bears worked out three defensive backs on Tuesday, including DJ Hayden, Lafayette Pitts and Kevon Seymour, according to the transaction wire.

The most prominent name on the list is Hayden, a former first-round pick 2013, who has been a solid slot corner, which is exactly what the Bears are looking for following Marqui Christian’s struggles against the Rams.

Hayden spent his first four seasons with the Raiders, where he totaled 174 tackles and 26 pass breakups in 45 games. Hayden spent the previous three seasons with the Jaguars, where he totaled 103 tackles and 11 pass breakups in 30 games.

The Bears have concerns in the slot, where Christian got the starting nod against the Rams. He allowed five catches on six targets for 85 yards, two touchdowns. Duke Shelley, who was a surprise scratch in Week 1, figures to get a look in the slot against the Bengals.

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Marquise Goodwin calls Bears’ lack of downfield plays in opener ‘challenging’

The Bears’ downfield passing attack was nonexistent against the Rams, which Marquise Goodwin explained was “challenging.”

The Bears’ downfield passing attack was nonexistent against the Rams, where a conservative plan with quarterback Andy Dalton consisted of short, quick passes and pounding the rock with running back David Montgomery.

Dalton didn’t complete a pass over 10 yards against the Rams (going 0-for-2 and an interception). His longest pass attempt was 16 yards, and only 5 of his 38 attempts were for 10 yards or more. Dalton had just one pass attempt travel more than 15 yards.

The complete lack of a downfield passing attack is shocking considering Nagy’s emphasis on opening things up with the additions of speedy weapons like Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd.

Goodwin, who led the Bears with 45 yards on four receptions, was asked about the team’s lack of downfield plays against the Rams.

“It’s challenging,” Goodwin said. “But I mean, you just got to work with what you get. I don’t control the plays that are called. I don’t control anything but just going out and doing my job, and I just do it the best that I know how: fast.”

Chicago’s game plan was clear: run the ball and throw quick, short passes to keep Aaron Donald and the Rams’ pass rush at bay. But it also benefited All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

“He’s a unique player, All-Pro, Pro Bowler, instinctive, especially in short spaces,” Goodwin said of Ramsey. “And us not running past 10 yards, that fell right into his hands I feel like.”

It sounds like a criticism of the offensive game plan, which was content to do the basics while relying on the defense to keep things close. Not exactly how you win football games in this day and age.

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Tashaun Gipson calls missed touch tackle on Van Jefferson the kind of play that ‘keeps you up at night’

Tashaun Gipson said he’ll be kept up at night by his failure to touch Van Jefferson down on the turf in the Bears’ Week 1 loss vs. Rams.

The Bears were embarrassed in the team’s season opener against the Rams, where their defense was the biggest liability for Chicago.

There were mistakes aplenty from the Bears defense, including missed tackles and broken coverages. But perhaps the most egregious error occurred in the first quarter when quarterback Matthew Stafford found wide receiver Van Jefferson, who beat Eddie Jackson and Tashaun Gipson, for a deep completion.

Jefferson should’ve been down around the 11-yard line, but neither Jackson nor Gipson had the awareness to touch him and Jefferson got right up and sprinted into the end zone for what went down as a 67-yard score.

When Gipson met with the media Tuesday at Halas Hall, it was the first question he had to address. Gipson couldn’t believe they screwed it up and said it’s the kind of play that “keeps you up at night.”

“Too much football IQ between Eddie (Jackson) and me to let that happen,” he said. “It won’t happen again as long as I’m employed by the National Football League.”

But in a 34-14 blowout loss, there’s usually more than one error, as evidenced by the broken coverage on Cooper Kupp’s 56-yard touchdown pass on the opening series of the second half.

Marqui Christian, who was covering Kupp in the slot, didn’t go with his man, and neither did Jackson nor Gipson, which left Kupp streaking wide open for the easy score.

“It was a brain fart on the secondary, myself included,” Gipson said. “I take ownership on that play. We all got to be on the same page.”

When it was time for the defense to watch film from that brutal loss, the mood was exactly as you’d expect.

“Film session was hard, it was tough,” Gipson said. “There was a lot of ugly plays out there.”

The Bears defense will be looking to turn things around in Week 2, when they face Joe Burrows and a Bengals offense that found success against the Vikings in Week 1.

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Bears RB David Montgomery is second in rushing yards through Week 1

Through one week of NFL action, Bears RB David Montgomery is the second leading rusher in the league with 108 yards.

Running back David Montgomery was the best player on the field for Bears in their 34-14 loss to the Rams in Week 1.

Chicago’s offense established a balanced attack with Montgomery, who cranked off 79 yards rushing and a score in the first half alone, including a beauty of 41-yard run on the Bears’ first offensive series.

Montgomery finished the game with 16 rushes for 108 yards — his third 100-yard rushing game in the last five regular-season contests dating back to 2020. Montgomery could’ve had more if not for the hole Chicago’s offense found themselves in late in the game.

Through one week of NFL action, Montgomery is the second leading rusher in the league, where he trails only Joe Mixon.

  1. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati – 127
  2. David Montgomery, Chicago – 108
  3. Eli Mitchell, San Francisco – 104
  4. Melvin Gordon, Denver – 101
  5. Damien Harris, New England, 100

Montgomery was nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week for his performance, where he’s up against the likes of Mixon and Gordon, who are also among the leading rushers.

Interestingly enough, the Bears will face the leading rusher in Mixon when Chicago host the Bengals on Sunday.

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