Category: Latest Bears News

Coincidence? Bears’ Matt Nagy was in Cabo when Rams traded for Matthew Stafford

Bears HC Matt Nagy said he was in Cabo, coincidentally at the same time when Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford were when the trade went down.

Before landing rookie quarterback Justin Fields and signing Andy Dalton, the Bears were doing a great deal of exploration in the quarterback market earlier this offseason.

They were mentioned in conjunction with potential trades, like Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson, as well as all of the big trades that went down, including Matthew Stafford, who landed with the Rams back in January.

When Bears head coach Matt Nagy met with the media on Thursday, he shed light on an interesting tidbit about where he was when the Stafford trade went down.

Nagy was in Cabo when the Rams traded for Stafford, which was ironically where Rams head coach Sean McVay and Stafford were, as well as 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, another team that did their due diligence on the quarterback market this offseason.

The Bears were among several teams that reportedly offered the Lions more than a first-round pick for Stafford, according to Ian Rapoport, so the interest was certainly real.

How close Chicago was to actually trading for Stafford, we’ll never know. But you figure that Detroit wouldn’t have wanted to trade within the division, so the likelihood wasn’t great.

You could certainly argue things worked out for the best as the Bears landed their franchise quarterback in Fields, who will be on a rookie deal for the next four years, and could very well establish himself as the franchise’s best quarterback when all is said and done.

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Matt Nagy shares Bears injury updates on Eddie Goldman, Robert Quinn and others

Eddie Goldman is day-to-day with a knee injury while Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Darnell Mooney are expected to play in Bears’ opener.

The Chicago Bears released their first injury report of the 2021 season on Wednesday, which featured some prominent starters who didn’t practice or were limited.

The biggest concern was nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who sat out Wednesday’s practice with what was listed as a knee/ankle injury, which led many to wonder about his availability for Sunday night.

Nagy explained that Goldman tweaked his knee during Monday’s practice, and he doesn’t know if Goldman will practice Thursday. Nagy called Goldman “day to day,” which is certainly more encouraging than what some were speculating.

If Goldman can’t go Sunday night, it would be seventh-round rookie Khyiris Tonga stepping in at nose tackle, who has impressed throughout the preseason.

The Bears also had three notable starters who were limited during Wednesday’s practice, including wide receiver Darnell Mooney (back) and outside linebackers Khalil Mack (groin) and Robert Quinn (back).

Nagy said he feels good about all three of those guys playing in Sunday night’s opener.

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7 things to know heading into Bears-Rams in Week 1

From the Bears’ season-opening struggles to another prime-time showing against the Rams, here are seven things to know ahead of Week 1.

The Chicago Bears will kick off the 2021 NFL season against the Los Angeles Rams on prime-time, where Chicago will be looking to upset the heavily-favored Rams at SoFi Stadium.

The Bears and Rams are no strangers to each other, as they’ll be meeting for the fourth straight year. Unfortunately for Chicago, the home team has one each of those meetings.

Here are seven things to know ahead of the Bears’ Week 1 game against the Rams:

4 key matchups to watch as Bears face Rams in Week 1

From A-Rob vs. Ramsey to Bears front seven vs. Rams O-line, here are four matchups to watch as the Bears battle the Rams in Week 1.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their Week 1 opener against the Los Angeles Rams in prime-time, where there are a slew of matchups that will go a long way in determining whether the Bears can pull off an upset of the heavily-favored Rams on Sunday Night Football.

While there are questions on the offensive side of the ball, there are some pretty important matchups that will dictate just how long of a night it’ll be for quarterback Andy Dalton. The Bears defense really needs to step up against this Rams offense now sporting quarterback Matthew Stafford, a familiar foe for this defense.

Here are four matchups to watch as the Bears head into their Week 1 game against the Rams.

Bear Necessities: Chicago’s offensive line searching for continuity

With concerns on the offensive line, they’re searching for continuity heading into the 2021 season.

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The Bears offensive line has been one of the bigger concerns during training camp, where injuries made it difficult to establish any sort of continuity, which is important for an offensive line.

With rookie tackle Teven Jenkins sidelined indefinitely following back surgery, the Bears are turning to 39-year-old Jason Peters at left tackle. Right tackle Germain Ifedi, who was sidelined for most of training camp, is also back and healthy.

The Bears’ starting offensive line played together for the first time in the team’s preseason finale against the Titans, where it was clear they needed to build continuity.

“Continuity is big on the offensive line, but we know injuries and stuff like that happens, too,” said center Cody Whitehair. “Especially with the pandemic and stuff, you just have to expect the unexpected. The last two weeks have been good. We have gotten some good work and we feel good where we are at.”

While the tackle position was inconsistent due to injuries throughout the summer, one constant has been center Sam Mustipher, who makes the calls at the line, which has made things a lot easier.

“It’s nice when you have a center in there like Sam has been because he kind of tells us where to go initially,” Whitehair said. “That’s been nice to have him and his voice there the whole time in training camp. But it’s a next-man-up kind of business and job. The guys that have stepped into those roles have done a good job. But like I said, it’s been nice to have the starters in there the last two weeks, and we have grown together in the last two weeks really well.”

The Bears’ offensive line will be tested from the start when they face the Los Angeles Rams, where they’ll have to contend with the likes of Aaron Donald on Sunday Night Football.

Bears Week 1 injury report: Eddie Goldman missed Wednesday’s practice with knee/ankle injury

Here’s a look at the Bears’ injury report from Wednesday’s practice, including NT Eddie Goldman not practicing with a knee/ankle injury.

The Chicago Bears released their first injury report ahead of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, which featured nose tackle Eddie Goldman not practicing with a knee/ankle injury and whose status for Week 1 is in question.

Here’s a look at the full injury report from Wednesday’s practice, which included a handful of starters limited heading into Week 1.

Bears QB Andy Dalton isn’t looking over his shoulder at rookie Justin Fields

Ahead of the Bears’ Week 1 game vs. Rams, Andy Dalton is focused on the opportunity in front of him, not the franchise QB behind him.

From the moment the Bears traded up to draft quarterback Justin Fields, Andy Dalton has been fielding questions about the young franchise quarterback waiting in the wings to take the starting job Dalton was promised back in March.

Specifically, whether Dalton — the anointed starter — was looking over his shoulder at Fields. When Dalton addressed the Chicago media for the first time during a game week on Wednesday, he brushed off any concerns about that pressure.

“That’s the worst thing you can do, is looking over your shoulder,” Dalton told reporters Wednesday. “I think understanding that is is key.

“Tuning out the stuff that you don’t need to focus on and knowing where you need to put your time and effort and all that kind of stuff, I think that’s just where I’m at. And you don’t worry about all the all the other stuff.”

Right now, Dalton is focused on Sunday night’s contest against the Rams, which presents its own challenges, especially for a starting offense that struggled to find rhythm in the preseason. But after a whirlwind offseason, Dalton is ready for the opportunity at hand.

“There’s a lot that’s gone on since March. All that has led to this point right here,” Dalton said. “Regardless of everything that’s gone on, we’re here week 1 and this is exactly what I wanted, this opportunity, and now looking forward to making the most of it.”

But if Dalton is determined to make the most of his opportunity, he’s going to need a strong performance, which is easier said than done when faced with going against Aaron Donald and this Rams defense.

There’s already a belief that Dalton’s leash is quite short with Fields waiting in the wings. We’ll see just how long it is when the Bears and Rams kick things off on Sunday Night Football.

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