Tag: Bears rumors

Why Bears should consider adding WR Mike Evans this offseason

It sounds like Mike Evans is trending toward hitting the free agent market, where the Bears would be wise to consider signing him.

For a very long time now, Tampa Bay Buccaneers stud Mike Evans has been one of the best (most consistent) receivers in the entire NFL. He has become everything that Tampa Bay needed him to be and more since selecting him seventh overall in the 2014 NFL draft.

Now, according to Bleacher Report insider Jordan Schultz, it sounds like the Buccaneers and Evans are far apart on an extension. It is trending towards Evans becoming an unrestricted free agent next month, which would make the wide receiver market even more interesting.

Talks are going to continue, but nothing is guaranteed at this point. Evans has accomplished a lot in his career. He brings a lot of catches, yards, and Super Bowl-winning experience to the table. Being in a huddle with Tom Brady is certainly a nice thing to have in his back pocket, as well. Lots of teams are going to come calling if he is truly available.

One team that should be all over this is the Chicago Bears. If they don’t opt to draft one of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze in the first round, they’ll have to add another solid wideout opposite DJ Moore in free agency to give Justin Fields, or a rookie quarterback, a solid receiving duo.

The options on offense will be unlimited if a receiver like Evans comes to town, along with Moore. Chicago’s offensive unit has been underwhelming for a long time now, but this could be their chance to turn that around.

General manager Ryan Poles has a lot of options at every position this offseason. It is fair to assume that he is going to make the decision that he feels is best for the team in the long run. Evans, 31, might not be a long-term answer, but he’d be great for helping this team take a step offensively in 2024.

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Why Lance Briggs should be the next Bears Hall of Famer

Making the case for Lance Briggs to be the next Bears player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Chicago Bears saw a few of their all-time greats make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week — Devin Hester, Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers. The Bears were the first team to have three players (at least four years with the team) who made the Hall of Fame in the same year since the San Francisco 49ers in 2000.

These guys will be celebrated and rightfully so. It will also drive the conversation about who from the Bears’ storied history deserves to make it to Canton. A few really good candidates come to mind, but linebacker Lance Briggs is at the top of the list.

Briggs spent a lot of incredible years as a linebacker for the Bears after they drafted him in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. From that moment on, he became a franchise legend. He should be in the Hall of Fame based on all of his accomplishments.

Was he as good as Brian Urlacher? No, he was not. Playing the same position at the same time as Urlacher might make some people question his legitimacy as a Hall of Fame candidate but it shouldn’t. Two elite players can play together at the same time. Just because one was slightly better doesn’t mean that the other should be punished.

There are a few numbers to support Briggs as a Hall of Famer with or without Urlacher around. For one, Urlacher missed the entire 2009 season after suffering an injury in Week 1. Briggs went on to lead Chicago in tackles with 118 that year. That effort earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Briggs is a three-time All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler and among the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time.

He also had a total of six career defensive touchdowns, which are the third most in team history. Five of those were interceptions, which is the second most interception touchdown returns for any Bear ever. He had one in each of his first three NFL seasons, which are the most ever. There is no doubt that this guy was as impactful as anyone during his time.

We don’t know when Briggs’ time is going to come, but it should be soon. He’s been among the original 100-plus nominees, but he hasn’t yet made it to the semifinalist stage. Briggs is one of the best linebackers from his era and deserves to be recognized as such.

Chargers hire former Bears HC Marc Trestman as senior offensive assistant

Former Bears head coach Marc Trestman has found a new home on the Chargers coaching staff.

The Chicago Bears didn’t have a lot of success with Marc Trestman as their head coach, and he’s considered one of the team’s worst coaches in franchise history.

Now, Trestman has found his way back to the NFL a decade after being fired by Chicago.

Trestman is joining the Los Angeles Chargers coaching staff under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Trestman will serve as a senior offensive assistant. That is a bold move for the Chargers as they look to take their team in a new direction.

Trestman lasted just two years in Chicago, where he had a 13-19 record and never had a winning season. In 2013, they went a disappointing 8-8. The following year, they went a disastrous 5-11. The Bears fired him after that season, and he hasn’t been a head coach in the NFL since. Trestman was, however, the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens from 2015-16, but he hasn’t been in the NFL since.

Getting quarterback Justin Herbert the right tools around him is the biggest need for the Chargers franchise under Harbaugh. Herbert has been mostly elite, and they are going to try and turn that into wins. We will see if Trestman will be able to help them reach that goal. Most Bears fans won’t be confident.

T.J. Edwards explains why he wants Justin Fields back with Bears

As the great Justin Fields-Caleb Williams debate wages on, T.J. Edwards explained why he hopes Fields is back with the Bears in 2024.

The Chicago Bears are in the midst of an important and busy offseason. They could be one of those teams to go from “worst to first” in 2024, but they need everything to go their way for that to happen, which starts with an incredible offseason.

Chicago has two top-10 picks (Nos. 1 and 9) in the 2024 NFL draft, which is where the conversation starts and ends at this point. The big question is whether the top pick will be used on USC quarterback Caleb Williams, which feels like the most likely outcome, or another rookie or if they decide to keep Justin Fields. Simply put, general manager Ryan Poles has a tenure-defining decision to make.

It’s going to be brought up by everyone who is involved with this team, whether it’s players, coaches, fans or media. Late in the media circus that was Super Bowl week, linebacker T.J. Edwards spoke to Jarrett Payton about all things going on with the Bears. He touched on the defense, which he believes is going in the right direction, but also his impression of Fields after this season.

“What I love about him is I could tell him Day 1 what kind of guy he is,” Edwards said. “He’s a calm, cool, collected type, and playing quarterback in this league — especially in Chicago — you’ve got to be that. You can’t be too overzealous at times, you kind of have to be right in the middle, where we can look to you at times when it’s going bad and know he’s going to make a play, and he did that.”

Edwards is the latest Bears player to make it clear that he wants Fields back in 2024.

“Playing against him, from experience, I hope he stays with us because I don’t want to play against him ever again,” he said.

Edwards is a very important player to Chicago’s defense going forward, and he seems to have a good grasp on the situation. This doesn’t mean Chicago is for sure going to keep Fields, but it does mean that there is some good that could come if they do. Someone who has gone against him in practice and relies on him to help win is endorsing how good he can be.

Edwards is in the NFL to win and he wouldn’t be out there saying this stuff if he didn’t believe it. These Bears players are going to be tired of talking about it by the time we get to the draft, but this decision being so huge is the reality of the situation. Hopefully, no matter what, Poles makes the right one.

Bears pass on a QB in Cynthia Frelund’s first NFL mock draft

The expectation is the Bears will draft a quarterback at No. 1. But NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund has them passing on one.

What are the Chicago Bears going to do with their first overall pick? Are they going to trade it for a legendary haul? Will they use it? Who will they take if they do? All of these questions are going to be answered in the biggest offseason of general manager Ryan Poles’ career.

All signs point to Chicago trading Justin Fields and drafting a new quarterback with the first overall pick. A lot of people out there think that is the right move to make. USC quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be the first quarterback off the board, and some scouts consider him to be a “generational” talent.

Not everybody thinks the Bears should either trade the pick or draft a quarterback though. NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund debuted her first mock draft last week, and it was very interesting. She had Chicago passing on a quarterback entirely and taking Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt at No. 1. This would allow the Bears to keep Fields and build the offense around him.

Alt is going to be a very good offensive lineman in the NFL, and Frelund believes he has what is needed to be the first overall pick in the draft. She had Williams going second to the Washington Commanders while the New England Patriots ended up with North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye of North Carolina. Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who a lot of Bears fans love, ended up with the Arizona Cardinals with pick No. 4.

Frelund clearly believes that the Bears can win with a quarterback like Fields, if they surround him with top talent. That became even more clear when she had Chicago taking LSU wideout Malik Nabers at No. 9.

She also clearly doesn’t think that Williams is a generational talent worth moving off a guy like Fields for. It is a very interesting perspective and Poles should be evaluating things from all angles. This is certainly one of them because adding these types of weapons would be amazing if Fields could find a way to be a franchise guy.

Throughout the rest of the offseason, there are going to be tons of mock drafts and opinions thrown out there by notable people. Frelund is no exception, and her mock draft makes a lot of sense if keeping Fields is the endgame.

Kurt Warner believes the Bears should move on from Justin Fields

The Bears are going through a quarterback crisis right now. Kurt Warner shared his thoughts about Justin Fields’ future.

The Chicago Bears have a quarterback debate going on in town. A lot of people are having this conversation both locally and nationally, which puts them in the spotlight a little bit. The options are keeping Justin Fields for a fourth season or using the No. 1 overall pick on USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Fields hasn’t shown the progression that Chicago has hoped for but he has shown flashes of brilliance. In the meantime, Williams had an all-time great college career that included a Heisman Trophy season. The latter has an unknown to him but could he be worse than what we’ve seen from Fields?

We’ve heard from plenty of NFL greats over the last few months and now we have Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner chiming in. He knows what it takes to win while playing that position. The man has two MVPs, a Super Bowl championship, and a Super Bowl MVP.

Warner spoke to NBC Sports Chicago about the Bears’ quarterback dilemma, and he has the opinion that the Bears should be moving on from Fields.

“They are weighing a tough decision,” Warner said. “What I’ll say is when you get to the point, we’re at with quarterbacks in this league and what you have to pay them and what that means for your organization, you better know he’s the guy. That, to me, really is where teams get in trouble. Like the Giants go give Daniel Jones $40 million to Daniel Jones. He hasn’t shown us he’s that guy. We can hope he’s that guy. We’ve seen glimpses maybe, but he hasn’t shown us he’s that guy. So, the Giants are behind the eight-ball because he’s still not that guy. Maybe he will be in three years, but he’s not right now. So, they pay him.

“I think the thing with Justin for me is, he hasn’t shown me he’s that guy. Doesn’t mean he’s not talented. Doesn’t mean he can’t be great and a franchise quarterback. But when you have three years and you don’t take out the doubt to go, ‘He’s our guy!’ I think you have to move on. You can’t just go pay that guy $50 million in hopes that those glimpses you saw turn into greatness. It may be unfortunate because some of these guys play too early, they are not ready yet, their next step or their next contract is going to be determined by it. But that’s all we can go on. If you have played for three years, you have to prove to me you’re that guy.”

Warner doesn’t necessarily think it is all Fields’ fault but he knows the opportunity the Bears have with the number one pick in their hands for the second year in a row. You don’t get chances like this too often.

“We have to put in the elements of, they’ve got the No. 1 pick,” Warner said. “It’s not like they got the 23rd pick and they are just going to go, ‘Oh, let’s just go get another quarterback.’ You got the pick of the litter if you believe Caleb Williams might be that guy. I think that’s the unfortunate thing for Justin, but again, he’s had three years. Not perfect situations. There’s a lot of elements involved. But I just haven’t seen the consistency of his play to go, ‘I think he can get there.’ Being unsure to me leads to you got to go get the other No. 1 pick and move forward.”

Warner makes a good point about it not being a random selection in the middle of the first round. Moving on from Fields for the number one overall pick is a lot different than moving on from him in favor of a random mid-round hopeful.

It is hard to disagree with Warner here. Fields has shown that he can make plays with his legs but his evolution in the passing game just isn’t good enough. That might be enough to move on from him.

Warner is very involved with today’s NFL as an analyst. He knows what he is talking about. This isn’t some random former player just throwing an opinion out there. If Poles was smart, he would consider listening to someone like Warner, who has a resume worth respecting.

Rome Odunze welcomes the idea of playing with Justin Fields or Caleb Williams

Rome Odunze had nothing but positive things to say about the Bears, as well as Justin Fields and Caleb Williams.

The Chicago Bears have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft via the Carolina Panthers and it is all anyone can talk about. Will they use it on USC quarterback Caleb Williams? Will they consider one of the other top prospects with that pick? Would they consider trading it for a haul and keeping Justin Fields? Any of those scenarios is possible.

They also have their own selection at No. 9 overall and there are sure to be some really good options for Chicago when they come up and select again. One person they might consider who should be available is Rome Odunze, the wide receiver coming out of Washington.

Coming into the year, Odunze was thought to be a late first- or early second-round pick in the 2024 Draft. However, after a strong season, he is now projected as a top-15 pick. He might even end up being drafted inside the top ten. If the Bears take him at No. 9 overall, it should not shock anyone.

Odunze stopped by to chat with Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago at Super Bowl Radio Row this week to chat about the Bears, from growing up watching them to a potential fit with the current team. Odunze said that he modeled his game after Devin Hester, who played most of his career with the Bears and is now headed for the Hall of Fame. “I was a big fan of Devin Hester growing up. That was my favorite player,” he said. Odunze feels that he can help this team have success again, as it did during those days of Hester flying around.

He also believes that he could thrive with either Justin Fields or Caleb Williams under center. Odunze talked about how much he likes Fields as a quarterback. “I think his ability to extend plays is what glares at a lot of people who watch him. It’s rare that he gets taken down in the backfield,” Odunze said. “He can play with his feet, and then he can make a play with his feet and get the ball in the air. To be so versatile in a league that has such great pass rushers, I think he’s got a unique skill set.” He knows that he can make plays that would help him grow in the NFL.

He also played against Williams last season (a 52-42 win for Washington over USC) and saw firsthand how good he can be. “He’s special player. It would be exciting to play with him.” Odunze knows that having a guy like that would make this transition into the league easier. Coming in at the same time would be very cool for the now-former PAC-12 stars.

We’ll see if the Bears go through with it, but it is good to know he is confident no matter what decision they make. A player that is all in no matter what is never a bad thing.

Bears may have Hall of Fame Game and ‘Hard Knocks’ this summer

It’s shaping up to potentially be a busy and memorable summer for the Bears.

The Chicago Bears have a lot going on right now. There is an expectation that they will be a big spender in free agency, they have the number one pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and they just had three players named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. 

With some cap space to spend, you can assume that the Bears will use their financial wealth to improve their team. They might not be adding any game breakers or anything like that, but they should be able to fill in the cracks with some good talent.

Their plan with the first overall pick depends on the decision made with Justin Fields. Is he their guy at quarterback going forward or will they draft Caleb Williams out of USC? That is one of the top NFL conversations going on locally and nationally. 

The three players going into the Hall of Fame are Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, and Steve McMichael. They are the first trio of players to go into the Hall at the same time that played for the same team (for at least four years) since the San Francisco 49ers (3) in 2000. 

With those players being inducted into Canton, and all being Bears, Chicago is a good bet to participate in the annual Hall of Fame Game. That would also likely be the first time that we see Williams in a Bears jersey, if they go that route this spring.

The excitement and anticipation for that type of offseason/training camp will be off the charts compared to other years. The Bears, good or bad, always have a lot of hype, but this year will be different. 

As a result, don’t be surprised if they are chosen to do “Hard Knocks,” the hit documentary that follows an NFL team during training camp and shows the ins and outs of the early season process. 

If an NFL team hasn’t made the playoffs over the previous two seasons, they have a new head coach, or they have been on in the last 10 years, they can’t be forced to do it. A team could be forced to do it if they meet that criteria and no other team has volunteered. A lot of teams — from owners to coaches to players, namely George McCaskey — don’t want to do it. 

The Bears are one of just three teams — along with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints — who can be forced to do “Hard Knocks” in 2024. Based on how unexciting those two teams are right now, Chicago feels like a lock. There is no escape this year. 

The Bears are just an interesting team right now for all of the reasons mentioned. With the number one pick possibly being a generational talent, along with an extra preseason game, it is going to be a circus. The organization might as well embrace the chaos.  

Bears legend Brian Urlacher weighed in on the Justin Fields-Caleb Williams dilemma

The Bears have a quarterback decision to make. Chicago legend Brian Urlacher weighed in on what they should do.

The Chicago Bears have a quarterback dilemma.

Do they keep Justin Fields, who they drafted 11th overall in the 2021 NFL draft, or do they use their first overall pick in 2024 on USC quarterback Caleb Williams? It is a debate sweeping the NFL world right now. It is a national conversation just as much as it is a local focal point.

A lot of people have an opinion on the direction that general manager Ryan Poles should take. That includes Bears legend and Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, who played 13 seasons with the Bears, so people respect his thoughts on the current state of the team.

He gave an interview on “The 33rd Team” and revealed his opinion on the current Bears quarterback situation. He believes that if you are questioning whether or not someone is still going to be your franchise guy after three years they are probably not. With the number one pick, he thinks the Bears should be taking Caleb Williams.

“If people are still asking if Justin is the guy, then he’s probably not the guy,” Urlacher said. “…In my opinion, they probably have to draft a kid.”

The theory does make a lot of sense. Fields has not taken enough big steps with the Bears during his tenure with the team. We’ve seen plenty of other quarterbacks come in and make an impact much quicker. Fields has shown flashes but has never made anyone confidently say that he is their franchise player.

It is a shame because he is a very good person and people seem to like being around him. The fact of the matter is that he doesn’t move the needle for the offense. He has weapons around him and the offensive line has improved so the excuses are wearing thin.

This doesn’t mean that Williams is going to come in and be a superstar, but the potential for that is there. Many scouts have claimed him to be amongst the best quarterback prospects in recent history. Names like Andrew Luck and Trevor Lawrence come to mind when thinking of other players who got that kind of praise.

The thing is, he can’t be much worse than a 10-28 quarterback. Wins aren’t necessarily a good quarterback stat, but Fields hasn’t helped this team do much winning and that is a fact. Listening to Urlacher might be a good idea for Poles and his staff. It is good to hear Bears legends chiming in though as they are up to date with the team.

Eddie Jackson hints his Bears future is in doubt

Bears safety Eddie Jackson shared a few cryptic posts on social media suggesting his time in Chicago is coming to an end.

One of the longest-tenured Chicago Bears players might have played his final game in the navy and orange.

Safety Eddie Jackson took to social media on Thursday night and shared a few cryptic messages. He posted a few emojis on his Twitter/X account before adding a new message saying “New Beginnings.”

It was Jackson’s first post in over two months.

https://twitter.com/BoJack4/status/1755820348308664705

Shortly after, Jackson posted a story on his Instagram with a black screen and a caption that reads “All love Chi Town.”

It goes without saying that this is all speculation, but Jackson’s future with the Bears was always going to be murky heading into this offseason. He’s set to have a cap hit of over $18 million, the third-most on the team, heading into the final year of his deal. The Bears can cut Jackson and save $12.5 million. Given his injury issues the last couple years, as well as his play dipping once again in 2023, the writing seems to be on the wall for Jackson, and it sounds like he knows that too.

Jackson was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Alabama and burst onto the scene early in his career. He had 11 takeaways during his first two seasons and scored five defensive touchdowns during that time. Jackson earned two Pro Bowl nods and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2018.

His production dropped significantly beginning in 2020, and he never returned to those same heights, even while having a renaissance season in 2022 with four interceptions, before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Jackson is the second-longest tenured Bear behind Cody Whitehair and is the last member of the elite 2018 defense.

At the end of the season, Jackson spoke about his future and expressed his desire to remain a Bear. “I hope I’m here next year, but God always has a plan,” Jackson said via Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. “So I feel like I’ll always land on my feet. I hope it’s here. I know how it works in the business. I wish I could be here my whole entire career, but we know how this thing works. So you have to live in the moment.”

At his year-end press conference, general manager Ryan Poles admitted Jackson’s injuries impacted his play, but offered some praise for him, citing his communication skills and chemistry with Jaquan Brisker. “When Eddie was in you could tell Brisker felt really, really comfortable. That whole group, he really impacts the communication. You can really see that,” Poles said.

It’s possible Jackson’s recent social media activity is unrelated to his Chicago future, but it feels pretty calculated. His days in a Bears uniform are likely over.