Tag: ESPN 1000

Bears and RB Josh Jacobs reportedly have ‘mutual interest’

ESPN 1000’s Jason McKie says Raiders RB Josh Jacobs and the Bears have mutual interest as free agency draws closer.

It’s looking more and more likely that the Chicago Bears will be adding a running back when free agency opens next week. First, there were reports that Chicago was expected to pursue running back Saquon Barkley. Now another name is being floated as an option: Josh Jacobs. And it sounds like there is interest on both sides.

Chicago Bears radio sideline reporter and ESPN 1000 Bears analyst Jason McKie was on Wednesday’s edition of the Chicago Bears Podcast with Pat The Designer and dropped an interesting nugget about Jacobs. “I know from his standpoint, Josh would love to be in a Bears uniform,” McKie said before revealing that his agent represents Jacobs as well. When McKie brought up the idea of Jacobs playing in Chicago, the agent had quite the response. “I texted him [Jacobs] would look great in a Bears uniform. He’s like, ‘hey, there’s mutual interest.’

McKie was quick to make things clear that this doesn’t mean the Bears are going all in to make sure Jacobs signs, but he did reiterate the interest on both sides.

Jacobs is entering free agency for the first time in his career after five seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders and is coming off a somewhat down season. He finished the year with 805 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, the lowest of his career, while playing in 13 games. In 2022, Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,653 and added 12 rushing touchdowns. Despite the 26-year-olds drop-off in production last year, Jacobs is still considered one of the top running backs on the market.

The Bears and general manager Ryan Poles have roughly $44 million in cap space available following the Jaylon Johnson franchise tag, and reports have them investing in a running back during free agency. Perhaps that running back will be Jacobs, who, interestingly enough, was selected in the 2019 NFL Draft using one of the first-round picks the Bears gave up in the Khalil Mack trade. That might be coming full circle if Jacobs signs with Chicago in free agency. Jacobs has a market value of $10.5 million next year, according to Spotrac and would be an excellent player to pair with Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert.

Adam Schefter says the Bears aren’t in on Colts RB Jonathan Taylor

It sounds like any talk of Jonathan Taylor coming to Chicago can be put to rest.

It’s been an interesting week of rumors regarding the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, but it might be time to put those to rest. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter Joined ESPN 1000’s Peggy Kusinski and Dionne Miller on Sunday from the ESPN Chicago Football Fest at the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana to discuss the latest happenings around the league, and Taylor’s trade request came up.

Earlier in the week, it was reported the Bears had expressed interest in Taylor, though no offer was officially made. Schefter made sure to squash any interest when talking with Kusinski and Miller. “They’re not in on Jonathan Taylor,” Schefter said multiple times. He also expressed doubt that a trade of any kind involving Taylor would happen but made it crystal clear that it won’t involve the Bears. “All I can tell you is the Bears won’t be trading for Jonathan Taylor.”

The Colts running back was given permission to seek a trade last week and many have insinuated the Bears would be a logical landing spot. Chicago has a bevy of draft picks over the next couple years that could be used in a deal and have plenty of cap space to absorb a new contract, which Taylor wants. According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the Colts are looking for a first-round pick or a package comparable to one in return for Taylor.

There’s also the connection between the front offices. Head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles both have relationships with Colts general manager Chris Ballard. Eberflus was the Colts defensive coordinator from 2018-2021 under Ballard, while Poles worked with him during their days with the Kansas City Chiefs in the early 2010s. On paper, one can connect the dots to a possible trade but that doesn’t seem to be happening.

The Bears appear set to go into the season with their running back room consisting of Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, and Roschon Johnson. The Colts, meanwhile, need to figure out what to do with Taylor as the regular season draws closer and closer. The team imposed a deadline of Tuesday for a trade to get done involving the 2021 rushing leader.

Robbie Gould says he would ‘absolutely’ come back to play for the Bears again

Robbie Gould would welcome a return to the Bears this offseason.

It’s been nearly eight years since the Chicago Bears said goodbye to kicker Robbie Gould, but if he were presented the opportunity to come back this offseason, he’s letting everyone know he would be all for it.

Gould, a free agent after spending the last six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, joined ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy show for the station’s 25th anniversary special on Friday afternoon at the House of Blues in Chicago. After reminiscing about Gould’s relationship with the station where he’s been a frequent guest and co-host, the conversation eventually turned to free agency and whether or not he would welcome a reunion with the Bears. He didn’t mince words.

“If Chicago called me and said ‘we want you back,’ would I do it? Absolutely,” Gould told the hosts, resulting in a round of applause from the live audience. He then praised the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles for their offseason up to this point, from trading the No. 1 overall pick to the signings of players like Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, and how the team is coming together around Justin Fields before reiterating his desire to play again for his former team. “Yeah, I would love to come back and play for Chicago for sure.”

The all-time leading scorer in Bears history and fan-favorite player was with the team from 2005-2015 and converted 85.4% of his field goals during his tenure. He was released just prior to the 2016 season and spent one year with the New York Giants before winding up with the 49ers. Now he wants to kick closer to home and though he has a desire to end up with the Bears again, the cards are stacked against him.

The Bears still have Cairo Santos on the roster and Poles appears to be content with keeping him for another season. Santos has been the Bears kicker since 2020 and is entering the final year of his deal with a cap hit of $4.5 million this season. Santos converted 91.3% of his field goals in 2022, nearly seven percent higher than Gould (84.4%). Though Gould has been clutch, particularly in the postseason where he has yet to miss a field goal, it would be surprising to see the Bears move away from Santos at this time.

For now, Bears fans will be left dreaming of a reunion with Gould. At least the feeling is mutual for many of them.

Adam Schefter believes Bears will get ‘unbelievable offers’ for No. 1 pick

If the Bears want to trade the No. 1 overall pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes it will net a massive return.

Even though all eyes have been on the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles this week ahead of Super Bowl LVII, the 2023 NFL Draft is still the topic of conversation among fans of the Chicago Bears.

The Bears hold the top overall selection in this year’s draft after finishing the 2022 season with the worst record in the league at 3-14 and fans have been dreaming about the possibilities of what that pick might bring in a trade with a quarterback-needy team. If one NFL insider is correct, the haul could be huge.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy on Wednesday afternoon, sharing that he believes the massive trade offers for the pick are going to come soon enough.

“I can just tell you right now, that the Bears are going to have the opportunity to listen to some unbelievable offers for the No. 1 pick,” Schefter said. “And they’re gonna have the chance to parlay that one pick – that came as a benefit from the Houston Texans, playing a game that they never should have won – into a bevy of future picks that can set up that franchise for years to come.”

Schefter did say he had not spoken to anyone specifically about offers yet, but did say Bears fans should dream big when it comes a trade.

“That pick is going to be worth a small fortune and the Bears are holding a lottery ticket if they want to cash it in,” he said.

General manager Ryan Poles stated he’s open to everything when it comes to the pick, including trading down. But chances are a deal won’t happen anytime soon.

Historically, teams don’t make any major draft trades until March at the earliest and with the NFL Combine and pro days still weeks away, any sort of deal likely won’t materialize for quite a while.

Still, Schefter is bullish on teams making the Bears an offer they cannot refuse and that’s exciting for fans who are pining for more draft picks that can help turn this team around sooner rather than later.

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Brian Urlacher isn’t a fan of the Bears signing Robert Quinn

The addition of EDGE Robert Quinn has been hailed by many as a great signing. But not everyone is happy with Quinn’s signing.

The Chicago Bears made one of the biggest splashes in free agency a couple of weeks ago when they agreed to a deal with veteran edge rusher Robert Quinn. The former Dallas Cowboy signed a five-year, $70 million contract with $30 million fully guaranteed.

The acquisition also saw the release of outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who was drafted with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Most fans were happy with the move, as Quinn will start opposite outside linebacker Khalil Mack to give the Bears a boost when it comes to pressuring the quarterback. But one Bears Hall of Famer was not among them.

Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was a guest on ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy show on Tuesday afternoon and revealed he didn’t think the team should have signed the former All-Pro.

“This isn’t a knock on the player, [but] I didn’t love the signing of Robert Quinn,” Urlacher said. “I liked him, he had a great season last year, really good football player. I just – you paid Khalil [Mack] all this money, he gets all this money. Akiem Hicks is a badass in the middle, making all this money. I understand you get rid of Floyd. But do you need to spend that much money on another guy up front?”

Urlacher went on to say he believes a healthy Hicks will greatly improve the defense and the front-seven would be fine without Quinn.

“I would think you could find someone to put pressure from that side,” Urlacher said. “Khalil is getting two guys no matter who is over there anyway, and with Akiem back, it’s going to be different. Once he’s healthy, we all saw how much he meant to their defense when he wasn’t in there.”

The former Bears’ great reiterated he thinks highly of Quinn, who had 11.5 sacks last year as a member of the Cowboys, but believes putting that much money into one part of the defense isn’t necessary.

Are you content with the amount of money the Bears reportedly gave Quinn? Or should they have spent that money on bolstering other positions such as the offensive line or wide receiver?

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Bears DE Akiem Hicks abruptly ends interview over injury remarks

During tough times, there’s usually some frustrations that occur for players, including Bears DE Akiem Hicks who ended an interview early.

When a professional sports team is going through tough times, there are certain actions that usually take place during the season. They range from teammates fighting inside the locker room and visible frustrations on the sidelines, to surprise benchings and players squabbling with the local media. That last action occurred Tuesday afternoon involving Bears star defensive end Akiem Hicks and former Chicago Bears wide receiver Tom Waddle.

Hicks, appearing for his weekly hit on ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy show, discussed topics ranging from his favorite Thanksgiving pies, his rehab progression and how he feels when fans boo his team. Things took a turn, however, when Hicks began to question the hosts’ fandom and what it means to be a real fan of the Bears following teammate running back Tarik Cohen’s comments on booing.

“If the wind blows a certain a way, don’t hop off the bandwagon,” Hicks said. “Ride with us, we’re down right now, we know that but we’re fighting to get back up. So roll with us, we didn’t do this on purpose. We didn’t try to get ourselves in this situation. But we’re doing everything that we can to climb out of this hole. So be supportive.”

Waddle, who played with the Bears from 1989-1994, then sarcastically rebutted, asking if Hicks was trying to get himself injured in Week 5 against the Oakland Raiders.

“You mean you didn’t put your arm in between those two Raiders and it popped out of joint on purpose?” he asked. “No, I’m joking.”

Hicks immediately took offense to the question. “Hey! That’s a joke?!” the Pro-Bowl lineman asked. “You think that’s a joke? You’re going to joke about somebody’s injury? No, I’m perfectly respectful. I’ll tell you what, you will not joke about an injury. You have a blessed day, this is the last time I’m on this radio station.” He then hung up.

While Waddle and co-host Marc Silverman (known on the show as “Silvy”) apologized and attempted to reconnect with Hicks, No. 96 took his frustrations to social media, tweeting: “Lol they got me! Baited me right into it. Good work đź‘Ť” He then added “You don’t joke about someone’s nearly season ending injury. It’s just not funny. Shouldn’t have lost my cool but ‘To err is human, to forgive divine.'”

This isn’t the first time a Bears player has gotten into it with the media, but situations like these rarely happen when the team is winning. Frustrations can sometimes boil over, though, and Hicks was not pleased with where the conversation was going.

Prior to the altercation, though, Hicks did reveal his rehab is progressing well.

“We’re in a good position and we’re going the right direction,” he said.

Hicks wouldn’t commit to returning in Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers, the earliest he could come back from injured reserve.

While his next appearance on Waddle & Silvy is up in the air, Hicks is working hard to return to the field at some point this season.