News Bears Team Notes

[Chicago Bears]

Report: Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Likely Out For 2025 Season

When it rains it really pours.

Star Chicago Bears Cornerback Jaylon Johnson exited Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions in the second quarter with an injury. This followed Johnson missing all of this year’s training camp, as well as the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Johnson dove to break-up a pass during the second quarter that was intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown. Johnson stayed on the turf afterward and was worked over by Bears’ trainers before walking off the field, heading to the injury tent, and ultimately exiting to the team’s locker room.

Jaylon Johnson is unbelievable pic.twitter.com/a0PK0pOX65

— Dave (@dave_bfr) September 14, 2025

During his Monday session with the media, Head Coach Ben Johnson said, “We’re still gathering some information on that (injury). It’s a new injury; it’s not related to what he had before. So we’re still trying to gather a little bit more information before we know (his status) for sure.”

Johnson went on to add, “I think what he showed yesterday in the limited reps that he did get was the ability to close on the football. I knew that he had the pass breakup, which was a big play for us that was going to be another explosive gain. So he was able to get his hand on the ball. But I do see sticky coverage, I see recoverability. He certainly can anticipate and he knows what’s coming the majority of the time.

“He does a great job with the film study. He’s a good player and he’s a Pro Bowl player for a reason.”

Johnson did not comment further on the specifics of Johnson’s injury or anticipated recovery time.

Earlier on Monday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Johnson has another groin injury and is likely to miss the remainder of the 2025 NFL season.

Sources: #Bears All-Pro CB Jaylon Johnson is likely to miss the rest of the regular season with a groin injury that will require surgery.

I’m told there is an outside chance he could return late if Chicago is in contention, but for now it’s a devastating loss for the Bears’… pic.twitter.com/HcwAtqMOXx

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 15, 2025

Johnson suffered an initial groin injury in July while training prior to training camp. He recently stated that he tore an adductor off a pelvic bone in what he described as a “freak injury” during a routine movement.

“I was doing some releases with some receivers, and honestly, I would say (it was) a freak accident,” Johnson told the media last week. “As far as the injury, (it’s the) same movement I’ve made plenty of times, and had a pretty bad, bad injury in my groin.”

Johnson was a second team All-Pro in 2023, and he is a two-time Pro Bowler (2023 and 2024). His absence was immediately apparent on Sunday as the Lions absolutely obliterated the Bears’ secondary.

With CB Kyler Gordon also out injured (week to week, per Ben Johnson), the Bears will likely rely upon Nahshon Wright and Tyrique Stevenson as starters for now. Terrell Smith was injured and lost for the season during the preseason, and 2025 fifth round draft pick Zah Frazier was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list for “personal reasons.”

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...bears-cb-jaylon-johnson-injury-out-for-season

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears vs. Lions Game Balls: Slim To None

Well, here we go again.

It’s that time of the week where we must select our game balls for the Bears most recent game.

And to that, I defer to (a slightly modified) Jim Mora.

The Bears were absolutely obliterated. Conquered. Outclassed. Em-bear-assed. Who are we supposed to award for that performance? Well there’s one clear choice, so let’s get to it.

Offense Game Ball: WR Rome Odunze​

If there’s been one clear cut winner already this season, it’s Odunze. He has clearly ascended to Bears #1 WR. Some thought it might take another year for that to happen, but he’s already cemented himself as the go-to target for QB Caleb Williams in his second season.

In Sunday’s loss to the Lions, Odunze hauled in seven passes and finished the game with two touchdown catches. His longest catch was a 37 yard touchdown in the first quarter, a beautiful design from Head Coach Ben Johnson.

CALEB TO ROME.

CHIvsDET on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2Vq7PQO78y

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

He also broke some ankles.

Rome Odunze pic.twitter.com/nN4Ssm4kkJ

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 15, 2025

Odunze is tied with Amon-Ra St. Brown for most touchdown catches in the NFL right now (3). All of St. Brown’s came against the Bears, because of course they did.

Further, Odunze is ninth in the league in receiving yards (165) and tied for 12th in receptions (13). At this pace, Odunze would finish the year with over 1,400 yards receiving. He is looking every bit the part of a top ten pick

Yes, he did have at least one drop in the game and still has room for improvement, but he was one of the Bears’ few bright spots on Sunday.

Defense Game Ball: Nobody​

Are you kidding me? Giving up 52 points?

Jim…

There’s no chance we will award anyone from this unit a game ball for Sunday’s shameful performance. They put no pressure on Jared Goff, who looked like a pro playing against a Pop Warner team. Tyrique Stevenson was absolutely horrendous in coverage, having zero answers. Anyone seen Montez Sweat lately?

Montez Sweat has 1 sack in his last 8 games for the #DaBears

He is making $1.126 million per game this year. pic.twitter.com/fxO9tfmNG3

— Ryan Droste (@ryandroste) September 15, 2025

The Lions were literally laughing at and mocking the Bears during the game. Hopefully when the Bears field a good team again (a big ask around these parts), the members of the team who are still around on that team (probably not many) will remember this one and get some revenge.

When it comes to points scored, this was one of the 10 worst games in the history of the Chicago Bears franchise. The team has only given up 50 or more points 10 times, ever. The last time was against the Packers in November 2014. The less said about that season the better.

The Chicago Bears defense has given up 73 points in their last five quarters of football. And with Jaylon Johnson out for the season, it’s hard to see things getting any better. Dennis Allen has his work cut out for him.

Special Teams Game Ball: Nobody​

Oh come on. No chance.

After a week of Cairo Santos debate, he comes out and promptly kicks the ball out of bounds on the opening kickoff.

Are you kidding me?

Game balls?

Bryan Orenchuk and myself will have plenty to say this week on a new episode of Bears Over Beers. We’ll be live on Wednesday night on the 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel, or available on demand via your favorite podcasting platform after. Our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms.

Who would have received your game balls? Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...ears-vs-detroit-lions-game-balls-slim-to-none

 

[Chicago Bears]

Week 3 Chicago Bears power rankings round up

The Chicago Bears are 0-2 and just got stomped by the Detroit Lions.

It’s another rough start for fans, who have had a rough decade.

But enough commiserating. The NFL world moves fast and we have to move on to week three.

There are plenty of teams that have it as bad or worse than Chicago.

But those are just kind of empty words right now with how bleak it feels for Bears fans.

Anyway, let’s just get to this week’s power rankings.

WCG – Aaron Leming

26. Chicago Bears (0-2) Previous Week: 23

The three-time offseason champions are off to another underwhelming start. Following their Week 1 fourth-quarter letdown, they laid a giant egg on the road in Ben Johnson’s homecoming to Detroit. On the plus side, quarterback Caleb Williams looked considerably better. Outside of that, it was all bad on Sunday afternoon.

The Athletic – Josh Kendall and Chad Graff

25. Chicago Bears (24 last week) Last week: 24

Sunday: Lost to Lions 52-21

Overreaction: Rome Odunze has turned a corner

The No. 9 pick from the 2024 draft had seven catches for a career-high 128 yards and two touchdowns to provide the only silver lining to the Bears’ dark cloud Sunday. It was just the third 100-yard game of his career and his first since Week 8 last year. Odunze is tied for the league lead with three receiving touchdowns after two weeks. (We won’t talk about the No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft just yet.)

NFL.com – Eric Edholm

22. Chicago Bears (18) Even the most patient Bears fan had to look away Sunday. Chicago was nominally in the game for most of the first half, but the wheels came off quickly and never found their way back to the axle. I’m still not completely burying this team because I think it will get better. But how do you walk away from this beatdown in Detroit without some serious measure of concern? The offense had two turnovers and was stopped twice on fourth down. The Bears got themselves into a slew of long-yardage situations they couldn’t find their way out of, even with Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze making some big plays. Defensively, Chicago was atrocious, allowing Detroit 15 plays of 10-plus yards. Fifteen! The Bears have two more games before the Week 5 bye, and neither one (vs. Cowboys, at Raiders) is a gimme.

Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab

25. Chicago Bears (21) In the Bears’ past five quarters, they’ve given up 73 points. J.J. McCarthy’s struggles in Week 2 make Chicago’s defensive failure in the opener look even worse. It doesn’t matter how Caleb Williams plays if his defense is giving up almost 15 points per quarter.

CBS Sports – Pete Prisco

24. Chicago Bears (21) So much for the idea that Ben Johnson would turn things around right away. Then again, it’s way too early to panic or judge.

ESPN – Courtney Cronin

26. Chicago Bears (24) Biggest QB takeaway: Caleb Williams is a work in progress

Williams was better against the Lions (19-of-30, 207 yards, 2 TDs, INT) after second-half accuracy issues plagued him versus the Vikings. His development in the pocket is an encouraging sign, as is his chemistry with receiver Rome Odunze (3 TDs in two games), but Williams’ decision-making could still improve. There was a play against Detroit on which he needed to throw the ball away but threw an interception instead. Coach Ben Johnson said the Bears would not look like a finished product in the first month. That holds true for Williams and his mastery of playing quarterback in this system.

PFT – Mike Florio

26. Bears (No. 18; 0-2): On Friday, Ben Johnson didn’t want to talk about the Vikings game. By Sunday night, he probably would’ve preferred it.

The Ringer – Diante Lee

28. Chicago Bears (25) When a defense gives up 52 points, the first topic of conversation can’t be the quarterback, even if that quarterback is Caleb Williams. While the clip of Williams’s interception on second-and-32 was making the rounds on social media, people spent more time debating whether Williams is a bust than focusing their energy on just how awful Chicago was playing around him.

The Bears are currently tied for the league’s worst rushing attack and have the worst defense by DVOA, and now cornerback Jaylon Johnson may miss the rest of the season with a groin injury. Williams certainly hasn’t been a franchise saver thus far, but the Bears haven’t even begun to build a competitive product around him yet.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...ngs/98559/week-3-chicago-bears-power-rankings

 

[Chicago Bears]

Can Tom Brady Wear Two Hats?

The Ongoing Controversy Due to Brady’s Dual Role as a Sports Broadcaster and Team Owner

When Tom Brady was hired to be in the booth as a color commentator for Fox’s NFL game broadcast last year, many eyebrows among those who cover the NFL were raised, as Tom Brady is also a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. This set up a potential conflict of interest – as color commentators and broadcast journalists are often given significant access to the coaches and players of the teams they cover, so as to enhance their in-game reporting and commentary. The league’s owners voted to approve Brady’s minority stake in the Raiders, and he was allowed to retain that stake, despite being hired by Fox as a sports journalist. Last season, the NFL placed significant restrictions on Tom Brady’s access – which included a ban from production meetings and attending practices at team facilities.

Tom Brady's restrictions because of his Raiders ownership. pic.twitter.com/LVOBUtOs1P

— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) July 30, 2025

The NFL relaxed some of those restrictions for the Super Bowl coverage, and the NFL decided to carry over the more permissive conditions this season. But, as the season has opened, questions about the propriety of having a part-owner also serve as a color commentator for games have arisen once again. What sparked the controversy anew was a screenshot of Tom Brady sitting in the coach’s booth of the Las Vegas Raiders. While the NFL contends that no rules were broken by Brady, the appearance of Brady in the coach’s booth with a headset on set off a firestorm of reactions on social media.

Tom Brady is in the #Raiders coaches booth tonight: pic.twitter.com/eCH4nmTuKa

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 16, 2025

Thus, the concerns about a conflict of interest between Brady’s NFL coverage as a color commentator for Fox and his ownership interest in the Las Vegas Raiders hit the headlines. The Brady situation drew the attention of Chicago Bears beat reporters in addition to national sports writers and journalists, as the week after Tom Brady covers the game between the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys for Fox, the Bears will play the Raiders in Las Vegas.

This Sunday, Raiders minority owner Tom Brady will call America's Game of the Week on Fox when the Dallas Cowboys visit the Chicago Bears.

Chicago's Week 4 opponent? Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/kY4UhaIIZb

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 16, 2025

"If you're the Bears and Tom Brady comes in, knowing you play the Raiders the following week, then how forthcoming are you?"

– DP on Tom Brady being spotted with a headset on in the #Raiders coaching booth last night. pic.twitter.com/vKJZUHswhu

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) September 16, 2025

The TV analyst who will be calling Sunday’s Bears game a week before they play the Raiders pic.twitter.com/zKXWm0Yen4

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) September 16, 2025

In response to this controversy, the NFL announced that it was reinstating some of the restrictions on Brady’s participation in production meetings and player interviews:

NFL announced today that Tom Brady, a minority owner with the Raiders and a broadcaster for Fox, is “prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings.” But he is allowed to sit in the coaches’ booth, per the league.https://t.co/gapNlq6lZ0

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2025

Still, while Brady cannot go to the team facility to conduct player interviews, he is permitted to interview players off-site. Clearly, the NFL hopes the reinstated restriction on attendance at production meetings will tamp down the discussion of Brady’s dual roles, but I suspect we will continue to see this issue percolate under the surface, bubbling up on occasion when the optics are bad, as they were with Brady in the coach’s booth. As long as Brady is trying to wear both the sports journalist hat and the team owner hat, he is going to face scrutiny.

What do you think about Brady serving as a sports broadcaster and team owner? Sound off in the comments!

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/n...brady-wear-two-hats-nfl-bears-raiders-cowboys

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears Over Beers: Caleb Williams Taking Undeserved Heat?

Welcome to the latest episode of Bears Over Beers! This week, join our hosts Ryan Droste and Bryan Orenchuk as they get you ready for week three of the 2025 Chicago Bears season!

Join the guys this week as they talk about yet another Chicago Bears season spiraling out of control. Final thoughts on the Bears’ loss to the Detroit Lions and a look ahead to a week three showdown with Matt Eberflus and the Dallas Cowboys. And what do we think of the heat Caleb Williams continues to take?

So come hang out with us on our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel and get in on the fun.

Come hang out with us on YouTube or watch in the embed here:

You can also listen to the podcast version here or wherever podcasts are found:

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Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...r-beers-caleb-williams-taking-undeserved-heat

 

[Chicago Bears]

Dolphins vs Bills Thursday Night Football Open Thread

The Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills face off in an AFC East match-up tonight, live on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

The (0-2) Dolphins are an 11.5-point underdog to the (2-0) Bills, and these two franchises are going in opposite directions. Buffalo is a legit Super Bowl contender, while many fans are already calling for a head coaching change in Miami.

Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel had his team in the playoffs his first two years, but last year they fell to (8-9), and losses to the Colts and Patriots this year have his seat hot.

The Bills won a shoot-out week one against the Ravens, and last week they demolished the Jets. Quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning NFL MVP, and he’ll be in the mix again this season.

This will be your open thread for the game, and don’t forget that means the comment section is rated WCG-MA.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/g...-vs-bills-thursday-night-football-open-thread

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears Open Thread Question of the Day: Who are the Bears cornerstones?

Entering the 2025 season, the hope was that the foundation laid by Ryan Poles would prove solid and that Ben Johnson could quickly use the raw materials present to build up towards success.

It looks like Poles has once again selected high end finishes before properly reinforcing the base.

In a season already marred by questionable depth, bad DL play, and poor discipline – who can we rely on moving forward? What can Ben Johnson build upon while he retools this roster?

It’s hard to see a car crash, and want to look at it closer, frame by frame. But that’s what we are going to do today. With that, I ask:

Who are the Bears’ cornerstones moving forward? ​

My criteria – which may differ from your criteria – is that these players/coaches need to be viewed as being critical to the Bears for at least the next five years. That rules out vets like Thuney, Jarrett, and Byard, as well as players that don’t appear to be in the plans after the current contract like Braxton Jones and Cole Kmet.

Tier 1​

I think the most clear cornerstone we need to establish is Ben Johnson (Age 39, signed through 2029).

Despite the early returns, Johnson comes from strong pedigree, has already earned high marks from those around the organization, and has presented well in his media opportunities. Johnson has the makings of a coach that can balance creativity with leadership, and that alone should make Bears fans confident that he is the center of the Bears for the foreseeable future.

Next up is Caleb Williams (Age 23, signed through 2027 with club option for 2028).

While I think the Bears would move on from Caleb before Ben, there should be a lot of confidence that Williams will be the face of the franchise moving forward. His rookie season was measured against the remarkable standards set by Daniels and Stroud, so his performance hasn’t gotten the due it deserves. He has already proven to be elite in arm talent and evading pressure, and is showing improvement in accuracy and processing. Assuming that the current trend continues, the marriage between Johnson and Williams is the bed rock for the Bears future.

Tier 2​

From there, things get a little murkier. However, I think there are a few players that are both young and proven (enough) to suggest that they are cornerstone talents.

The first of which is Jaylon Johnson (Age 26, signed through 2027).

While JJ’s likely season ending injury might put a little more doubt on his cornerstone status, he has still shown to be an elite level player when healthy. And elite level players have been few and far between on the Bears roster in recent years. Expect Johnson to remain a mainstay on this defense moving forward.

Next, I have Rome Odunze (Age 23, signed through 2027 with club option for 2028).

Rome’s rookie season was up and down, with him finishing with a respectable 734 yards receiving and 3 TDs. However, the start to his 2025 season has shown he has another gear. After his breakout performance against the Lions, Odunze is already on pace for 1,400+ yards and north of 20 TDs cementing himself as the WR1 of the future.

From there, I have Darnell Wright (Age 24, signed through 2026 with club option for 2027).

While Wright’s had some consistency issues, where he is prone to giving up an occasional sack or take a bad penalty, he has shown elite strength and speed early in his career. Already in his third season, Wright is the Bears’ best lineman and a valuable piece moving forward.

Tier 3​

This is where things break a little bit for me, which is a problem given only four players have been named so far. The following players are either too new (rookies) or need things to break positively in terms of development or injuries.

The first in this grouping is Kyler Gordon (Age 25, signed through 2028).

Gordon has immense talent and has become one of the most unique defenders in the NFL when he is on the field. And that’s where the problem lies – he isn’t on the field nearly enough. He has already missed 9 games in his first 3 seasons, and another 2 to start the 2025 schedule. If he is to establish himself further as a cornerstone piece, he will need to prove more durable.

The next two players are Colston Loveland (Age 21, signed through 2028 with club option for 2029) and Luther Burden III (Age 21, signed through 2028).

Both Loveland and Burden have immense talent and potential. Both of them are both still very young and behind veterans on the depth chart. It is too early to say with certainty that either player is going to be elite, average, or a bust – however, it is clear that both players are major parts of the Bears plan moving forward.

Players Considered​

• Jaquan Brisker: Brisker has the talent to be an important piece for the Bears moving forward, but he simply has not done enough on the field to validate his status as a cornerstone piece.
• Drew Dalman: Dalman was signed to a large contract for a Center, which suggests that he is a valuable piece for at least the next few years. However, it is too early to evaluate his likelihood of remaining on the Bears in 5 years and beyond.
• DJ Moore: Perhaps the most painful omission, Moore has been a cornerstone piece of the Bears since he arrived in 2023. With the emergence of Rome Odunze, the drafting of Luther Burden, and his contract likely being reconsidered in 2027 during is age 30 season, it’s too difficult to say with certainty that he is a cornerstone player.

There you have it. Those are my cornerstone Bears moving forward. After going through this exercise, one thing is painfully clear: the Bears simply do not have enough top end talent. Let’s hope that we can add another player or two to the list by season’s end.

Now it’s your turn! Who do you consider the Bears’ cornerstones moving forward? Sound off in the comments!

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/n...ion-of-the-day-who-are-the-bears-cornerstones

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears vs. Cowboys: How to watch and listen, previews, odds, and more

This feels like a turning point game for the Chicago Bears. After two disappointing losses to open the season, head coach Ben Johnson sent a message to his team that their effort and practice habits need to improve.

The players who met the media said the right things during the week, and Johnson said things looked better when he held his press conference, so we’ll see if that translates on Sunday.

In two games, the Dallas Cowboys have played to the level of their competition with a close loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles and an overtime win against the Giants. This game could go either way, and it’ll likely come down to which offense can protect the quarterback best against two shaky pass rushes.

GAME INFO​

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday, September 21, from Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The weather will be cloudy, with a high of 76, and a slight chance of rain.

TELEVISION​

The game will air on FOX with Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady on the call, and if you live in the red of this 506sports.com map, then you’ll get to see the game.

RADIO​

ESPN Chicago (1000 AM, 100.3 FM HD2) with Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, and Jason McKie on the call, and LATINO MIX 93.5 FM (Spanish) with Omar Ramos.

The Bears game can also be heard on SiriusXM.

GAME PREVIEWS​

Our team has a bunch of Bears vs. Cowboys previews that you can find in this week’s story stream here.

You can also listen to Taylor Doll’s Bears-Lions Making Monsters preview show on our 2nd City Gridiron channels, featuring her interview with former Bear Tom Waddle and former Cowboy coach Dave Campo.

PODCAST PREVIEW

VIDEO PREVIEW

Our entire 2nd City Gridiron Podcast library can be found here: ​

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ODDS​

The last time I checked the odds from our partners at FanDuel, the oddsmakers had the Bears favored at -1.5 points, with the game’s point total over/under at 50.5.

If you’re looking for a few player props, check out Bill Zimmerman’s picks here.

POSTGAME​

This season, we have a brand new postgame show, so tune into our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel shortly after each Bears game for Wrap It Up with Jacob Infante! We’ll push it to our podcast channel as soon as possible after Jacob ends his live show.

Our day-after Bears game recap show is back for another season, so tune in for Bear & Balanced on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. CT for a cooled-down review from Jeff Berckes and Lester Wiltfong on 2nd City Gridiron. Once they press stop on the show, you can catch the audio on our podcast channel.

Plus, we’ll have several articles here at WCG breaking down the game that you can find in our Chicago vs. Dallas story stream.

Our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms, so hit subscribe wherever you get your audio. Our YouTube home is also called 2nd City Gridiron, so subscribe there for our pods and other video content.

The 2nd City Gridiron team now has a merchandise store! Support your favorite content creators right here!​

Click on our names to follow our Windy City Gridiron and 2nd City Gridiron teams on Twitter: Gary Baugher Jr.; Jeff Berckes; Dr. Patti Curl; Sarah DeNicolo; Ryan Droste; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Dan Durkin; Taylor Doll; Donald Gooch; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Evan McLean; Dr. Ken Mitchell; Danny Meehan; Bryan Orenchuk; Ross Read: Jack R Salo; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; Khari Thompson; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; T.J. Starman; Khari Thompson; Dr. Mason West; Bill Zimmerman; 2nd City Gridiron; Like WCG on Facebook; Like 2nd City Gridiron on Facebook.

HOMAGE X Starter Bears Gridiron Jacket​

Vintage football attitude in a luxe package: our Chicago Bears HOMAGE x Starter Gridiron Jacket is built for the sidelines, with all the classic details of the original: full-snap buttons, slip pockets, elbow stripes and the essential interior patch. Game days just got a whole lot better. Pay homage.

Where to Buy:​

• $145 at HOMAGE

STARTER Chicago Bears Pullover Jacket​

It’s back: HOMAGE is proud to reissue the iconic STARTER NFL Pullover jacket in an exclusive limited edition release. A certified nineties throwback, this water-resistant jacket built for every team in the league features a classic kangaroo pocket with velcro and zip closure, quilted satin interior, front and back team patch and adjustable hood.

Where to Buy:​

• $160 at Homage

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...ow-to-watch-and-listen-previews-odds-and-more

 

[Chicago Bears]

Covert: ‘85 Bears would have beaten Dolphins by similar score in Super Bowl

Our next episode of ‘85 at 40 has dropped, and we spoke with Hall of Fame Tackle Jimbo Covert!

The Chicago Bears legend joined the podcast to discuss the greatness of the ‘85 Bears, the offensive line being the unsung heroes of that team, what it was like blocking for Walter Payton and Jim McMahon, and what it was like to practice against that defense.

He also discussed his relationship with Dan Marino, the lone loss to the Miami Dolphins this year. However, when we asked him if the team really wanted to get revenge against the Dolphins in the Super Bowl (Miami had lost to New England in the AFC Championship game), his answer was interesting.

“It didn’t really matter,” Covert explained. “At the end of the day, it didn’t really matter if you played the Dolphins in the Super Bowl and beat them, you still would be 18-1. You wouldn’t be undefeated. Beating them wouldn’t make you undefeated, and I don’t think it would have changed our legacy either… Would I have rather have played the Dolphins in the Super Bowl? Absolutely. I think it would have been a hell of a game. I think the score would have been similar to what we beat the Patriots by. I think our team was on a roll, and we would have had a much different game plan offensively as well.”

Jim gave some really thoughtful, fantastic answers. It’s a podcast that is well worth your time.

If you want to check out the video version of the interview, you can do that on the 2nd City Gridiron YouTube page below:

If you want to listen to the podcast, you can do so on the 2nd City Gridiron Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts, or use the player below:

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Our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms, so hit subscribe wherever you get your audio. Our YouTube home is also called 2nd City Gridiron, so subscribe there for our pods and other video content.

The 2nd City Gridiron team now has a merchandise store! Support your favorite content creators right here!​

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...eaten-dolphins-by-similar-score-in-super-bowl

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears place Jaylon Johnson and Kiran Amegadjie on injured reserve

On Saturday, the Chicago Bears made the expected move of placing starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson on injured reserve with a groin injury, and they also unexpectedly placed reserve offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie on IR.

Amegadjie was listed as limited at Wednesday’s practice with an elbow injury, and he did not practice on Thursday or Friday. He was inactive for the first two games this season.

Johnson missed much of the offseason after injuring himself working out on his own before training camp, and he only played 20 snaps last week in his season debut before exiting. Initial reports were that he would miss significant time, but the Bears haven’t set a timetable.

Both players would be eligible to come off IR after four games.

Chicago filled one roster spot by signing defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon to the active roster from the practice squad. Kpassagnon was elevated for both games this season, racking up three tackles and a sack, while playing in 32 snaps on defense and 12 on special teams.

The Bears also elevated cornerback Dallis Flowers and linebacker Carl Jones Jr. from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Jones was also elevated for the season opener, and he played in 22 third-phase snaps, making a tackle. Flowers was signed to the practice squad on September 9, and he’s played in 23 games in his three-year career.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...e-on-injured-reserve-transaction-roster-moves

 

[Chicago Bears]

NFL Week 3 Early Games & Sunday Night Football Open Thread

With the Chicago Bears drawing a late afternoon kickoff time slot today against the Dallas Cowboys, we had to give the WCG faithful a place to talk about the early games, so this will be your open thread (Rated WCG-MA).

Here’s the full slate of Noon (CT) games.

Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers

Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets

Washington Commanders at Las Vegas Raiders

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

The Bears and Cowboys kick off at 3:25 p.m. CT, and everything you need to know about it can be found in this link.

When the Bears game ends, you can pop back over here to talk about the Sunday nighter, and tomorrow we’ll run it back for the Monday nighter.

Sunday Night Football

New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs

Monday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/g...early-games-sunday-night-football-open-thread

 

[Chicago Bears]

NFL Week 4 Odds: Bears open as a 1.5 point underdog to the Raiders

Our partners at FanDuel Sportsbook have some early Week 4 odds, and they have the (1-2) Chicago Bears at +1.5 for their road game on Sunday (September 28) against the (1-2) Las Vegas Raiders. The over/under point total for the game is 47.5.

Chicago’s offense woke up today against the Dallas Cowboys in their 31 to 14 win, while the Raiders were just beaten down by the Washington Commanders, 41 to 24. Las Vegas quarterback Geno Smith threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns in the game, with all three scores going to receiver Tre Tucker (145 receiving yards). Vegas’ rookie running back Ashton Jeanty had the best game of his young career with 63 yards on 17 rushes. The Commanders offense racked up 201 rushing yards against the Raiders, and the Vegas defense only managed to get one sack on back up Washington quarterback Marcus Mariota.

After losing their first two games of the season agianst 2024 playoff teams (Vikings and Lions), the Bears looked much better on Sunday afternoon against the Cowboys.

The Raiders lost a Week 2 to the Chagers, and they beat the Patriots in the season opener, so they are also 0-2 against 2024 playoff teams.

Chicago QB Caleb Williams has improved in Ben Johnson’s offense each week, and if he continues to make strides, the Bears should be able to cover the 1.5 points on the road. I also like the over on the point total, as each defense has been inconsistent in their three games.

The Bears have yet to lose to the “Las Vegas” Raiders, and they have a (9-8) edge all time against the Raider franchise.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...rdog-to-the-raiders-geno-smith-caleb-williams

 

[Chicago Bears]

5 Bears scouting reports from win over Cowboys

The Bears picked up their first win of the Ben Johnson era on Sunday, pulling away from the Cowboys with a 31-14 win in Week 3.

As the score would attest, there’s a lot of positive that the Bears displayed on tape this week. Most of that comes on the offensive side of the ball, but seeing as though that’s where a lot of the fanbase’s interest lies, that’s a pretty good thing. It was certainly one of the best performances Caleb Williams has put together in his NFL career thus far, and it’s ironic that it came against a team that had former head coach Matt Eberflus as their defensive coordinator.

As I did all of last year, I will be publishing five scouting reports on the performance of Bears players that fans want to hear about the most. All five of these scouting reports will go up on my Patreon every week as soon as I have finished breaking down the All-22 tape. You can join as a subscriber and receive all of my exclusive Bears and NFL Draft content for as low as $1 a month, or you can buy individual scouting reports for $3 each as you see fit.

Like last year, I will post one of my five scouting reports for free here on Windy City Gridiron for every game the Bears play, both in the preseason and in the regular season. This week, I broke down the tape of the following players:

• QB Caleb Williams
• LB Noah Sewell
• CB Tyrique Stevenson
• WR Luther Burden
• WR Rome Odunze

To give you a preview of what the scouting reports look like, here’s my one-page breakdown on how Caleb Williams looked on Sunday:

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...hicago-bears-film-study-week-3-dallas-cowboys

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bear & Balanced: Ben Johnson notches first Bears win

Here’s a “fun fact.” In all the years we’ve been doing Bear & Balanced, we’ve had to talk about a Chicago Bears loss 49 times and about a win just 21 times.

But today, for the 22nd time, on our cooled-down post-game show, we not only get to talk about a win, but we get to talk about Ben Johnson’s first win as Bears’ head coach, and we get to talk about a pretty good game from Caleb Williams.

The Bears won 31 to 14, but it wasn’t just the offense that showed up; Dennis Allen’s much-maligned defense settled in and made some big plays, too.

As much as we try to keep a balanced perspective on things, I have a feeling we’ll be skewed a bit more towards the positive this week!

Check out JB and Lester on their latest Bear & Balanced right here (or on YouTube) live at 6:00 p.m. CT, or anytime after.

Podcast version right here:

Here’s our usual bullet point outline of Bear & Balanced.​

• Intro: We’ll both share some general thoughts about the game.
• Trench Tribute: This is our weekly pick for the best Bears lineman.
• Caught up in a numbers game: This segment features one number or statistic from the game that we found interesting.
• Sweet Tweets: We’re both active on social media — so be sure you’re all following us at @gridironborn & @wiltfongjr — and we highlight one Twitter interaction/Tweet each week. We’re both also on the Bluesky here and here.
• The Caleb Corner: We talk about quarterback Caleb Williams before we take our commercial break.
• The 3 Bears: You all know the story of the Three Bears, don’t you? In this porridge-themed portion of the show, we give our picks for the Bear that was hot, the Bear that was cold, and the Bear that was just right in the game against the Cowboys.

Our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms, so hit subscribe wherever you get your audio. Our YouTube home is also called 2nd City Gridiron, so subscribe there for our pods and other video content.

The 2nd City Gridiron team now has a merchandise store! Support your favorite content creators right here!​

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...tches-first-win-caleb-williams-trench-tribute

 

[Chicago Bears]

Stock up, stock down: Bears-Cowboys review

It’s so nice to be back on the winning side for a week.

Hopefully, it becomes more regular, but we know that this season will have its ups and downs as the new coaches and schemes take time to find their footing. Not to mention the injury woes.

As badly as the first two games of the season went, and as negative as the fans were feeling, I’m not sure many saw a win coming in such a commanding manner.

No one needs to remind us the Dallas Cowboys’ defense is bad. But wins aren’t easy to come by in the NFL, no matter how much talent the team or the opponent has.

Let’s keep the celebrations going and enjoy this win. And find a few players that need to step up.

Stock up​

Caleb Williams, QB – Just six feet shy of 300 yards and four touchdowns, how can you not put QB1 on the up list? His 62-yards-in-the-air pass was a thing of beauty. And that was just one of three or four “watch it again” plays the quarterback made.

Absolute cinema.

: FOX pic.twitter.com/CDj4C4Eafb

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 21, 2025

Tyrique Stevenson, CB – The much-maligned corner rebounded strongly against the Cowboys, just when the Bears are going to have to lean heavily on the third-year player. His first drive forced fumble set the tone for the game and he finished with two pass breakups.

Luther Burden III, WR – A quiet start to the season led to fans and the media alike to start asking ‘where are your highly drafted offensive skill players?’ Against Dallas they started to show up. None was bigger than Burden, who was at the receiving end of Caleb’s electric flea flicker pass. He finished the day with his first-career 100-yard game and he did it on just three catches. He was the first Bears receiver with 100 yards on three or fewer catches since Bernard Berrian in week four 2006.

Honorable mention​

Braxton Jones, LT – I have to mention Jones. He gave up zero pressures on Sunday. He’s caught a lot of flak and was singled out by coaches. Braxton bounced back in a big way, albeit against lesser competition than he’s faced so far this year. But it’s still progress worth celebrating.

Stock down​

Darnell Wright, RT – It’s not so much his blocking, he’s been fine there. It’s the penalties. He had two more on Sunday. One was an ineligible man downfield and the other was a holding call.

Nahshon Wright, CB – The defense is going to be in deep trouble without Jaylon Johnson for several more weeks. Stevenson stepping up helps, but Wright is a liability. He was torched Sunday and was picked on over and over again. The defensive backfield depth is not going to help the Bears.

Grady Jarrett, DT – It’s been reported he’s playing with an injury. I get that. But he was a big free agent signing and he basically was invisible in the box score Sunday. He finished with just one tackle. Through three games, he four tackles and three QB hits.

Who is up and down in your world this week? Let me know in the comments.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/chicago-bears-news/99065/stock-up-stock-down-bears-cowboys-review

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears Week 4 Confidence Survey

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bears fans and fans nationwide. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Are you seeing improvement in your Chicago Bears?

Is it enough to give you confidence in the franchise moving forward?

Caleb Wiliams just put up one of the better, if not the best, games of his young career. Head coach Ben Johnson just notched his first win. Both Caleb and Rome Odunze are among the league leaders at their respective positions. Even the much-maligned defense came through to hold the Dallas Cowboys to 14 points, while taking the ball away four times and picking up two sacks.

The drop in competition to the Dallas Cowboys, from Minnesota and Detroit in weeks one and two, certainly helped, but you can only play the teams on the schedule.

And be honest, when the Cowboys climbed back and tied the game at 14 in the first half, part of you thought, ‘Same old Bears. Here we go again.’

But not this time!

This time, they settled down, bounced back, and handled their business against a team they needed to beat. That’s the first step into no longer being considered a bad football team.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...idence-survey-poll-caleb-williams-ben-johnson

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears vs. Raiders Injury Report: Several Starters DNP

As the Chicago Bears prepare for the fourth game of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders, both teams have released their first official injury report for week 4.

The Bears’ injury woes continue, with several starters not practicing on Wednesday. That includes starting RT Darnell Wright, who sat out due to an elbow injury.

Altogether, the five Bears listed as DNP (did not practice) were: LB TJ Edwards (hamstring), DB Kyler Gordon (hamstring), DL Grady Jarrett (knee), TE Colston Loveland (hip), and OL Darnell Wright (elbow).

Practicing in a limited capacity were DB Jaylon Jones (hamstring), TE Cole Kmet (groin), and RB D’Andre Swift (hip).

LB D’Marco Jackson (hamstring) was a full participant.

#Bears Wednesday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/dkKR8neTnf

— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) September 24, 2025

It’s not surprising to see Edwards and Gordon continued appearances on the injury report. As their injuries have dragged on, it always seemed most likely that they would be out of action until after the week five bye week.

Wright is somewhat of a surprise as a DNP on the list. He injured his elbow during last Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, but he returned to the game. Hopefully this is just a precautionary measure and he’ll be good to go against Las Vegas. Loveland was also injured in the Cowboys game.

Obviously, it’s far from ideal to see the team’s top two TEs on the list, and Jarrett has been a consistent presence on the list for the last few weeks (week one has been the only week this season so far where he was not a DNP on Wednesday).

The Raiders have not released their injury report yet, but we will provide it when they do.

The Bears take on the Raiders this Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game takes place at 3:25 p.m. (Chicago time).

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...as-raiders-injury-report-several-starters-dnp

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears Over Beers: Chicago Prepares To Take Over Las Vegas

Welcome to the latest episode of Bears Over Beers! This week, join our hosts Ryan Droste and Bryan Orenchuk as they get you ready for week four of the 2025 Chicago Bears season!

Grab a cold beverage and join Ryan and Bryan as they give their final thoughts on the Bears’ big win over the Dallas Cowboys. Then, they look ahead to the big week four match-up in Las Vegas between the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders.

So come hang out with us on our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel and get in on the fun.

Come hang out with us on YouTube or watch in the embed here:

You can also listen to the podcast version here or wherever podcasts are found:

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Our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms, so hit subscribe wherever you get your audio. Our YouTube home is also called 2nd City Gridiron, so subscribe there for our pods and other video content.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...icago-prepares-to-take-over-las-vegas-raiders

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bear Bones: Getting you ready for Bears vs Raiders

It’s a battle of two one-win teams as the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders meet up on Sunday afternoon.

On a brand new Bear Bones podcast, Dr. Mason West and Danny Meehan will get you ready for the game by diving into each team’s roster, their injuries, and some specific matchups. They’ll also hit on some league-wide topics for what should be an exciting fourth week of NFL action.

Check out the show in the embed below at 5:00 p.m. CT, or you can visit our YouTube channel and hang out with the fellas!

Once the podcast version is available, we’ll share it here:

Our 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Audacy, and other popular podcast platforms, so hit subscribe wherever you get your audio. Our YouTube home is also called 2nd City Gridiron, so subscribe there for our pods and other video content.

The 2nd City Gridiron team now has a merchandise store! Support your favorite content creators right here!​

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...r-bears-vs-raiders-ben-johnson-caleb-williams

 

[Chicago Bears]

5 Questions with Silver and Black Pride: Bears push to get back to .500.

Chicago Bears fans are riding high after an elite performance from Caleb Williams and a victory over the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. This week, the Bears turn their attention to the Las Vegas Raiders as they look to even up their record at .500 after an 0-2 start.

To help get you set for the Bears’ week 4 matchup, we sat down with Matt Holder from Siler and Black Pride, SB Nation’s Las Vegas Raiders website, to help get the perspective of the opponent before this one kicks off. Here’s our Q&A with Matt.

---

1. What are the fans’ thoughts on the early returns from the new Pete Carroll regime? Two straight losses, but also two difficult games, are fans optimistic?

I think optimism would be higher had they not gotten blown out by the Washington Commanders with a backup quarterback. Had it been a tight game and Jayden Daniels was behind center, 1-2 with both losses coming against reigning playoff teams wouldn’t feel so bad. But the Raiders weren’t even competitive last week, which makes it feel like they’re a long way away from being a playoff contender and has soured the fanbase on Carroll a bit.

It also doesn’t help his cause that the offensive line has been terrible, and his son, Brennan, is the offensive line coach. That has been a hot topic of discussion this week, as many are already calling for Brennan to be fired and feel that Pete made a nepotism hire.

2. How concerned are you about Geno Smith at this point? He has not looked good in the last two games. I know the box score looked good in week three, but that largely seemed to be in the fourth quarter after the game was out of reach.

A: I can agree that Smith hasn’t been “good” in the last two weeks, and I will be the first one to admit he was terrible against the Chargers. However, I’d say he was fine last week and was far from the Raiders’ biggest problem. So, I’ll acknowledge that Geno needs to play better moving forward, but I’m not that concerned about him right now. He was sharp in Week 1 and is still getting comfortable working with a new set of teammates and in a new system.

3. How has Ashton Jeanty looked? Many Bears fans were hoping the Bears would land Jeanty in the draft, but obviously, he didn’t make it that far. The stats haven’t looked good, but it also looks like there might be some issues out of his control.

A: Jeanty can do a better job of being patient in the backfield to let the holes develop, but the primary reason for his underwhelming production is that the offensive line has been terrible. Fantasy Life’s Ian Hartitz posted a stat on X/Twitter that was pretty eye-opening: 101 percent of Jeanty’s rushing yards have come after contact this season. He has 144 rushing yards on the season and 146 rushing yards after contact.

Las Vegas’ line is really struggling in the run game right now, especially on the interior. During the second half of last season, the Raiders seemed to figure out the lineup in the trenches, where Jordan Meredith was at left guard, Jackson Powers-Johnson was at center, and Dylan Parham was the right guard. But, for some reason, the new coaching staff decided to flip that around completely, putting Parham on the left side, Meredith at the pivot, and Powers-Johnson on the right. Free-agent addition Alex Cappa has lined up at right guard the last two weeks, and Cappa has been terrible, too.

The frustrating part, and this circles back to your first question, is that Carroll said this week that they won’t be going back to last year’s lineup. I don’t know what it’s going to take to get the coaching staff to admit their mistake, but their rookie running back is suffering the consequences of it right now.

All of that being said, there were a few plays last week where the line held up and Jeanty managed to find some cutback lanes to rip off a few long runs. So, he did have a handful of encouraging carries last week, but it certainly has been one of the most frustrating aspects of the campaign so far.

4. How has the Raiders’ defense been so far? If Caleb Williams has another successful game, what weakness in the Raiders’ defense does that mean the Bears took advantage of?

A: Las Vegas’ defense was much better than most people (myself included) expected during the first two weeks. Last Sunday was a different story, though. The unit looked like they weren’t ready to play and just fell apart in Washington.

What gives me some concern against Williams and the Bears is that the Raiders really struggled to stop the quarterback running game against Marcus Mariota. I know that hasn’t been a huge part of Chicago’s playbook so far, but I’d imagine Ben Johnson watched last week’s tape and will at least try a few read options to see if Las Vegas made any adjustments.

The Raiders also have a lot of question marks in the secondary, especially at cornerback. Their “CB1” is Eric Stokes, who Bears fans should know well from his days with the Green Bay Packers. That being said, I wouldn’t classify Stokes as “good” and don’t think he’d even be a starter for many other teams. At the other corner spot, Kyu Blu Kelly was solid in the first two games of the season, but struggled against Terry McLaurin and got benched for rookie third-round pick Darien Porter. So, it will be interesting to see if that change was just to get through the game or is something that sticks.

5. How do you think this one plays out on Sunday?

It’s tough because while both teams are 1-2, they’ve gotten there in completely opposite directions, where the Bears have the momentum after a dominant win against the Cowboys last week. But I’ll be a homer and say Carroll gets the guys ready to go and bounces back from an embarrassing loss on the road to get the home win. Raiders, 24-21.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...and-black-pride-bears-push-to-get-back-to-500