Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields could be used as a kick returner with the Steelers, thanks to the NFL’s new kickoff rules. Michael Reaves/Getty Images Justin Fields, kick returner? As unlikely as that sounds — and may prove to be — the idea has at least been floated in Pittsburgh, where the Bears traded their quarterback March 16. On the “Not Just Football” podcast hosted by Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward last week, running back Jaylen Warren said special teams coordinator Danny Smith showed an interest in putting Fields deep for kickoffs. "Our special teams coordinator wa ..read more

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 08: David Montgomery #5 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field on October 08, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images Caleb Williams isn’t afraid to list his career goals. “My reason why I play is to win games and to win championships,” he said last week, one day after the Bears made the USC quarterback the top pick in the NFL draft. “And so I want to be a big portion of it.” He has to win his division first. Teams eyeing a Super Bowl in five years are the ..read more

Trenton Gill finished 26th in yards per punt last season. Wesley Hitt/Getty Images The Bears waived punter Trenton Gill on Wednesday, shortly after drafting his replacement. When they selected Iowa's Tory Taylor in the fourth round Saturday, it was clear they'd be moving on from Gill. The Bears drafted Gill, now 25, in the seventh round out of North Carolina State in 2022. It was the first draft class of general manager Ryan Poles' career. Gill finished last in the NFL in net yards per punt last season (38), 25th in yards per punt at 46.1 and 27th in punts pinning the opponent inside its ..read more

A rendering of the proposed new Bears stadium. Chicago Bears Until Wednesday, I had never felt the urge to hug an anonymous source. Then I read Tina Sfondeles’ story in the Sun-Times about the hurdles the Bears face in potential talks with Gov. J.B. Pritzker on a new downtown stadium. Pritzker has been skeptical about public money being used to feed teams’ lust for shiny stadiums, including the $1.2 billion in bonds the Bears want the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to issue to help pay for a replacement for Soldier Field. That money would come from a 2% tax on Chicago hotel rooms t ..read more

Bears officials will meet with two top aides for Gov. J.B. Pritzker Wednesday to discuss the team’s proposal for a domed lakefront stadium. Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears on Wednesday will for the first time discuss their proposal for a lakefront stadium with two top aides for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who already has publicly and privately criticized the use of public subsidies for new sports stadiums. And team officials are likely to hear that there isn’t a magic number to get them close to wiping away the governor's ideological opposition, according to a source with knowledge of Pritzker's ..read more

At 10-24, Eberflus has the third-worst record in franchise history and a lot to prove this season. Wesley Hitt/Getty Mere months after dodging questions about whether the Bears would fire him at the end of a season wrecked by scandal on his staff, epic collapses on the field and general frustration, coach Matt Eberflus has been put in charge of the franchise’s greatest resource in recent history: quarterback Caleb Williams, the much celebrated and long-awaited No. 1 draft pick. That’s a wild swing in fortune, and it raises the very valid concern of whether he knows what to do with everyt ..read more

Former USC quarterback Caleb Williams — the No. 1 overall pick of the Bears — is said to be a “generational” player. He has tons of company. Ryan Sun/AP Boy, am I ever excited about the Bears’ newest generational player. I’m referring to fourth-round punter Tory Taylor, in case it wasn’t obvious. In 2024 in sports, everybody who’s anybody is being called “generational” by somebody, and the overuse of the term is rampant and comical. In both fan and media circles, it seems to be younger folks, in particular, who rally around this term like flies to muck. In fairness to them, it is a five ..read more

MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 01: Keith Randolph Jr. #88 and Jer’Zhan Newton #4 of the Illinois Fighting Illini sack Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium on October 01, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images Being an undrafted free agent on the Bears doesn't mean what it used to. On a roster built to win now, there will be fewer opportunities available for the players they sign in the hours after the end of the NFL draft. "It's gonna be hard to make this team now," general manager Ryan Poles said. "It’s gonna be real ..read more

GM Ryan Poles took the Bears from 3-14 to 7-10 and now has a chance to climb much higher after drafting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. Quinn Harris/Getty Images Rarely in Bears history has everything fallen so perfectly into place as it did leading up to and including this year's draft. It was almost too easy. Anybody could’ve spotted USC quarterback Caleb Williams’ talent and taken him No. 1, then followed by saying yes to Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9. General manager Ryan Poles was very fortunate. But he also was extraordinarily prudent and prepared. This will be a la ..read more

Bears No. 1 draft pick quarterback Caleb Williams listens to reporters during a news conference at Halas Hall on Friday. Nam Y. Huh/AP Everyone’s got their origin story. This is Caleb Williams’. He’s 10 years old and a bruising defensive player, someone who likes hitting so much that when his parents put him in flag football at age 4 he started tackling other kids. He’s at a football camp in San Antonio, Texas — and his team is getting demolished by a squad quarterbacked by Harrison Bailey, who’s now at Louisville. The game ended, and Williams is crushed. He hates losing. He’s also well ..read more