Fans of the Chicago Bears seem pretty excited to have former USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams on the team. How excited are they? Based on draft-night jersey sales data, possibly more excited than any fan base of any sports team has ever been about any draft pick. The Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft Thursday in Detroit. By the end of the night, Williams’ jersey had broken the Fanatics record for draft-night sales for any draft pick in any sport. The previous record was set last week by basketball phenom Caitlin Clark, the former Iowa supersta ..read more

A Cook County judge on Friday issued an arrest warrant for an Aurora man in connection with the killing of Chicago police Officer Luis Huesca, according to court records. Xavier Tate Jr., 22, was named in a first-degree murder warrant that ordered authorities to detain him, according to documents filed in Cook County Circuit Court Friday. A felony complaint accuses him of firing a .40 caliber handgun at Huesca, killing him. Huesca, 30, a six-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, was in Gage Park when he was shot multiple times on the 3100 block of West 56th Street while off-duty but i ..read more

BOSTON — Mark Leiter Jr.’s career arc tends to help keep everything in perspective for the Chicago Cubs right-hander. Leiter, in his fifth organization, has filled a variety of roles in the bullpen and the rotation, a journey that began as a starter in the minors. As the Cubs try to keep stacking wins, overcome early-season injuries and role adjustments in the bullpen as Adbert Alzolay navigates some struggles, the consistency from Leiter and right-hander Yency Almonte in high-leverage spots has provided stability. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer believes there is something to be sa ..read more

Is there ever a more optimistic day about a team’s future than when its brightest new star is introduced to fans? Here’s what some of the Bears’ first-round draft picks from the past six decades have said when they started their careers in Chicago. Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze fearlessly vow to raise expectations for the Chicago Bears: ‘What’s the reason to duck?’ Mike Ditka (Dec. 27, 1960) Pick: No. 5 Bears rookie Mike Ditka, former All-American at Pitt, holds down one of the end posts for the Bears, 1961. (Chicago Tribune archive) After winning a coin toss to draft ahead of the Pittsbur ..read more

A McKinley Park man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday for the 2016 drive-by shooting on the city’s Southwest Side that left a teenager dead, the office of Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced. A Cook County jury in December convicted Sergio Gonzalez, 29, of first-degree murder in the slaying of David Gonzalez, 17, court records show. Sergio Gonzalez and David Gonzalez were not related, authorities said. David Gonzalez was shot eight times from a moving vehicle in the late evening of Jan. 7, 2016, in the 3100 block of West 41st Place in Brighton Park. Sergio Gonzalez and a second man ..read more

Caleb Williams arrived at Halas Hall on Friday, his first full day as the new Chicago Bears quarterback, with the same level of excitement and self-assuredness he has been channeling through most of his football life. Williams is nothing if not confident. His ambition is spoken by design. And his undeniable presence is, quite frankly, striking. So it was little surprise Williams made no attempt to lower the bar on what the outside world should expect from his NFL career. He has talked openly about winning a half-dozen or more Super Bowls and pushing, as his grandest goal, to become a football ..read more

Tommy Pham did all he could to remain fresh while waiting to join a team. A friend fed baseballs into a pitching machine that Pham would track down for outfield drills. And he kept up his hitting routine. “The only thing I really didn’t have was live at-bats every day,” Pham said. “But I was flying down to Florida, trying to catch some live at-bats at the end of every week the past three weeks. “Nothing can really mimic the game, that’s the only thing.” Pham got a few games under his belt at Triple-A Charlotte before the Chicago White Sox called him up Friday. “At the same time, I’m still play ..read more

A surprise motion to censure Winnetka Park District Commissioner Colleen Root passed Thursday night despite residents praising her work representing them amid the Elder/Centennial beach project controversy. The 5-2 vote saw Commissioner Cynthia Rapp joining Root against the censure. The measure limits Root’s scope as a commissioner, only allowing her to attend meetings and vote on items presented at meetings. She will not be permitted to speak with Winnetka Park District staff outside of meetings and outgoing emails from her official account will be monitored. Root will also not be permitted t ..read more

NEW YORK — An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport. Delta said that after takeoff the pilots got an alert about the emergency slide on the plane’s right side and heard an unusual sound coming from that area of the Boeing 767 jet, which is listed as having been manufactured in 1990. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a vibration. Pilots declared an emergency so the flight could be be routed quickly back to the airport, and the ..read more

NEW YORK — The NFL announced Friday that it will allow players to wear protective soft-shell helmet covers known as Guardian caps during games next season if they choose. The league also is expanding the use of the devices during practices. Defensive backs and receivers have joined the position groups now required to wear the caps during all contact practices. The NFL has mandated the caps’ use at practices for some players since 2022. Quarterbacks, kickers and punters are the only remaining position groups not required to wear them during practice. No players will be required to wear the caps ..read more