Good morning, Bears fans!
The NFL Draft is two sleeps away, the Bears are back in the building and there’s light at the end of the tunnel for the stadium saga. It’s enough to make you forget the rest of the world gets to enjoy the NBA/NHL playoffs while Chicago doesn’t.
— Kevin Kaduk
01 Contracts
Bears pick up Darnell Wright’s fifth-year option
No surprises here. Wright is a franchise cornerstone and locking him up through 2027 was a mere formality. Next up is a long-term extension, but he’ll make an estimated $19 million the last year of his rookie deal.
02 Stadium
New Illinois proposal includes statewide tax relief
Sun-Times has the goods: A proposed bill giving the Bears property tax certainty on a new stadium site now also includes statewide property tax relief. The specifics are unclear, but Kam Buckner tells the S-T he’s pushing for a committee hearing en route to a spot on the floor. The clock is ticking.
03 Halas Hall
Offseason program is underway
The boys are back in the building as the official prep for 2026 begins.
Caleb’s back and he’s on the same page
For the past few months, we’ve heard Ben Johnson and the rest of the Bears brass tell us the franchise didn’t accomplish much of anything in 2025.
Caleb Williams returned to Halas Hall on Monday to tell us the same thing.
“That last year really wasn’t anything,” the Bears QB told reporters. “It was a good year. (But) we’ve got many more good years coming up.”
Personally, I love it.
Not that I don’t want to keep reliving both Packers wins.
Nor can I promise I’ll stop watching Tik Toks of Caleb —> Cole Kmet.
We wandered through the desert for too long to not keep the parade going all offseason.
But the team is a different story. I’ve been at this Bears game long enough to know that playoff streaks are about as rare as competent quarterback play. In fact, they’ve made the postseason in back-to-back seasons just once in my adult life.
So to watch Ben Johnson, Ryan Poles, George McCaskey and now the returning Bears veterans make that instant decision to move on has been encouraging.
There’s just so much work to be done with all the roster turnover and a first-place schedule that awaits.
As for Williams, everyone knows what needs to improve.
Johnson hasn’t been shy about underlining that 70 percent completion percentage target, which Williams missed by a lot at 58.1.
There’s also the 4,000-yard season mark, which he missed by a little (3,942).
If No. 18 can make a good run at the first and cruises by the second, it’s probably because his communication with receivers has improved and the offense’s output during the first three quarters got a lot more consistent.
(I, for one, don’t need all the fourth-quarter comebacks this time around.)
While Williams is eager to toe the Halas Hall party line, he also made it clear on Monday that he’ll accept whatever challenge or requirement Johnson throws his way.
“Yes sir,” he said. “Let’s do it.”
”I have to remind people we lost the freakin’ game.”
Thank god.
Bill Zimmerman makes the case for EDGE at pick 25 (Windy City Gridiron)
Chris Emma with a full seven-round Bears mock (104.3 The Score)
1920 Football Drive: Free Agency Edition (Chicago Bears)
Could a weak RB draft class open a D’Andre Swift trade? (Sports Illustrated)
The Illinois Teachers Union weighed in on the stadium debate (Fox 32)
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See you tomorrow!
