Good morning, Bears fans!
One more day until the NFL Draft. And maybe no more days until a stadium bill vote in the Illinois House? That possibility seemingly draws closer every day.
— Kevin Kaduk
01 NFL Draft
Poles and King hold pre-draft press conference
Gotta say there isn’t a more pointless exercise in football than the pre-draft press conference. Well, except for the New York Jets, of course. No one ever says anything newsy in this setting. The Bears brass might go this route. Unless they go the other route. Oh, and a Darnell Wright extension is in the plans. Nevertheless, it was good to see Ryan Poles and Jeff King behind the podium on Tuesday because it means the draft is close. More on King’s first appearance as assistant GM below.
02 Injury News
TJ Edwards updates progress
The veteran linebacker set “summertime” as a possible return from the broken left fibula that knocked him out of the Packers playoff game. Edwards told reporters he stayed at Soldier Field until the wild card win was complete.
03 Awards
Piccolo winners announced
Colston Loveland and Edwards met with the media after winning the award, which is given annually to a rookie and veteran “who best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Bears running back.”
Jeff King is Ryan Poles’ new right-hand man
It’s not often someone spends 12 years at Halas Hall before getting a big press conference, but that’s how Jeff King’s Bears career has played out.
King, 43, came to the team as an intern under Ryan Pace in 2015 and was retained as co-director of player personnel when Ryan Poles came to Lake Forest in 2022.
He assumed his current role as assistant GM in February after Ian Cunningham departed for Atlanta (where he is assuredly not doing anything that should’ve sent the Bears a couple of compensatory picks).
Anyway, King will have his biggest presence in the war room as Poles conducts his first Bears draft without Cunningham as his consigliere.
A few things to know about King:
King played tight end at Virginia Tech and also one year of basketball for the Hokies, an eventful career that earned him praise from Coach K. Adam Jahns had a good story about it in The Athletic back in 2023.
He played against Poles in college when Virginia Tech and Boston College met, though it doesn’t seem either has any recollection of the other from back then.
King spent seven seasons in the NFL for the Panthers and Cardinals, catching 12 touchdowns and racking up 1,323 yards.
King has held several different positions throughout his 12 seasons with the Bears, the most recent being the team’s Senior Director of Player Personnel.
Despite being in Chicago for more than a decade, King’s work has still gained a wide following. He made Albert Breer’s annual future GM list two years running and could’ve been poached had Cunningham’s departure not created a promotion opportunity.
King is well liked, and there’s something to be said for his sense of humor.
“You guys done mock drafting?” King joked to reporters as he took the mic.
”I got to celebrate with the guys and all that, hopping around, which was probably not what I should have been doing. Just excited to be a part of it, man, because in this city there’s nothing better than when the Bears are winning, right?”
Who was the worst draft pick in Bears history?
Alyssa Barbieri lists five realistic options for the Bears at No. 25. (Bears Wire)
Adam Jahns attempts to translate Jeff King’s press conference (CHGO Sports)
Dan Wiederer and Kevin Fishbain revisit Ryan Poles’ first draft in 2022 (The Athletic)
Watch: Kyle Brandt also loved Caleb’s attitude toward 2025’s success. (Good Morning Football)
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See you tomorrow!
