Good morning, Bears fans!
Today’s Bears birthdays features a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who came to the team later in his career.
So let’s peg a trivia question off that: Can you name the five Heisman Trophy winners the Bears have drafted themselves? Answer below.
— Kevin Kaduk
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01 Stadium News
One Day Closer, No Bill
Tuesday’s big “development”: The office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas released a 12-page report that found the big winners of the Megaprojects Bill would be the Bears and other well-heeled companies while the benefits to Illinois taxpayers would be “murky, at best.” The math in the report is up for debate; it has the Bears saving $1.5 billion in taxes over the life of the deal. Governor J.B. Pritzker defended the bill later in the day.
02 NFC North News
Josh Jacobs Arrested in Wisconsin
The Packers star running back was booked into Brown County jail on Tuesday on five counts related to domestic violence, including felony strangulation or suffocation. Jacobs’ lawyers denied all charges for their client in a statement. This story is far from over.
03 NFL Rumors
Josh Sweat available?
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports the Cardinals have received trade calls for their Pro Bowl defensive end. Sweat is headed into his ninth season after a 12-sack showing in his first year in the Valley and years of being a stalwart with the Eagles. No relation to Montez, by the way.
1️⃣0️⃣9️⃣ Days Until The Season Opener
🎂 Bears Birthdays: Danny Wuerffel (52)
Three Things To Watch At OTAs
Organized team activities start at Halas Hall today, the first of two three-day sessions that will take place before mandatory minicamp in June.
There won’t be any pads or contact and the media is likely to see their fair share of 7-on-7 drills during practices that remain strictly voluntary.
Still, it’s the first official gathering of the team since the Rams game and you know we’re going to be starved for any morsels that come from it.
Three things I’m looking forward to hearing about:
The offensive line rotations: Drew Dalman is retired and Ozzy Trapilo is hurt. That creates two question marks on a unit that was a strength for the 2025 Chicago Bears. We’ll get our first look at Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones under center while Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet will look to inspire more confidence than they have on the left side.
The new-look defense: For all the talk about the revamped secondary, the linebacking corps will also be different. Free agent signing Devin Bush and draft pick Keyshaun Elliott are players I want to hear more about.
Caleb in control: A year ago, Caleb Williams was coming off a rocky rookie season and was also about to enter Ben Johnson’s school of hard knocks. A lot of the early sessions were filled with Johnson making plenty of corrections up and down the offensive depth chart and Williams struggling with plenty of aspects, including timing and cadences. Now, as the partnership enters Year Two, what looks different? Can Caleb lead even more, now that he no longer has to worry about another new offense to learn? Also, the coaching staff reportedly wants Caleb to “do less” in the offensive approach and take what’s given to him. OTAs seems like an ideal time to start following that directive.
An honor they can never take away from Logan Jones …
Five players to watch as OTAs begin. (Fox 32)
A new episode of 1920 Football Drive dropped last night. (YouTube)
A good Coby Bryant interview (NFL Network)
Eric Edholm lists the next best Hall of Fame candidate for every NFL team and his pick for the Bears is a Super Bowl XLI participant. (NFL.com)
Tonight at 8! I’ll be a guest on The Bologna Show, part of the growing Chicago Sports Bums empire. Come hang out. (YouTube)
This new officially-licensed Rome Odunze shirt from Breaking T is fantastic. (Breaking T - Affiliate link)
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Trivia Answer
Tom Harmon - Michigan (1941)
Johnny Lujack - Notre Dame (1949)
Dick Kazmaier - Princeton (1952)
Rashaan Salaam - Colorado (1995)
Caleb Williams - USC (2024)
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