Tag: bears

Dec 8, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Reports: Bears, LB T.J. Edwards agree to 2-year, $20M contract extension

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Chicago Bears and linebacker T.J. Edwards have agreed on a two-year, $20 million contract extension, according to multiple reports on Wednesday night.

The contract includes $16.6 million guaranteed and extends through the 2027 season, per reports. Edwards, a native of Lake Villa, Ill., signed with the Bears in March 2023 to a three-year, $19.5 million deal that pays him $5.4 million in base salary this coming season.

Edwards, 28, has started all 34 games in his two seasons for the Bears, recording 155 tackles in 2023 and 129 last season. Edwards has a combined 6.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries for Chicago.

An undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, Edwards spent the first four seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. For his career, he has 673 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 40 tackles for loss, 23 QB hits, six interceptions, four forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.

–Field Level Media

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) leaves the field after an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Reports: Bears, CB Kyler Gordon agree to 3-year, $40M extension

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Chicago Bears agreed to terms with cornerback Kyler Gordon on a three-year, $40 million contract extension with $31.25 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports on Sunday night.

Gordon, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, will be tied to the Bears through the 2028 season with an average annual value of $13.3 million, making him the league’s highest-paid slot corner, per the media reports.

He started 13 of 15 games last season and totaled 75 tackles including four tackles for loss, five passes defended, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles made Gordon his first draft selection, taking him in the second round (39th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington.

Gordon, 25, has 207 career tackles, 1.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, five interceptions, 17 passes defended, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in 42 games (34 starts).

–Field Level Media

Aug 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Bears 2025 draft needs, picks, best fits and history

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For the first time in three years, the Bears enter the draft somewhere other than the top.

And somehow, starting over in Chicago has never been quite this exciting.

Anticipation for a pairing of 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with new head coach Ben Johnson has the Bears expecting a jump out of the NFC North cellar. But the Bears have been here before.

Chicago was a trendy playoff pick in 2024, before rookie quarterback Williams was under constant pressure behind a leaky offensive line. Still, he delivered a reasonably strong debut season despite working with multiple offensive coordinators and head coaches in the span of five months.

General manager Ryan Poles paid a record sum to hire Johnson away from the Detroit Lions and kept the account active in free agency with an overhaul of the offensive line and a hefty deal to pick up former Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.

Poles said last month that the flurry of moves allow the front office to select the “best player available” at No. 10 overall.

Team needs
Left tackle
Braxton Jones is a replacement-level starter. Caleb Williams isn’t a replacement-level quarterback. The Bears signed center Drew Dalman and acquired a pair of veteran guards, Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, to shore up the line.

Pass rusher
This is arguably the deepest position in the 2025 draft. Always willing to deal for a blue-chip player, Ryan Poles might move mountains to be in position to select Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter. If not, he’ll have plentiful speed options available at 10 and possibly into the second round. For three consecutive seasons, the Bears’ individual sacks leader finished with fewer than 6.5.

Running back
Already familiar with shifty starter D’Andre Swift, the Bears might chase a more consistent power back than current backup Roschon Johnson.

Safety
Johnson publicly described how he coached the Lions to pick apart current Bears starting safety Jaquan Brisker, a second-round pick in 2022. Warning or teachable moment? Brisker is entering a contract year.

Best prospect fits
OT Armand Membou, Missouri
RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Edge Jalon Walker, Georgia
DE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

2025 draft picks by round
Total picks: 7
By round (pick in round, overall pick)
1: 10, 10
2: 7, 39 (from Carolina Panthers)
2: 9, 41
3: 8, 72
5: 10, 148
7: 17, 233 (from Cincinnati Bengals)
7: 24, 240 (from Cleveland Browns)

History Lesson
–RT Darnell Wright (Tennessee) was drafted 10th overall by the Bears in 2023.
–This is the sixth time since 2015 the Bears have at least one top-10 pick.
–Every player the Bears drafted in the first two rounds in 2022-24 was a starter last season.

–Field Level Media

Jan 22, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams arrives at a press conference introducing new head coach Ben Johnson at PNC Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Bears QB Caleb Williams, new coach Ben Johnson already ‘vibing’

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Early in their pairing as the engine of the Chicago Bears offense, quarterback Caleb Williams senses a strong connection with first-year head coach Ben Johnson.

Williams, who played for Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma and followed him to USC, starts his first full offseason in the NFL in get-to-know-you mode with Johnson, the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator hired in January.

“I have a knack for being able to tell when I vibe with somebody, connect well with somebody,” Williams said Tuesday in a break at Halas Hall, where the Bears convened for voluntary offseason workouts. “It was a pretty similar feeling to when I met Lincoln (Riley) five years ago, which is crazy to say. A very similar feeling.”

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams had multiple play-callers and head coaches — Thomas Brown served as the interim head coach after Matt Eberflus was fired in November — in his debut season. General manager Ryan Poles received approval from ownership and team president Kevin Warren to make an unbridled pitch and financial offer to Johnson, who becomes a first-time head coach because of his offensive mind and development of quarterbacks.

Williams said the tests and challenges — quite literally — started with Johnson on Monday and continued Tuesday morning.

“Today we had our first quiz as a QB room,” Williams said with a laugh. “Ben walked in this morning, flung open the door, made a grand entrance and then we got to work with him testing us on what we talked about yesterday. Already testing us. Everybody loves a challenge. It’s one of the great things about the sport. Every day is a challenge.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 24, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (18) warms up before playing against the Los Angeles Rams at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Report: Bears sign veteran QB Case Keenum

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The Chicago Bears are signing quarterback Case Keenum to a one-year, $3 million deal, according to ESPN.

The 11-year veteran signal caller has played for seven different teams. He began his career with the Houston Texans in 2013, where he played for two seasons.

Coincidentally, Keenum rejoined the Texans and spent the last two seasons in H-Town. In 2023, he started two games and throwing 291 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.

In August 2024, Keenum was placed on injured reserve, appearing in zero games last season.

The 37-year-old Keenum has his best season in 2017 when he guided the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. He passed for 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 15 games (14 starts).

Over his career, Keenum has appeared in 80 games (66 starts) and recorded 15,175 passing yards, 79 passing touchdowns, and 51 interceptions.

He will provide an experienced backup behind 23-year-old Caleb Williams.

–Field Level Media

Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman (67) following the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Reports: Bears, C Drew Dalman agree to $42M contract

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New head coach Ben Johnson was dead serious about swapping out four or more offensive line starters before his first season with the Chicago Bears.

According to multiple reports, the Bears landed their top target at center within the first hour of the NFL negotiating window on Monday, hammering out a three-year, $42 million pact with Falcons free agent Drew Dalman.

The 26-year-old can officially sign with the Bears when the league year begins on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET and would join a revamped interior that includes high-priced guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Thuney and Jackson were acquired via trades and count a combined $33 million against the 2025 salary cap, barring renegotiated deals or contract extensions with Chicago.

Dalman’s annual average salary of $14 million makes him the NFL’s second-highest-paid center behind Thuney’s former Chiefs teammate, Creed Humphrey.

Johnson, offensive coordinator of the Lions before he was hired by GM Ryan Poles in January, said his priority before the NFL draft was to improve blocking ahead of quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams was sacked 68 times as a rookie.

With the Falcons, Dalman allowed only two sacks in 2024 but missed a total of 11 games the past two seasons due to ankle injuries.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney (62) takes the field prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Reports: Chiefs trade G Joe Thuney to Bears for ’26 fourth-round pick

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Kansas City Chiefs left guard Joe Thuney is headed to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft, according to multiple reports.

Thuney started at left tackle late in the season for the Chiefs and manned that spot for Kansas City in the Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears agreed to a trade for Rams guard Jonah Jackson, parting with a 2025 sixth-round pick, according to multiple reports.

Trades cannot become official until the first day of the league year on March 12.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles previously was in the Chiefs’ personnel department and was executive director for player personnel in Kansas City when the team signed Thuney as a free agent to a five-year, $80 million contract in 2021. He has one year and $16 million remaining on that deal.

The Bears are working to settle an offensive line that became a concern in front of 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams last season. New head coach Ben Johnson said last week at the combine he would have no reservations changing out three or four starting spots in the offseason, pointing out the example of the Carolina Panthers’ overhaul last offseason that included two massive additions at guard: free agents Robert Hunt (Dolphins) and Damien Lewis (Seahawks).

The Athletic reported Wednesday that New England was in the bidding to reacquire Thuney via trade.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week that Thuney is a natural “center-guard” and would not be used at left tackle in 2025.

The Chiefs have a number of moving parts on the line even after securing right guard Trey Smith with the franchise tag. One piece the team is lacking entering the offseason is a certain solution at left tackle.

Thuney, 32, is a two-time All-Pro and two-team second-team All-Pro with four Super Bowl rings — two with the Chiefs, two with the Patriots. He has played in 146 regular-season games since being drafted by New England 78th overall in 2016.

–Field Level Media

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams guard Jonah Jackson (72) against the Minnesota Vikings during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Reports: Bears to acquire G Jonah Jackson from Rams

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The Chicago Bears are acquiring offensive lineman Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to multiple reports.

The deal cannot become official until March 12, the start of the new league year.

ESPN reported that the Bears are taking on all of Jackson’s $17.5 million salary in 2025 despite his performance in Los Angeles. Jackson dealt with a shoulder injury and was replaced in the lineup after starting four games.

He has two seasons remaining on a three-year, $51 million deal with $34 million guaranteed he signed in free agency last March. His base salary for 2026 is scheduled to be $17 million.

When Jackson arrives to Chicago, he will see a familiar face in Ben Johnson, the new head coach of the Bears. He played under Johnson in Detroit.

Jackson, 28, started all 57 games in which he played for the Lions from 2020-23, including 16 games during his Pro Bowl season in 2021.

The Rams recently re-signed left tackle Alaric Jackson, 26, to a three-year contract. Alaric Jackson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2021.

Adding a sixth-round pick from the Bears would boost the Rams’ supply of draft picks in April to seven. This would be the third 2025 sixth-round pick added via trade.

They have been mining rookie talent at a tremendous clip the past two seasons, leading the NFL in snaps played by rookie and first-year players since the start of the 2023 season. They also utilized 24 draft selections — 14 in 2023, 10 last year — during that timeframe.

–Field Level Media

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; A NFL shield logo on an Honors trophy at the Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Bears, Bills head coach Dick Jauron dies at 74

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Former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron died Saturday morning after a short battle with cancer. He was 74.

The news was first reported by the Daily Item in Swampscott, Mass., where he attended high school.

Jauron served as the head coach of the Bears from 1999-2003. His best season came in 2001, when he was named the NFL Coach of the Year after Chicago posted a 13-3 record.

Unfortunately for Jauron, the Bears went 4-12 in 2002 and 7-9 in 2003, and he was fired by the team. He finished with a 35-45 mark.

Jauron joined the Detroit Lions as defensive coordinator in 2004 and served as their interim head coach for the final five games of the 2005 season after Steve Mariucci was dismissed. Jauron went 1-4 in that time.

He was named the Bills’ head coach in 2006. The team was 24-33 in 3 1/2 before Jauron was fired after Week 10 in 2009.

“I was very fortunate to start my NFL career with Dick Jauron as my first head coach,” said Eric Wood, a former Bills center who was drafted in the first round by Jauron in 2009. “He set a great foundation for my career with his extensive knowledge of the NFL game and helped us develop as professionals both on and off the field. Coach Jauron was a sincere and thoughtful family man and a true gentleman. My heart goes out to his family during this difficult time.”

Jauron spent 2010 as the defensive backs coach/senior assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles and 2011-12 as the defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns.

Jauron, a safety, was selected by the Lions in the fourth round of the 1973 NFL Draft out of Yale.

A Pro Bowl selection in 1974, Jauron recorded 25 interceptions — including two returned for touchdowns — in 100 career games with the Lions (1973-77) and Cincinnati Bengals (1978-80).

–Field Level Media

Nov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Chicago Bears helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bears mourn passing of owner Virginia Halas McCaskey

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Virginia Halas McCaskey, owner of the Chicago Bears for more than 40 years, died Thursday. She was 102.

McCaskey’s father, George Halas, founded the team, and she assumed ownership upon his death on Oct. 31, 1983. Her son, George, has run the franchise since he became chairman in 2011.

A cause of death was not announced.

“While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth,” the family said in a statement released by the team. “She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans.”

McCaskey was at the helm when the Bears won their first Super Bowl — and ninth NFL championship — in 1985. She attended every home and road game that she could and had said that while she didn’t have her father’s football acumen, she always wanted to hire the best people to lead the product.

Her death is not expected to impact the ownership of the Bears. The team has a succession plan on file with the NFL, and McCaskey gave a glimpse at what it included in a 2016 interview with The Athletic.

Then, she predicted the Bears would remain family-owned “until the second coming.” Having grown up with the Bears herself, she encouraged her heirs to attend games and learn as much about the Bears’ place in Chicago and the NFL as possible.

Last month, the Bears wished McCaskey a happy 102nd birthday via social media.

She was born in Chicago in 1923, the eldest of George and Min Halas’ two children. In college at Drexel in Philadelphia, she met her future husband, Edward E. McCaskey, and they married on Feb. 2, 1943.

The McCaskeys settled in Des Plaines, Ill., in 1948 after McCaskey’s military service, and he went to work with the Bears in 1967 while his wife focused on raising their 11 children.

But when George Halas Jr., her brother, died suddenly in 1979, and followed by her father’s death, Virginia McCaskey was in charge.

As her husband and some of their children took over the day-to-day operation of the club, Virginia McCaskey focused on programs to better Chicago, founding the Bears Care program in 2005. Since then, Bears Care has issued grants totaling more than $31.5 million to local agencies.

“Her impact on the football community will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with her family and the entire Bears organization during this difficult time,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame wrote in a statement.

Edward McCaskey passed away in 2003, followed by sons Timothy in 2011 and Michael in 2020. She is survived by nine children, 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue referred to her on occasion as “the first lady of the NFL,” but several women joined the ownership ranks since McCaskey did. They are Gayle Benson, New Orleans Saints; Sheila Ford Hamp, Detroit Lions; Amy Adams Strunk, Tennessee Titans; and Jody Allen, Seattle Seahawks. The list also includes three women who have ownership shares with family members: Dee Haslam (Cleveland Browns), Denise DeBartolo York (San Francisco 49ers), Carol Davis (Las Vegas Raiders) and Kim Pegula (Buffalo Bills).

–Field Level Media