In years past, the Senior Bowl was an event the Chicago Bears didn’t always take seriously as a serious evaluation tool. During the Ryan Pace era from 2015 to 2021, the Bears selected only nine players who attended the event. Things took a notable shift when Ryan Poles took over as general manager in 2022. In his five offseasons at the helm, the Bears have drafted 17 Senior Bowl participants. That is a massive shift in approach to the evaluation process. While the event doesn’t typically determine whether a player gets drafted, it appears that may have been the case for two names in the 2026 class.

The Bears were aware of Stanford tight end Sam Roush and Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad before the Senior Bowl. They’d watched plenty of tape on both. What they weren’t about was how the two would hold up against stiffer competition. Footage from the new episode of 1920 Football Drive reveals that both players put together really impressive weeks down in Mobile, showcasing abilities and work ethics that drastically elevated their draft stocks.

That proves how seriously the Chicago Bears take the event.

Remember, the Senior Bowl is a majority collection of the best talent in an NFL draft class. Several of these guys will be starting in the NFL. Some of them will go on to become stars. If you can step into that mix and perform at a high level, that tells a team you have what it takes to hang with the big boys. It’s not like the Bears have been steered wrong by this approach. They’ve ended up with some pretty good players that way.

• Braxton Jones
• Darnell Wright
• Tyrique Stevenson
• Austin Booker
• Kyle Monangai

Opinions in the draft community on Roush and Muhammad were pretty high. Roush was considered the best blocking tight end in the class. Muhammad had legitimate cover corner skills despite being on the thinner side. Both have plenty of room to expand their games. It’s amazing to think how different the draft might’ve gone for the Bears had those two not had such great weeks at the Senior Bowl. They say everything happens for a reason. This could be one of those examples.

The Bears have moved on from the workout warriors.

That isn’t to say they won’t pay close attention to the guy who put together excellent drills at pro days and the scouting combine. However, they won’t be using those as the primary litmus test of whether somebody can play football anymore. Johnson is far more interested in what somebody can do with pads on. That means watching their game tape and seeing how they perform in the Senior Bowl or other all-star games. It isn’t a bad method to work from. The Baltimore Ravens, who many consider the crown jewel of drafting, have seen 44% of their total draft class in the past decade participate in the Senior Bowl.

It is probably a good thing that the Chicago Bears are following that model. Time will tell if Roush and Muhammad turn out to be good players. Not everybody who looks good at the Senior Bowl turns out to be an NFL standout. Such is the league’s brutally competitive nature. That said, it still serves as an accurate barometer. Poles was willing to let it impact his draft board. He’s been rewarded in the past. There is no reason to think it can’t happen again.

Four days. That is how much longer the Illinois state legislature has to pass a vote on the PILOT bill, otherwise known as the Megaprojects bill, which would give the Chicago Bears stadium push in Arlington Heights the property tax and infrastructure certainty they need. Concerns are growing that the deadlock in talks between various factions is dragging on too long. If the legislature adjourns on May 31st without a deal, there is a very real possibility that the Bears will break off talks and go forward with moving to Hammond, Indiana.

This is apparently creating somewhat of a panic down in Springfield. They must find a way to break the deadlock and get the bill through before time runs out. According to Justin Laurence of Crain’s Chicago Business, lawmakers are considering a somewhat drastic measure. It is based on a recommendation from a recent study by the Cook County treasurer, which would tailor the Megaprojects bill for just the Bears in Arlington Heights. After that is done, they can shift their focus to statewide projects at a later date.

Narrowing the focus to the Chicago Bears stadium would help.

Mainly, it would eliminate some of the outcry from other factions in the government who believe such a statewide bill carries way too many financial risks. Protecting taxpayers remains a central focus of J.B. Pritzker and his government, which is why this entire process has taken so long in the first place. If they can get the bill trimmed down to basically a specific deal with the Bears in Arlington Heights and insist negotiations will continue for the rest of the state, that might ease resistance enough to get the bill through.

It’s a pivot that feels desperate. Many in Springfield know they’re up against the clock. The Chicago Bears’ patience has been steadily declining for months. They’ve made it pretty clear that what happens by the end of spring will lead to their final decision. It isn’t difficult to read between the lines. If the bill passes, they will build in Arlington Heights. If it doesn’t, they won’t wait another year to see if it finally does. They will leave the state and start building their future home in Hammond.

The eleventh hour is at hand.

Asking the government to reach an agreement on a tight timetable is almost impossible. American politics never moves that fast. Not unless the country is under a direct threat of attack. We’re about to find out how badly Illinois wants to keep the Chicago Bears. The franchise has been part of the state since its inception in 1920. They’re not called the “pride and joy of Illinois” for nothing. Unfortunately, everything becomes complicated when money gets involved. The Bears feel they’ve played in an outdated stadium for long enough and deserve an opportunity to improve their home, wherever it might be.

They didn’t want to bring Indiana into this. Illinois just made it inevitable. The state refused to entertain any serious discussions for three years. When they basically threatened not to even entertain talks in all of 2026, the Bears finally began listening to offers from Indiana. It’s sad that only being threatened with an outright exit got lawmakers to take the situation seriously. Now it might be too late. Pritzker said he’s seen miracles happen before. They’re going to need another one.

When Ben Johnson arrived as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, it came with something that isn’t often granted: roster control. Most teams have the same setup. The general manager controls the roster while the head coach runs the team. However, one of the stipulations for Johnson coming to Chicago was the ability to pinpoint the players he wanted. The Bears, knowing they needed a home run at head coach, granted it. You would think this might make general manager Ryan Poles and his scouting department resentful.

After all, history says that coaches and scouts don’t always see eye to eye on the types of players you should target. This can lead to tension. By the sound of things, though, Bears scouts are happy and a little relieved that Johnson arrived. It was explained in the new 1920 Football Drive that the head coach laid out a clear objective when scouting players. He wanted smart, highly competitive kids. This framework made their lives much easier when they went onto college campuses looking for potential talent.

It sounds like that wasn’t the case under previous head coach Matt Eberflus.

Ben Johnson has a clear vision for this team.

That was never the case with Eberflus. People inside the building didn’t quite understand what sort of identity he was going for as head coach. The only concrete things he said were that they were looking for players willing to work really hard. That doesn’t really narrow the field much since most prospects who reach the NFL level have at least a solid work ethic. Johnson understood that he would have to make it clearer.

• Intelligence
• Competitiveness
• Speed

Those are the traits he outlined from the moment he arrived. Based on the draft results over the past two years, the Bears’ scouts understood the assignment and executed it quite well. Last year gave the team Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai. This year shows tons of potential with Dillon Thieneman, Logan Jones, Sam Roush, and others. All of them showcased the traits Johnson wanted. He knows that smart, competitive athletes always have success in the NFL. His job is merely to put them in the right positions.

Scouts are at their best when they know what to look for.

This is why the talk about team-wide identity, which may sound cliché, is actually so important. Everybody praises the Baltimore Ravens for their consistent ability to scout talent going back years. Part of that is because the organization has maintained a consistent mandate on the types of players they want. Even fans of other teams have no problems identifying which players the Ravens are likely to target every year. Once scouts know which players won’t ever be considered, it automatically narrows their focus.

The Bears haven’t really been doing that for a long time. Not since Jim Finks ran the front office in the 1970s and 1980s has the organization had a clear vision for the types of players it wanted. Jerry Angelo did this to a degree during his long stint in the 2000s as well. It seems rather fitting that a head coach like Ben Johnson became the one who finally got them back on track. There is no more sense of flailing about in the scouting process. The Bears know what they want and have consistently found ways to get it.

Following the Chicago Bears drafting Sam Roush in the 3rd round last month, speculation began picking up. If the team was picking a tight end that high, it might be a signal they’re preparing to move on from Cole Kmet. Despite his productive play last season, the Bears are likely to gear their offense around Colston Loveland. Having your #2 tight end getting paid over $10 million per year isn’t great business. Trading him would free up cap space, collect some draft capital, and allow Roush to fill that role on a cheaper rookie deal.

It is hard to imagine the Bears doing that. Head coach Ben Johnson has flirted with the idea of utilizing more “13” personnel on offense, which is a three-tight-end look. You can’t do that if you trade away one of the key pieces. Still, if the team were to go that route, what would Kmet even fetch? ESPN insiders looked into that recently and came away with some potential offers that might be plausible. While all are technically different, their overall value is relatively the same.

Carolina Panthers

Jeremy Fowler’s offer:

Bears get: 2027 third-round pick, 2028 fifth-round pick

Panthers get: Kmet, 2028 sixth-round pick

Baltimore Ravens

Dan Graziano’s offer:

Bears get: 2028 third-round pick

Ravens get: Kmet

Kansas City Chiefs

Ben Solak’s offer:

Bears get: 2027 third-round pick

Chiefs get: Kmet, 2027 fifth-round pick

Miami Dolphins

Seth Walder’s offer:

Bears get: 2027 fourth-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick

Dolphins get: Kmet

Trading Cole Kmet just doesn’t make sense for the Bears.

Getting the equivalent of a 3rd round pick for him would be nice. Extra draft capital is never a bad thing. Besides, getting a 3rd back after spending a 2nd on him while also getting six good years from him on the field is good football business. That said, it feels like the Bears value him more highly than that. He was a big-time player for them in crucial moments last season. His catches against the Eagles and Rams have been replayed endlessly over the past few months. Having that in your back pocket is never a bad thing.

Kmet is the type of player who always pops up when you need him. While he isn’t a star, his ability to deliver a big block on a run and then make a big catch for a first down or touchdown on important drives can’t be overstated. Sure, he’s making more money than he probably should be, given his new place in the pecking order. Then again, it is something the Bears can live with. Coaches love him. Teammates love him. He’s a local kid. Sometimes, the business side of things can be glossed over.

Like anything else, it comes down to price.

If another team were to come forward with a 2nd round pick offer, that might be something the Bears couldn’t pass up. Will it happen? Highly unlikely. It would have to be a perfect storm of circumstances where a contending team is struck by brutal injuries at tight end. While possible, such events rarely materialize. If head coach Ben Johnson felt the Bears didn’t need Cole Kmet, he would’ve greenlit a trade months ago. That was proven when the Bears unloaded D.J. Moore to Buffalo.

Trades are fun. They create all sorts of buzz and lead to untold possibilities. However, history shows that success also comes from the trades you don’t make. Don’t be surprised if that truth comes to pass at some point this season. Kmet won’t put up the big numbers, but he’ll have a big moment. It is only a matter of where and when. All the Bears have to do is find the right situation and give him the chance.

The Chicago Bears had 15 players on their board that they really liked. Their hope was that at least one of them would still be available when they went on the clock at 25th overall in the 2026 NFL draft. The process was difficult. Sitting around waiting as several names you had circled get claimed by other teams can be nerve-racking. However, as things unfolded, something became clear. Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman was slipping through the cracks. Projections had him likely going somewhere between picks 12 and 18. When he got past Minnesota at 18th overall, general manager Ryan Poles sensed the Bears’ chances growing.

We all know what happened. Thieneman made it to #25, and Chicago didn’t think twice about snatching him up. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was elated, knowing the young safety had a chance to become a great player. This infatuation had roots in watching his film going back months. However, it didn’t truly blossom until the Bears got their first chance to meet with him at the scouting combine. New footage courtesy of 1920 Football Drive shows how this interview went.

In it, Thieneman is calm, attentive, and on top of everything the Bears throw at him. His football knowledge sticks out immediately. There is no long pause to think about anything. He recognizes a play and what his thought process was during it. Chicago’s brass was stunned by how impressive it was.

Dillon Thieneman did all of that in a short time.

Remember, scouting combine interviews are notoriously short. They last no more than 20 minutes. Teams are only allowed 45 such interviews, so they must manage their time carefully. Yet it didn’t seem to matter. Thieneman stepped into the room, went through introductions, crushed every question thrown his way, and casually exited. Then he went out and ran a blistering 4.35 in the 40-yard dash. He checked every box imaginable in the space of barely 24 hours. When people talk about looking for guys who make an immediate impression, this is what they mean.

Don’t ever let somebody tell you combine interviews don’t matter. They serve as a perfect way to make a first impression. If you can dazzle in a team in 20 minutes, your chances of getting drafted by them go up significantly. Longer interviews are important, too, but those are often in the later stages of draft evaluation when a team already likes you. The Bears already knew about Dillon Thieneman, the player. What they wanted was to meet the person. That meant learning about his personality, both as a leader and as a worker.

They got what they were looking for.

The tape was great. The interview was great. There wasn’t much else for the Bears to do. Thieneman was as clean a prospect as any in this draft. Unfortunately, there was one hurdle left. He’d have to actually reach them in the 1st round. There were some close calls. Dallas took a safety at #12, but that was Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. Minnesota, who’d just let Harrison Smith walk, passed on him for a defensive tackle. Philadelphia needed a safety, but they went with a wide receiver. All of those important twists led to the desired result.

Now, Chicago has probably its most talented safety tandem in at least a decade. Thieneman and Coby Bryant provide the kind of versatility and football smarts that many teams would kill for. If the young man lives up to his potential, he’ll anchor that secondary for the next ten years.