Oct 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez (48) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
According to Jeff Passan, the White Sox have signed free agent reliever Seranthony Domínguez to a two year, 20 million dollar deal.
Right-handed reliever Seranthony Domínguez and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $20 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Dominguez, 31, is expected to close for the White Sox, who use the money saved in the Luis Robert Jr. deal to continue adding this winter.
This is a fantastic signing for the White Sox, as Domínguez immediately becomes the most accomplished pitcher in their bullpen. Adding another arm capable of closing games was an area the White Sox needed to improve in, and they do just that.
Last season Domínguez pitched both for the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays. In 67 appearances, Domínguez threw 62.2 innings of 3.16 ERA baseball. He had a solid 1.277 WHIP, struck out 79 batters, and had two saves.
In the postseason for the Blue Jays, Domínguez was very effective, as he threw 11 innings of 3.18 ERA baseball. He did walk 11 batters, but he was able to work around that and keep them from scoring.
White Sox get their closer signing Seranthony Domínguez to a two-year $20 million deal. 3.16 ERA in 62.2 IP in 2025, with an avg of 97.7 mph on his fastball, Domínguez excelled at getting K's and Whiff. https://t.co/yq6c91qwyZpic.twitter.com/o7WL00OKu0
While Domínguez has walked 5 batters per nine innings throughout his career, he has done a good job of limiting the damage, as he owns a career 3.50 ERA over seven major league seasons. He also strikes batters out at a high rate, as he owns an elite 10.6 K/9 ratio.
As Passan notes above, Domínguez is expected to be the closer this season and he will add key experience that was lacking in the back end of the bullpen. Domínguez owns 40 saves in his career, which is more than triple the next closest on the current White Sox roster. A late inning trio of Sean Newcomb, Grant Taylor, and Seranthony Domínguez will be one of the better trios the White Sox have had in a long time, and it should immediately boost their win total.
This is a very good signing for the White Sox and I would imagine they still add another outfielder and a starting pitcher. If they do just that, the trade of Robert Jr. would look significantly better.
Dec 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) poses for a television camera with cornerback Jaylon Johnson (1) after recovering a fumble against the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears did great work getting out of the basement in 2025 and becoming relevant again. However, the hardest part is still to come. How do they stay competitive in 2026 in the NFL’s toughest division? It starts with sorting out the salary cap. They’re currently projected in the red ahead of the upcoming offseason. GM Ryan Poles must work to free up enough space both to get under the cap and also find money to spend. One of the biggest decisions is determining the fate of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune seems to think there is a strong likelihood the team will decide to move on from him.
Edmunds and Swift are the two players on the list entering the final year of their contracts. Going off the cuff, five days after the season ended, Edmunds looks like someone who could be caught in a jam. Releasing him would clear $15 million in cap space.
This shouldn’t be a huge surprise. Edmunds has not been what you might call irreplaceable. He started off red hot, snagging four interceptions early this year. However, an injury sidelined him for a month. When he returned, he wasn’t quite the same player. Considering the hefty contract he carries, it feels like the Bears could get the same level of play for a lot less money.
Tremaine Edmunds is not essential to the future.
This is not to say he’s a bad player. The linebacker has put together stretches of some truly impressive play. He is also an unquestioned leader. The problem is he hasn’t played at a high enough level consistently enough to warrant hanging onto that contract. Chicago got great production from D’Marco Jackson when Edmunds was out. Bringing him back would be significantly cheaper, and they could shift T.J. Edwards back to his natural spot at outside linebacker. The fact that such a solution makes it seem plausible the defense will be fine says everything you need to know.
Remember, Tremaine Edmunds is a holdover from the Matt Eberflus era. Dennis Allen likely has a different vision for how he wants that roster constructed. Committing so much money to the linebacker position doesn’t seem like an approach the Bears defensive coordinator will champion. Maybe the team will find other ways to get the money they need, but right now it sure feels like Edmunds played his last season in a Bears uniform.
Mar 15, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Chicago Cubs pitcher Tyson Miller (49) throws a pitch against the Hanshin Tigers during the fourth inning at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
As we sit just a few weeks away from Spring Training, the White Sox will likely be busy adding a ton of guys as non-roster invitees to Spring Training. However, there are still some very good free agents out there that could fill some of the needs on the major league club, especially now with the Luis Robert Jr. money freed up, so let’s hope that minor league signings aren’t all the White Sox do between now and Spring Training.
Staying on the topic of non-roster invitees, there was a very savvy move that Chris Getz made that went undetected by everyone until just a few days ago. According to Future Sox and the White Sox transaction page, the White Sox signed relief pitcher Tyson Miller to a minor league deal.
On January 15th, the #WhiteSox signed RHP Tyson Miller to a minor league contract
This is a very high-upside signing for the White Sox, as Miller has been a very productive major league bullpen arm as recently as 2024. The reason it went undetected by most until just a few days ago is because January 15th was the day that the international signing period signings were made official, so there were a ton of moves posted on the transactions page, burying the Miller signing.
In 2024 between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago Cubs, Miller posted a stellar 2.32 ERA and a phenomenal .8 WHIP. He also struck out 54 batters in 62 innings, while walking just 11 batters. These are all-star level numbers out of the bullpen.
Unfortunately for Miller, he was hurt for most of the 2025 season, throwing just 37 innings for the Cubs AAA team, where he had an elevated 6 ERA. Miller has just 93 major league innings under his belt and has bounced around a few teams, but he could potentially be one of the best White Sox relievers with another extended look.
According to Baseball Reference’s projections for Miller, they predict he will throw 31 innings of 3.7 ERA baseball with a 1.1 WHIP. This would be a huge addition to the bullpen, as that would have been one of the best performances out of the bullpen in the last few years.
Miller has a chance to make the team out of Spring Training, especially if he is fully healthy. I would imagine he has a leg up over most of the other non-roster invitees, with a strong chance to take a spot from someone who is already on the 40-man roster.
Oct 22, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Darnell Wright (58) in the first half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
We need to have a serious conversation about what we just watched.
If you told me two years ago that I’d be sitting here, nursing a Malört (jk that drink is nasty — sorry not sorry), writing about an 11-6 Chicago Bears team that captured the NFC North crown and ranked 4th in total offense, I would have asked you what strain you were smoking and where I could buy a kilo of it.
The 2024 season wasn’t just bad; it was a crime against football. It was offensive malpractice. We watched a rookie quarterback get turned into a human piñata 68 times. We watched an offense that couldn’t score in a brothel with a fistful of hundreds. 32nd in total offense. 28th in scoring. It was the kind of season that makes you question your life choices and wonder if Sundays are better spent staring at a blank wall.
But then 2025 happened.
And suddenly, we’re not the laughingstock. We’re the bullies. We’re the ones dropping 30-burgers and running comebacks like it’s a Madden game on rookie mode. The transformation was violent, immediate, and frankly, confusing for a fanbase traumatized by decades of ineptitude.
So, naturally, the talking heads and the Twitter GMs are screaming about MVPs. They’re printing Caleb Williams shirts. They’re building shrines to Ben Johnson. They’re drafting D’Andre Swift in the first round of their dynasty leagues.
And look, I get it. We love the flash. We love the sexy stats.
But if you think the MVP of this offense is the guy throwing the ball, or the guy calling the plays, or the guy running the ball… you aren’t looking hard enough. You’re looking at the paint job on a Ferrari and ignoring the engine that’s actually making the damn thing move.
We’re going deep today. No corporate fluff. No “team effort” clichés. We’re going to dissect this historic turnaround and figure out who actually saved this franchise from the abyss.
Grab a drink (please not Malört). This might shock you.
The Context: digging Out of Hell
To understand who the MVP is, you have to remember the smell of the dumpster fire we just climbed out of.
2024 wasn’t a “building year.” It was a demolition.
Caleb Williams was running for his life on 28% of his dropbacks. The line was a turnstile. The play-calling was written in crayon. We had a sack rate of nearly 10% — basically, one out of every ten times we tried to throw the ball, it ended with our franchise quarterback eating turf.
Fast forward to 2025.
Wins: +6
Points Per Game: +7.7 (That’s a touchdown a game, folks).
Sacks Allowed: Dropped from 68 to 24.
Pass Block Win Rate: From 15th to 1st.
That’s not improvement. That’s a resurrection.
So, who gets the credit? Let’s line up the suspects.
Metric
2024
2025
Improvement
Record
5-12
11-6
+6 wins
Points Per Game
18.2 (28th)
25.9 (9th)
+7.7 PPG
Total Yards/Game
283.5 (32nd)
369.5 (4th)
+86.0 YPG
Passing Yards/Game
181.5 (31st)
234.8 (12th)
+53.3 YPG
Rushing Yards/Game
102.0 (25th)
144.5 (3rd)
+42.5 YPG
Sacks Allowed
68
24
-44 (-65%)
Sack Rate
9.94%
4.19%
-5.75%
Pass Block Win Rate Rank
15th
1st
+14 spots
The 2025 Transformation: By The Numbers
Candidate 1: The Architect (Ben Johnson)
Let’s start with the brain.
Ben Johnson came in here from Detroit (gross, I know, but respect the game) and did something Matt Eberflus couldn’t do in his wildest dreams: he installed an actual professional offense.
The man is a warlock. He took the same 12-personnel heavy concepts he used to make Jared Goff look like Montana and applied them to Caleb. But here’s the genius part — he didn’t just copy-paste. He adapted.
In 2024, we were a shotgun-heavy team because we were terrified of our O-line getting blown up. Johnson walked in, looked at the roster, and said, “Nah, we’re going under center.” nearly 50% of the snaps.
Why does that matter? Because play-action from under center is basically a cheat code. It forces linebackers to freeze. It buys that extra half-second. And Johnson abused it. Caleb’s completion percentage under center was higher than in shotgun. His QBR on play-action was 80.0 — third in the league.
Johnson also did the impossible: he fixed the culture. Seven comeback wins? Six in the fourth quarter? That doesn’t happen by accident. That happens when a coach looks his team in the eye and they actually believe him when he says, “We got this.”
The Verdict: Is he important? hell yes. He’s the reason we look organized. But let’s be real — Thomas Brown had a lot of these same dudes late in 2024 and we still looked like a high school JV squad. Coaching matters, but coaching is theoretical until players execute it. Johnson designed the car, but he isn’t the engine.
Candidate 2: The Golden Boy (Caleb Williams)
Oh, Caleb.
The leap from Year 1 to Year 2 was… well, it was everything we prayed for.
3,942 yards. 27 touchdowns. A franchise record for passing yards (sorry, Erik Kramer, your reign is over).
But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. It was the way he played.
Remember rookie Caleb? Holding the ball for 3 seconds, spinning into a sack, fumbling, looking like he wanted to cry? 2025 Caleb held the ball longer (3.20 seconds average) but took fewer sacks. How does that math work? It’s called pocket presence, baby. It’s called knowing where your escape lanes are. His pressure-to-sack rate dropped from a horrific 28.2% to an elite 12.2%.
And the clutch gene? The kid has ice water in his veins.
4th Quarter Stats: 13 TDs, 96.8 Rating.
Game Winners: 5 drives.
That Giants Game: Trailing with 2 minutes left, he puts the team on his back, runs for 63 yards, throws for 220, and scores the winner with his legs. That’s franchise QB stuff.
The Verdict: He’s the face of the franchise. He’s the most important player for the next decade. But was he the most valuable for this specific turnaround?
I’m gonna say something controversial: No.
Look at the completion percentage. 58.1%. That’s… bad. That’s 32nd in the league. He missed throws. He missed reads. He had games (like the Divisional Round against the Rams) where he tried to give the game away with 3 picks.
Caleb drove the car, but he didn’t build the road. He was the beneficiary of a clean pocket that let him hold the ball for an eternity. Put 2024 Caleb behind this 2025 line, and he’s probably an All-Pro. Put 2025 Caleb behind the 2024 line? He’s in the hospital.
Candidate 3: The Toys (Swift, Loveland, Monangai)
I love what D’Andre Swift did. Career high yards (1,087). 9 touchdowns. He was the perfect zone-run back. He planted his foot, made one cut, and went. None of that dancing nonsense.
And Colston Loveland? The rookie tight end? Are you kidding me? Drafting a TE at 10 seemed rich, but the kid is a mismatch nightmare. 85.3 PFF grade. 0.514 WAR (that’s Wins Above Replacement for the nerds). His second half of the season was absurd. He basically became Travis Kelce Jr. in the red zone.
Then there’s Kyle Monangai. The 7th round afterthought who runs like he’s angry at the ground. Watching him and Swift was like watching thunder and lightning, if lightning could catch passes and thunder cost a 7th round pick.
The Verdict: They were weapons. Flashy, dangerous weapons. But weapons don’t fire themselves. Swift averaged 4.9 yards per carry not because he turned into Barry Sanders, but because he wasn’t getting touched until he was 2 yards downfield.
The Real MVP: The Big Uglies
Okay, enough foreplay.
You want to know who the MVP is? You want to know who turned a 5-win laughingstock into an 11-win juggernaut?
It’s the beef.
It’s Joe Thuney, Darnell Wright, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson.
I can hear you groaning. “An offensive line? That’s boring.” Shut up. You know what’s boring? Punting. You know what’s boring? 3-and-out. You know what’s boring? Watching your quarterback get peeled off the turf like a sticker.
This offseason, Ryan Poles looked at his bank account and said, “Empty it.” He brought in Thuney (Kansas City royalty), Dalman, and Jackson.
And they didn’t just “improve” the line. They built a damn fortress.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (Even if You Do)
Pass Block Win Rate: 73%. NUMBER ONE IN THE NFL.
Sack Reduction: -44 sacks. That is historically absurd.
Yards Before Contact: 1.89. Best in the league early on.
Let me explain that last stat for the casuals in the back. “Yards Before Contact” means our running backs were running nearly TWO FULL YARDS before a defender even laid a finger on them. My grandmother could gain 3 yards a carry with that kind of blocking, and she’s been dead since ’98.
This interior trio played 3,437 snaps together. They were basically glued at the hip. They communicated. They passed off stunts. They mauled people.
Remember that Steelers game Week 12? TJ Watt usually ruins our lives. The Bears posted an 85% pass block win rate that day. 85 percent! That’s not blocking; that’s bullying.
The Enabling Effect
Here is the crux of my argument: Replacement Value.
If you take Caleb Williams off this team and put in Tyson Bagent, we probably win 7 or 8 games because the line is so good and the defense is solid. If you take D’Andre Swift off, Monangai probably runs for 1,000 yards. If you take Ben Johnson away… okay, we might suck again, but Thomas Brown isn’t that bad.
But if you take Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson off this roster and replace them with the turnstiles we had in 2024?
We go 5-12. Again. Guaranteed.
The entire offensive philosophy — the deep drops, the slow-developing play-action, the outside zone runs — it ALL relies on the interior line winning. If the guard gets blown up, the play-action fake doesn’t work. If the center gets pushed back, Caleb can’t step up.
These three guys enabled Caleb to stop panicking. They enabled Swift to look like an All-Pro. They enabled Ben Johnson to call deep shots on 3rd-and-long because he knew he had time.
Joe Thuney, specifically, is a cyborg. The man is a 4-time Pro Bowler who just casually slid over to LEFT TACKLE in the playoffs when Trapilo went down and the line didn’t miss a beat. That’s MVP behavior. That’s “put the team on your back” behavior, just without the flashy touchdown dance.
Cultural Transformation
Offensive Line Coach Dan Roushar said it best: “With Joe, you have a player who is consistently reliable. You know what to expect from him on every down.”
Reliability. Consistency. Toughness.
Those were the words missing from Halas Hall for a decade. We had flash. We had drama. We had potential. But we didn’t have toughness.
This line gave the team a spine. When you know your big guys can push their big guys around, you play differently. You walk differently. The “Soft Bears” narrative died the minute Thuney and Co. put on the pads.
The Final Verdict
I know how the NFL awards work. They’re going to give the accolades to the guys who sell jerseys. Caleb got the Pro Bowl votes. Johnson became the Coach of the Year finalist.
But if you’re a real fan — if you actually watch the tape and don’t just check the fantasy app — you know the truth.
The 2025 Chicago Bears Offensive MVP isn’t a person. It’s a unit. It’s the Offensive Line.
But if I have to give the trophy to one guy (because rules are rules), hand it to Joe Thuney.
He’s the ringleader. He’s the standard. He’s the reason Caleb Williams still has all his ribs.
So go ahead, buy the Caleb jersey. Buy the Colston jersey. But when you’re toasting this division title, pour one out for the big guys at the line of scrimmage. Because without them, we’re just another team with a cool quarterback and a losing record.
Gov. JB Pritzker at a news conference at Helping Hands of Springfield on Dec. 15, 2025.
JB Pritzker has carried himself as somebody who can’t be bothered with the Chicago Bears’ nonsense for the past three years. This whole idea of building a new stadium is a waste of time. They’re still under lease with Soldier Field and must help pay off the remaining debt for that stadium (even though they paid their portion long ago). Not a penny of taxpayer money would go towards this new project. The problem with such a hardline stance is that it can have consequences if you hold it for too long.
Pritzker found that out the hard way when a statement from his office that the Bears would not be made a priority in 2026 backfired. The organization decided to reopen its search for a new stadium site, this time including northwest Indiana. Their state government is putting together a massive push to lure the Bears to that region, already advancing legislation to help fund it. If you didn’t think Pritzker was rattled by this development, news arriving that he was hiring an outside lawyer from New York to advise on ways to keep the Bears in Illinois should be a massive tell. The Chicago Tribune had it first.
Things are serious now.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s office signed a new $25,000 contract late last month with an outside attorney to continue advising the administration in negotiations with the Chicago Bears through the end of June as the NFL franchise seeks to pressure Springfield to act this spring on a proposal that would aid plans for a new stadium in Arlington Heights.
The Pritzker administration’s top lawyer signed the agreement with Steve Argeris, a partner with New York-based law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, on Dec. 22, five days after the Tribune first reported Bears executives were widening the scope of their stadium-site search to include northwest Indiana. The team’s announcement in a letter to season ticket holders came a few weeks after Bears brass met with Pritzker and top aides in the governor’s Chicago office.
Under the agreement, the state will pay Argeris an hourly rate of $1,455 to represent the governor’s office “in connection with evaluating potential stadium projects with one or more professional sports teams,” according to documents the Tribune obtained through an open records request. That’s a discount of more than 40% from the firm’s typical rate of $2,575 per hour for its most experienced partners, records show.
Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill said Tuesday that there was no connection between the timing of the agreement and the latest twist in the long-running stadium saga.
JB Pritzker may have blundered disastrously.
The decision to stall the Bears at every turn may have felt like a sound strategy when it first began, but in hindsight, it has backfired spectacularly. Now, Pritzker faces the prospect of keeping the organization in Illinois while also navigating the most important midterm election year in modern United States history. Suddenly, any move he makes to soften his stance on the Bears might be seen as caving to billionaires in the minds of many voters. Had the governor been more accommodating from the start a few years ago, the stadium issue might already be resolved, and people would have moved on.
Now, as JB Pritzker prepares his government for battle later this year, the Bears could quietly slip away to Indiana. Hiring the lawyer is unquestionably a desperation tactic, both to find ways to prevent what is already unfolding and to avoid looking like he’s doing nothing. One thing is clear. The Bears won’t wait forever. They seem intent on reaching a resolution one way or another before the end of this year. The longer Pritzker dithers, the faster they will be pushed into the waiting arms of Indiana.
Feb 28, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (behind) hugs guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) during overtime against the Toronto Raptors at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
For the last four weeks and the next two, trade rumors have been running wild and will only amplify. From Coby White to Minnesota, to Nikola Vucevic to Golden State, the combination of expiring contracts and an imminent soft rebuild has made the Bulls potentially the most curious case heading into the trade deadline. On one hand, everything about the situation, the expiring contracts, the mediocre record, and the desperate need for future assets to help the rebuilding process says that the team is undoubtedly going to be sellers. On the other hand, the franchise is led by one of the most stubborn and unwilling-to-budge front offices in the business. Arturas Karnisovas has been widely considered one of the league’s most controversial front-office leaders, and his moves have disappointed fans in Chicago since his arrival. One constant over his years has been his reluctance to move away assets if the team is close to playoff contention. They’re currently less than three games out of the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, which raises serious concerns of another year without significant changes or gambles. While whispers surrounding this asset might continue to grow, one reporter says he’s become “untouchable” in any transactions.
Ayo Dosunmu Has Earned His Future In Chicago
Coby White, Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, and Nikola Vucevic are some of the most commonly named players in trade talks as the deadline nears. Before the regular season, Karnisovas stated that this would be a prove-it season for the entire roster, and that the top priority was determining who has earned a long-term roster spot and who would better benefit the franchise by flipping for future assets. Dosunmu has undoubtedly cemented himself as the former.
— Gimme The Hot Sauce Podcast (@gimmehotsauce21) January 22, 2026
The point guard’s length, defensive versatility, playmaking ability, and drastic three-point shooting improvements have made him irreplaceable. In a place that’s got too many guards, Dosunmu has separated himself from the pack.
Trade White, Keep Dosunmu
Coby White is the ideal trade candidate for the Chicago Bulls. His perfect fit in a sixth-man role, with starting-caliber playmaking and scoring, has the most appeal to a contending roster. In addition, his contract will be more lucrative than his counterpart moving forward, due to the consistency across several years of proving his value. If the Bulls have the chance to ship off one guard in exchange for future assets, their former Tar Heel point guard is the top candidate.
The Timberwolves are showing interest in Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones, per @JCowleyHoops
“Another trade partner for the Bulls to keep an eye on is the Timberwolves. They have star guard Anthony Edwards and his supporting cast of center Rudy Gobert and forwards Julius… pic.twitter.com/tCjTIGwLpS
While playing the fewest minutes in his career and coming off the bench more than he ever has, the former Fighting Illini guard is averaging a career best in points, shooting percentage, and three-point percentage. The profound versatility and efficiency have given Chicago the freedom to move him around lineups, slide him into different roles when injuries hit, and made it clear that he’s on the list with Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis as pieces to build a future around.
Do you agree with King that Dosunmu has become untouchable this season? Of White, Jones, and Dosunmu, in what order would you be willing to part ways with them for future capital?
Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson walks along the sideline during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
In previous decades, there seemed to be such a thing as sustained momentum. Teams that broke through to the playoffs would usually be able to carry that into the next year, maintaining their pace towards possible contention. Ben Johnson doesn’t believe that is the case in today’s NFL. Due to the nature of many rosters and coaching staff turnover each year, you’re never really going into a new season with the same group. That is why he made it clear at this end-of-season press conference that there is no momentum to build off of from this past year.
The Chicago Bears will be starting from scratch next summer. It will be back to the basics, working on fundamentals, hammering details, and discipline. Johnson did promise one thing, though. The training camp players experienced last year, which they called the toughest of their careers, was nothing out of the ordinary from his perspective. He plans to push even harder than he did before. In other words, players better be ready to work come July because he won’t have any mercy on those who aren’t prepared.
Ben Johnson and the Bears are ready to start from scratch and go back to work 👀 “We’re back at the bottom again and that’s really all 32 teams. If you feel otherwise, you’re probably missing the bigger picture.” #chicagobears#nfl#football
He has made it clear from the outset that his goal is to win a championship. You don’t do that by pushing players hard the first year and then going into cruise control. It is done by consistently grinding them until they’re razor sharp and toughened up both mentally and physically. That is the only way you prepare a team for the long march to a Super Bowl. It is, unfortunately, something most head coaches in recent years never seemed to grasp. Marc Trestman had too much easy-going Canadian in him. John Fox no longer had the edge he once did. Matt Nagy started out that way, but failed to follow through. Matt Eberflus just wasn’t competent enough.
This head coach won’t suffer players who are uninterested in doing the work. Remember, the bulk of the names on the roster weren’t acquired by him. There is a strong probability that will soon change. The first influx came last spring. With over 20 free agents to sort through before March, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ben Johnson allows even more to go elsewhere as he continues building the roster in his vision. That means finding players who are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices for success.
Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; in Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during an NFC Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The NFL never lacks for ratings in the media sphere. It has dominated television for decades and is making headway on streaming platforms as well. Still, it has felt for some time that they haven’t achieved their full potential in viewership numbers. It isn’t due to a lack of starpower. There is plenty to go around. Part of the problem has been that the teams in their biggest markets haven’t been successful, particularly New York and Chicago. So you can imagine the league was thrilled once it became clear that the Chicago Bears were turning things around under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Once it became clear they were going to the playoffs, the league wasted no time putting them in the primetime slot during both the wild card and divisional rounds. They weren’t disappointed. Chicago’s comeback win over Green Bay set an NFL streaming record with 31.6 million viewers on Amazon Prime, shattering the old mark of 27.5 million. Not to be outdone, the Bears topped themselves the next week, pulling in an NBC record 45.4 million viewers for their back-and-forth slugfest with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bears-Packers wildcard matchup on Prime was the most-streamed NFL game of all time, with 31.6 million views, according to The Athletic senior writer Andrew Marchand.
The previous high was Netflix’s Christmas at 27.5 million.
The Chicago Bears reminded everybody they’re a major attraction.
This fanbase is among the largest in the NFL and manages to still do good views even when the team is terrible. So just imagine how things might be if the team remains good in the next few years. This isn’t your typical Bears team either. It isn’t driven by great defense and a strong running game. They are built around quarterback Caleb Williams, who led one of the most prolific offenses in football. Not only are the Bears winning, but they’re also so much more watchable.
You can bet everybody will want to see this team play after what happened in the playoffs. They know they’ll be treated to plenty of drama, if nothing else. It is a safe assumption that the NFL will line the Chicago Bears up for several primetime games next year, getting them in front of a national audience as much as possible. If nothing else, it should help prepare the team for what to expect in the playoffs next season, presuming they can repeat what they accomplished in 2025.
Jan 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) dunks the ball against the LA Clippers during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
With trade deadline season in full swing, updates are rolling in with each passing day. While the sources may vary and reports are widespread, peicing together the evidence can give a fairly accurate picture as to how the next two weeks will unfold. In Chicago’s case, this is one of the most sporadic sets of rumors and different notions. With half of the roster set to hit unrestricted free agency and the team pacing to miss the postseason, yet not claim a top-ten draft pick, for a fourth consecutive year, significant changes are expected. For the last month, and starting before the regular season began, Nikola Vucevic was a surefire trade asset. Shipping him to a contending roster for low-grade draft capital or unproven talent was the best bet. A report last week surfaced saying that Billy Donovan is vouching to keep the 35 year old center, and that he would vote the franchise brings him back in free agency this summer on a team-friendly deal. Today’s update most likely gives the final verdict on what will happen to Vucevic before the February 5th trade cutoff.
Vucevic Staying Put Is Now The Favorite
Since the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign, the best bet for any single player to not finish the season with the Bulls would be Nikola Vucevic. He’s 35 years old, on a contract that expires this summer, serves no purpose in a rebuild setting, and has expressed desire to finish his career contending for an NBA title. His three-point shooting abilities and scoring prowess from all three levels makes him a solid addition to a playoff roster. Despite playing some of his best basketball this season, the market seems minimal. Here’s what the latest report says Vucevic’s fate will be.
— Hawks, Raptors no longer in significant trade talks for Anthony Davis — Raptors aren't actively pursuing Ja Morant but are still intrigued by Domantas Sabonis — Unlikely that Bulls trade Nikola Vucevic before the deadline — Pelicans…
This is nightmare fuel for Bulls nation. Fans can admit that he contributes to winning, and has made a lot of clutch plays this season. He’s one of the most consistent and dependable peices on the roster. That being said, he serves no purpose if the goal is a rebuild, and the target time frame for contention is three or more years. A 35 year old center taking away minutes from developing assets and helping stack wins, worsenining their draft position, only hinders the organization. This would be laughable, but expected, from Arturas Karnisovas.
Matching The Patrick Williams Theory
Arturas Karnisovas has proven to be a prideful and stubborn front office leader. If there’s an asset that he specifically drafted or acquired, it’s been made painfully obvious that he will extend the longest of grace periods to see that player’s evolvement through. Patrick Williams was his first draft pick with the franchise, and despite a horrid start to his career was granted a lucrative and lengthy extension. Vucevic was AK’s first significant trade acquisition, and while he may no longer hold value in the long run, parting ways with his own product would be admitting defeat or fault. Expect him to treat Vucevic exactly how he’s dealt with Williams, retaining him despite the entire NBA world seeing the apparent flaws. If this report from a week ago is true, and appeal is up around the league, this is especially infuriating activity from Chicago’s front office.
Nikola Vucevic trade market has more “enhanced appeal” than years past, per @JakeLFischer
As painful as it is to admit, the more reports that surface, the more this trade deadline is drifting toward another silent period for the Bulls. Mediocrity has led them to a few games out of playoff contention, something Karnisovas will use to defend the minimal movement, and the franchise will be destined again to miss the postseason, yet not draft in the top-ten, for a fourth consecutive season.
A failure to trade away Nikola Vucevic in the next two weeks should earn Arturas Karnisovas an immediate firing and relief of duties.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper (70) celebrates 34-17 win over Chicago Bears as he exits the field at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024.
The Chicago Bears are in the process of making their first tweaks to the coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season. Eric Bieniemy left for Kansas City, meaning they need at least a running backs coach. It is possible they may also need a defensive backs coach as well if Al Harris leaves for one of the defensive coordinator jobs he’s interviewing for. Head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t seem idle. He already lured Will Lawing, an old friend and offensive coordinator at Boston College, to Chicago. It’s possible he isn’t done.
Longtime NFL offensive lineman Dan Skipper announced his retirement this week. He spent almost a decade in the league as a rotational offensive lineman, winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2018. Most of his playing time occurred with the Detroit Lions, during which he earned tons of respect as a teammate and leadership presence. Johnson spent six seasons with Skipper in Detroit. It appears the former player is looking to transition into coaching, already earning a job at the East-West Shrine Bowl ahead of the draft this April.
SM has learned that Johnson is hoping to lure him to Chicago once that is done.
Ben Johnson knows what kind of help Skipper brings.
His reputation in Detroit was one of toughness, resilience, and a selfless mentality that soon permeated the locker room. His presence made it far easier for Johnson to install the difficult offensive system he wanted in Detroit. So it should be a surprise the Bears head coach wants a reunion. Whether that happens depends on what Skipper’s prospects are. It is possible the Lions will wish to bring him back on their own staff, but that is uncertain with a new offensive coordinator coming in. Drew Petzing may have other guys in mind.
It’s worth noting the Bears don’t have an assistant offensive line coach on their staff. It would be easy for Ben Johnson to create one if he wants to bring Skipper in. That would be the perfect place for him to start. It might also give the Bears some insurance in case Dan Roushar decides to retire at some point in the future. That would give somebody Johnson can trust to take over and knows the offense inside and out. This will be something to watch over the next month.
