The Chicago Bears became only the third team in the modern NFL era to win three of their first four games of a season with three different quarterbacks. The accomplishment was cemented last Sunday when Tyson Bagent guided them to a 23-12 victory over the New York Jets. This came in the wake of Case Keenum doing the same the week prior against the Philadelphia Eagles. It is a tremendous accomplishment for a team that many experts predicted would regress after last season’s death-defying run to the playoffs.

Most of the credit for this success goes to head coach Ben Johnson. Not only has his play-calling kept the offense among the league’s elite, but his disciplined approach has the entire team executing at a high level. However, Keenum and Bagent wanted to make sure people knew that a silent hero was instrumental in their being so well prepared for those games. That is quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett. He went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the two had everything they needed. Keenum shared some fascinating details.

“We get texts like 11:30 at night with some of the game plan notes and stuff like when they finish up and then again at like 5:45 a.m. before I get up sometimes…

…He gets a lot of the heat that probably should be coming to us…J.T.’s able to disseminate a lot of that and bring us the coaching points from Ben through him to us in our own unique way. I think it has been tremendous.”

Bagent added even more.

“He’s sleeping in his cot in the building multiple days out of the week, you know, for us and for us to be able to put good stuff and play with rhythm and timing on Sunday. So I just think that those two things, and he’s a cool dude, man. I mean you run into some of these coaches, and they’re super squares, and you know, they don’t know how to have fun. …”

Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum reminded everyone it’s a team game.

Yes, Johnson is brilliant. He is already a top-5 head coach in the NFL. However, he is still just one man. A coach is only as good as the staff he assembles around himself. People weren’t sure what to expect from Barrett. All they knew was he’d been an excellent college quarterback at Ohio State and had served as Johnson’s assistant quarterbacks coach in Detroit. Nobody knew how he would respond to assuming one of the most important jobs on the entire staff. All things considered, Barrett has crushed it.

He was a big part of helping Caleb Williams ascend last season, becoming a comeback king and setting the franchise record with 3,941 passing yards in a season. Now his efforts helped Tyson Bagent and Keenum both win their first starts in over 1,000 days. That is no small accomplishment. Barrett deserves all of the credit for putting in the extra hours and taking the heat from Johnson to make it happen. It’s easy to see why the quarterbacks have so much respect for him.

Barrett has a bright future ahead of him.

It is important to remember one thing. Barrett is only 31 years old. He retired from playing in 2022, which means he’s in his fourth year of coaching and already holds a prominent assistant job. Considering the success Declan Doyle is having in Baltimore as their new offensive coordinator, it feels like only a matter of time before teams come sniffing around the Bears’ staff for more potential gems. Barrett will be high on that list given his obvious knowledge of the quarterback position.

No doubt Bagent and Keenum hope he can stick around for as long as possible. He is clearly valued for the effort he puts in to get his guys ready. That is all you can ask of a coach. It’s further credit to Johnson for recognizing Barrett’s skill and making sure he was one of the few guys he brought over from Detroit. His value figures to only keep rising if Bagent delivers another win on Sunday in Green Bay.

People are already speculating what the Chicago Bears might do at the trade deadline in the next few weeks. You can understand why. The team is 3-1 and starting to look like a serious contender. It would make sense for them to get a little aggressive in bolstering their roster for a Super Bowl run. The obvious question is, who do they target? So many names have been thrown around, from Khalil Mack to Danielle Hunter and Jeffery Simmons. All of them would be tremendous additions in name value if nothing else. However, there is one factor that isn’t being accounted for. That is the tendency of general manager Ryan Poles.

One must remember that he is the one who works the phones on these deals. After four deadlines, he has developed a pattern regarding the types of players he targets. Of the 13 veteran names he’s added since 2022, only two of them were 30 or older: Joe Thuney and Garrett Bradbury. Both cost mid-round picks. He has never given up a premium pick (1st or 2nd round) for a player older than 27.

Knowing Ryan Poles, the name to watch is Chop Robinson.

It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins have entered a rebuilding phase. Their new regime already shipped out much of the roster this past offseason for draft picks and cap space. The former 1st round pick was one of the few they kept. He just had his best game of the season, adding 8 pressures and a sack against Minnesota on Sunday. It feels like the 23-year-old is starting to realize some of that significant potential he showed at Penn State in college. Former Bear Kyle Long thinks he’s rounding into a complete player.

If there is one player that screams Ryan Poles target, it is Robinson. He’s young, talented, and dedicated to playing hard on every snap. Miami is 0-4 this season, looking like one of the worst teams in the league. They’re nowhere close to competing for the playoffs anytime soon. They might consider unloading Robinson at the deadline while his value is peaking. He has another year left on his rookie contract with the 5th-year option still available. There is no doubt he would give the Bears defense that speed option off the edge that they don’t really have.

The big uncertainty is Dennis Allen.

As everybody knows, he is a proponent of big defensive ends with power and length. That is why they signed Dayo Odeyingbo and drafted Shemar Turner. Robinson isn’t normally his type of player. Then again, he has made exceptions in the past with guys like Von Miller and Khalil Mack. With how hard Robinson plays on every down, it probably wouldn’t be a tough sell to bring him aboard. Good defensive coaches can find ways to use a player like that. The only uncertainty is the price tag.

Miami will probably ask for a 1st round pick. More likely, it will hover around what the Bears gave up for Montez Sweat a few years ago. If a 2nd rounders is where it settles, that is a price worth paying. Robinson is still just scratching the surface of his ability. Landing in a strong situation like Chicago is sure to further help his development. If the Bears do make a move, keep an eye on this one.

There really isn’t much to complain about regarding the Chicago Bears lately. Their offense is #1 in the NFL in total yards, and the defense is top 10 in both yards and points allowed. They’re 3-1 despite not having quarterback Caleb Williams for the past two games. Much of the credit for this must go to head coach Ben Johnson and his staff. They’ve had the team well-prepared every week, playing excellent complementary football. However, former linebacker Lance Briggs does have one concern.

So far this season, the Bears lead the NFL in time of possession at 36 minutes and 35 seconds per game. The next closest team, the New York Giants, sits at 32 minutes and 41 seconds. That is domination on a crazy scale. That has to be a good thing. Controlling the football that long during games means you’re successful, right? Yes, but not entirely. Briggs fears that the offense controlling the ball for such long stretches could adversely affect the Bears’ defense and their ability to play well late in games.

“The problem with the Bears not getting a lot of snaps defensively is that when you get into a game in which the defense is asked to play the 90 plays, or the 75 plays, or even the 65 plays, there’s a higher chance of them being prone to wearing out,” Briggs said.

“It’s like a boxer who knocks guys out in the first three rounds over and over. He never reaches 12 rounds. Well, when you need to go 12 rounds, you’ve never seen him go this distance before, so can he handle the back end of a 12-round fight?”

Is Lance Briggs correct?

It’s an interesting point. Conditioning is a tricky thing in professional football. Practice can only prepare you so much for going 100 mph for up to 80-90 plays in a game. The only way to truly become accustomed to it is by experiencing it on a semi-regular basis, right? That is what Briggs is talking about. Johnson’s offense, through its own brilliance, is denying the Bears defense of this necessary experience. If you’re keeping them on the sideline for 35-40 minutes every week, that threatens to dull their edge.

I thought it would be interesting to see if the data correlates with this. I looked back over the past 10 seasons, looking at two key stats. The first, obviously, was the league leader in time of possession. Then I looked at where those teams ranked in 4th quarter defense. If Lance Briggs is correct, then a majority of said teams would struggle giving up points late. Here are the results

The evidence doesn’t really back up the claim.

While there are a couple of instances where teams led the league in time of possession and had bad 4th quarter defenses, the majority favored the opposite. Of the 10 teams listed, 5 finished 7th or better. Three others finished 12th or 13th, which isn’t great but still decent. None of those defenses was outright terrible. It feels more like the original belief behind time of possession holds true. The longer you hang onto the football, the fresher it keeps the defense late into games.

One thing we know about these Bears is that they take their conditioning extra seriously. Head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen put them through a grueling training camp for a reason. They know there will come a time when the defense is forced to be on the field a lot. It is their job as coaches to ensure the players are prepared. At the same time, it’s Johnson’s job to do everything in his power to avoid those circumstances. Nobody can fault Brigg’s for his concerns, but in this situation, you have to trust the guys in charge.

The Chicago Bears have reached the highly anticipated first week against the Green Bay Packers this season. They are 3-1 and have a chance to put their rival’s season on early life support. The Packers are 2-2 with both wins by a combined 6 points against the dismal Jets and Buccaneers. They’re also already 0-1 in the division. If they lose this game, they drop to 0-2 and last place in the NFC North. That would be a massive hole to climb out of while the Bears push their record to 4-1. So there is plenty at stake, and quarterback Caleb Williams is setting the tone.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was asked about the heavy trash talk happening from Bears head coach Ben Johnson after his team beat the Jets on Sunday. His response came across as somewhat subdued to many, who tried to downplay it as just another important game on the schedule.

Packer fans immediately called LaFleur out for such a soft answer. Williams certainly liked it. He indicated as much by liking the post above on Twitter (X). If you weren’t sure whether he’s in the heads of Green Bay, the response below should tell you everything.

Caleb Williams has become the Boogeyman.

It is no small thing when you get a prominent beat writer of your rival to respond to you simply by liking a tweet. That is the reality Williams has created. It comes from all of the effort he’s put into getting the Bears to this point. Everything started with that last-second win at Lambeau Field at the end of the 2024 season. That was the first seed of doubt being planted. Everything reached a true genesis last December when Williams authored that iconic comeback, capped by D.J. Moore’s unforgettable overtime touchdown catch.

That was the moment the Packers suddenly realized their grip on the rivalry had slipped. So when Caleb Williams drove a stake into their heart in the wild card round of the playoffs, erasing a 21-3 lead, the complex had been created. He became the Boogeyman for Packers fans, the guy they hated and also feared in equal measure. It is exactly how Bears fans used to feel about Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Try to imagine what it would’ve been like if they’d been on social media in their day.

Sunday will be interesting.

After all, the Packers won’t be facing Williams. The Bears’ starter remains out with a hamstring injury. That means it’ll be Tyson Bagent in this game. Unsurprisingly, this has given Green Bay fans some confidence that they can pull off a victory. Then again, this is the same team that almost lost to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels last week. This doesn’t feel like the sort of situation where they should be overlooking anybody. Bagent is 3-2 as a starter and knows Johnson’s system inside and out.

Never mind, they won’t have Micah Parsons or Edgerrin Cooper for this game. There is a reason the Bears are favored despite being on the road. The best thing for the Packers to do is ignore Williams and focus on the task at hand. They’ll have to deal with him soon enough. If they can’t beat the Bears when he’s not playing, it doesn’t bode well for the rematch when he returns.

The Chicago Bears stated in August that their agenda remains focused on Hammond, Indiana, for their new stadium. This comes months after they failed to cross the finish line in the Illinois state legislature on a bill to secure the property tax and infrastructure support they need to start building in Arlington Heights. Indiana has been adamant for some time that they are ready and willing to do everything required to bring the Bears to the northwest region. They have two prominent properties on the table.

Despite assurances on all sides that a deal is close, days and weeks continue passing with no viable updates. The Bears insist they’re taking their time, going through all the necessary steps. Others aren’t convinced. They believe the franchise is stalling. If Indiana’s offer were as good as the state makes it out to be, then the Bears would’ve jumped already. This feels more like a leverage play by the organization to wring concessions from Illinois. Finally, a prominent team insider came out and said as much. That was Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago Bears would rather not go to Indiana.

Presumably the Bears will continue “due diligence” on the two Hammond sites they are considering, Lost Marsh and Wolf Lake Terminal, but it has been pretty apparent from the jump — since Hammond was introduced as an option in December — that Indiana is Plan B.

As I’ve stated multiple times, Hammond is an option for the Bears. It’s not their preferred option, and they’re clearly willing to blow up their self-created timelines in a bid to create traction in Illinois for the Arlington Heights property the team owns. Remember, Warren hinted strongly in March that a decision on the stadium location could come in late spring or early summer.

Fall is here, leaves are about to start turning colors and the Bears are going to require progress in the Illinois legislature during the fall veto session, which includes three dates in November and three in the first week of December.

Everything came into focus once Roger Goodell got involved.

Intervention from the NFL’s commissioner is no small thing. It also served as clear evidence of where the Bears, and by extension the league, were leaning. He met with Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, not Indiana’s Mike Braun. If that weren’t enough, another major player entered the fray over the past two weeks. That is Bears part-owner Pat Ryan. The 89-year-old has held a large piece of the franchise for decades and is one of the richest men in the state. He also just finished building a new stadium for Northwestern University. By inserting himself into the mix, it’s pretty clear the Bears have lost faith in team president Kevin Warren.

This isn’t overly surprising. It was evident almost from the start that Warren didn’t have a clear plan for getting a deal done. One of the first things he did was get swindled by Mayor Brandon Johnson into proposing a brand new downtown stadium. Not once did he bother to stop and research how much opposition he would face on that path. By the time it registered that such a move was impossible, he’d wasted almost a year of precious time he could’ve devoted to finding allies in Springfield for passing legislation. Warren never found his footing after that, eventually resorting to the threat of Indiana as a desperate gambit.

The Bears finally have adults in the room.

Asking Warren and George McCaskey to lead the push for a new stadium was always a losing battle. McCaskey has never been known for being a shrewd negotiator, as the previous 16 years of his tenure as team chairman clearly show. It is why he hired Warren in the first place. The problem is that the man’s reputation was somewhat inflated. He took too much credit for helping get U.S. Bank Stadium built in Minnesota. Then he leaned on his time as Big Ten Commissioner to prove he could run an NFL team with professionalism and confidence. Nobody stopped to actually examine his time at that job and how unpopular he was.

Mercifully, he is out of the picture now. Ryan has been negotiating billion-dollar deals for decades. It is what he does. Goodell hasn’t been the second-longest-serving NFL commissioner (20 years) for nothing. The guy handles high-stakes business discussions on the regular. With them leading the charge, it won’t be surprising if the Chicago Bears manage to reach an agreement with Illinois to finally get the stadium construction underway.