Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson was tired of hearing all the media chatter about what the team planned to do at quarterback all week leading up to the New York Jets game. He made the decision earlier in the week that Tyson Bagent would be the starter. Case Keenum would back him up. However, that wasn’t enough. Johnson knew he needed a way to send a message to everybody that the speculation was pointless. He ended up going with a pretty rare idea. He put both quarterbacks on the field at the same time.

Bagent lined up out wide as a receiver while Keenum stood in shotgun. He took the snap and handed it to D’Andre Swift for a 2-yard gain. It was the only play of the day for Keenum, but because he was technically the primary QB on that snap, he was credited with the start and, eventually, the win. Bagent went on to start the rest of the game, completing 73.5% of his passes and piling up almost 500 total offense. Johnson stated after the game that the week-long chatter annoyed him. This was his rebuttal.

Apparently, Ben Johnson was thinking something even crazier.

Right guard Jonah Jackson was on 104.3 The Score to discuss the game against the Jets. He was asked about that first play. He revealed that Johnson came to him earlier in the week and said he planned to do something wild on the opening snap. What nobody outside the building knew was that it wasn’t just the idea of having Bagent and Keenum together at the same time.

“Two quarterbacks on the field at the same time? Or none at all?”

Those were the words the coach said. Johnson came close to running a play with no quarterback on the field. One can only imagine how bizarre that might’ve been.

Ben Johnson continues to prove that he is a walking contradiction. When you watch the man operate, the intensity is palpable. Nobody wants to win the game more than him. Everything is taken seriously. Then, when you hear stories like this, it makes you wonder if he’s taking the game seriously at all. It is part of his charm. You have no idea what the guy is going to do next. All you know is it’s going to be unexpected and probably work more often than not. It is hard not to love him for that.

It is incredible to think this is where the Bears are.

For many years, they’ve been straddled with coaches stuck in the past. Old school guys focused on defense and ball-security offense. It was tough to watch at times. Johnson is the perfect marriage of old-school appreciation and new-school thinking. It is what makes him such a nightmare to game plan against. Throw in a petty personality and sneaky sense of humor, and you probably have one of the most compelling characters in recent Chicago sports history.

Bears fans should appreciate what they’re seeing. There is no telling how long it will last. Maybe a couple more years, maybe a decade or longer. Either way, it is important that they recognize Johnson as a unique brand of entertainment that they haven’t had in this town for a long time. Such things should be cherished.

The Chicago Bears signed Marcus Davenport late in the preseason, hoping to bolster their defensive line ahead of the season. This meant he wouldn’t play immediately. He’d need time to get his conditioning up to speed and reacquaint himself with Dennis Allen’s defense. After three games on the practice squad, the Bears finally elevated him to the main roster for Sunday’s matchup against the New York Jets. He ended up playing 12 total snaps, rushing the passer 6 times. He put pressure on quarterback Geno Smith, leading to an incompletion.

It felt like a promising debut. Hopefully, he could provide more as he got his legs fully under him. So you can understand the shock when news broke that the Bears had released Davenport from the practice squad. It was a bizarre turn of events, made all the more puzzling when further word emerged that Davenport himself had requested the release. The Bears granted it. He is once again a free agent. What isn’t clear at this point is what compelled the veteran pass rusher to do it.

Two possibilities explain why Marcus Davenport departed.

The first and most plausible at this stage is playing time. Davenport is used to being a regular starter, or at the very least a rotational pass rusher. Getting 12 snaps in his debut probably wasn’t what he was hoping for. That alone isn’t the issue. It is likely the imminent return of Shemar Turner. Chicago activated the practice window for their former 2nd round pick on September 23rd. Usually, it takes around two weeks for a player to be determined ready to go, and Turner is approaching that mark. Perhaps Davenport felt the team planned to get the younger player involved right away, which would eat further into the little playing time he’s gotten.

Then again, it’s important to remember that he was on the practice squad. Marcus Davenport wasn’t in danger of having that spot taken. The Bears would’ve likely kept him around and still found ways to get him involved. Leaving the team like that when there hasn’t been much interest elsewhere feels puzzling. That is why there is another possibility in play: health.

Davenport has battled a litany of injuries throughout his NFL career. It got especially bad over the past three seasons, during which he missed 37 total games due to multiple ailments. It feels like that experience on Sunday against the Jets, even in such a small dose, convinced him that his body can’t do it anymore.

His exit at least cements one thing.

Unless Turner suddenly starts playing really well upon his return, there is a strong possibility that the Bears will hunt for defensive line help at the trade deadline in a few weeks. There are certain to be some options available. Much will depend on the price tag. All one can do is wish Davenport well. He wasn’t around long enough for fans to form any attachment. You can only feel appreciative that he contributed to an important victory over the Jets, even in a small capacity.

Hopefully, he finds whatever it is he’s looking for. For now, the Bears’ setup at defensive end remains the same, with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Turner likely to join them soon. It will be interesting to see if any further information emerges about what happened in the days that followed.

***************************UPDATE***********************************

It now appears that Davenport has decided to retire. This all but confirms that the decision to depart was likely health-related. It isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Older players suit up for a game, play, and suddenly realize their bodies aren’t up to it anymore.

The Chicago Bears are now 3-1 through the first quarter of 2026. That is as good a start as anybody could ask for. They have a major opportunity to build on it, too, with games against the struggling Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons up next. If the positive trend continues, they will approach the end of October at 5-1. That almost has to pop the door wide open for an aggressive move ahead of the trade deadline. In fact, certain people close to the organization have begun saying the same thing.

It started with former center Olin Kreutz. He believes the Bears’ strong start will compel them to go after a potential difference-maker. This team is already good. If they can land an impact player, they might emerge as a favorite in the NFC. Not far behind him was Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, who echoed those thoughts. Both men were in step on one point. If the Bears do decide to make a move in the next couple of weeks, expect it to come on the defensive side of the ball.

It all depends on how aggressive the Chicago Bears want to be.

That and who is possibly available. In these situations, you always look at the teams that are all but out of the playoff picture. As of writing this, five teams in the league remain winless at 0-4: Tampa Bay, Miami, Houston, Tennessee, and Los Angeles. Which among them might be willing to unload a top player on the roster for draft capital? The Dolphins don’t have much to offer. They already purged much of the roster in the offseason as they kick-started a rebuild. The Chargers and Texans may not be willing to unload key pieces since both made the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.

Probably the most interesting are the Titans. They have one gigantic worm to dangle on the hook. That is defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, considered among the best interior pass rushers in the league. He finished with 11 sacks last season and has 2 in the first month of 2026. That doesn’t even include his excellent presence against the run. As for Tampa Bay, you’re probably looking at massive nose tackle Vita Vea. He’d be an instant upgrade to the Chicago Bears’ run defense and is a much better rusher than he gets credit for.

How aggressive is Ryan Poles ready to be?

Based on what we’ve seen from the Bears’ general manager since he took over, we know he’s willing to go as high as a 2nd round pick to acquire a player. He proved it both with Chase Claypool in 2022 and Montez Sweat in 2023. Would that be enough to acquire somebody like Simmons or Vea? It also depends on Poles’ opinion of both players. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy who’d give up a premium draft pick for what could be a half-season rental. He’d want somebody who could help the Bears for at least a couple of years.

In those circumstances, Simmons is probably your best hope. He’s under contract through 2030 and is 29 years old. Barring injuries, he can probably give you two more good-to-great seasons before you start worrying about a decline. The problem is that his contract carries a hefty annual cap hit of $30 million or more. The Bears don’t have the space for that. They’d have to make some serious sacrifices for it to work. It will be interesting to see how that handicap plays a role.

God vs. Country, who you got?

Before Ben Johnson put on another masterclass against the New York Jets on Sunday, winning a third game with a third different quarterback in the first month of the regular season, Chicago Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond made some very ignorant people extremely upset. Why? He was recorded praying near the end zone as the national anthem was being performed, but of course the discourse turned into islamophobia as Raymond was incorrectly labeled as a Muslim because of the way he was praying.

Radio and Real America’s Voice host Grant Stinchfield incited the mob as he posted the video of Raymond kneeling in prayer with the caption, “Don’t pray to Allah during OUR national anthem! Massive disrespect for America from (Kalif Raymond).” The worst of the worst spread the video with similar feelings. You know, hating Raymond because he’s a Muslim who was praying during the national anthem.

But wait, Raymond isn’t Muslim at all. In fact, he appears to be a devout Christian who went to Greater Atlanta Christian School in Georgia, then played at the College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit school. Last Thursday, the Bears put out a mic’d-up video where he’s straight up saying, “I’m going to thank Lord Jesus first.” Back in 2022, with the Detroit Lions, he said he was “thankful that the Lord blessed me” after getting a game ball.

The pathetic reaction from the angriest people on Earth, internet reply guys, is that it still would not matter what religion Raymond practices. He isn’t offending a single soul by doing what he’s doing, and for those claiming the wide receiver is being performative and trying to draw attention to himself, how about you look in the mirror? You’re so mad that someone is praying during the anthem, when there are actual atrocities happening on a daily basis that should make your heart break, not the guy praying to your same God.

And I’ll repeat: the people who made this go viral are the scumbags here. They just want to be mad about anything and everything. They’re the true villains, whose only goal is to feed off others’ insecurities.

Look at the difference between that post and the one from Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles back on Sept. 28, also at Soldier Field, where Raymond was praying the exact same way.

I still cannot believe how many people get mad about this stuff. But then again, every other comment you see on social media is from a bot, so welcome to 2026, I guess.

The Chicago Bears have gotten off to a terrific start this season. Outside of a monsoon-soaked loss to the Minnesota Vikings, they have won three games, all by double-digits. A big reason for that success has been the resurgence of their defense. After ranking among the league’s worst in most categories last season, they are now top 10 in both total yards and points allowed. A big part of that is the pass rush, which has 10 sacks through 4 games. Remember, they had 30 all of last season. Could they decide to look for even more help at the trade deadline in a few weeks? Khalil Mack probably hopes so.

The former All-Pro is off to a great start this season, collecting 3 sacks in the first month. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his team. The Los Angeles Chargers are a complete dumpster fire, sitting at 0-4 after a crushing loss to Seattle on Sunday. It doesn’t get any easier the next two weeks with Denver and Kansas City up next. If this slide continues, there is a strong possibility they may sell at the trade deadline. According to former player Breiden Fehoko, there is a lot of unrest in that locker room.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Khalil Mack himself said that.

Keep in mind, there are only two full-time players on that Chargers roster who are 34 or older. Mack is one of them. It’s unlikely, 37-year-old long snapper Josh Harris said it. The only other possibility is safety Tony Jefferson. Either way, it’s pretty clear that guys aren’t happy with what’s going on over there. Mack has to feel like his decision to stay in Los Angeles was the wrong one. He was a free agent this past spring and could’ve signed elsewhere. Instead, he opted to gamble on the Chargers breaking through after back-to-back 11-6 seasons.

Now it seems as if head coach Jim Harbaugh is losing the locker room. It has to be an eerily familiar feeling for Khalil Mack. He watched Jack Del Rio fall apart in Oakland, and Matt Nagy do the same in Chicago. Is it happening with the Chargers, too? If so, he probably doesn’t want to stick around for the aftermath. His window to compete is almost closed. He would like to have one more chance to chase a Super Bowl. Could a return to the Bears be something he’d be interested in?

Based on his comments in a recent interview, that is a big yes.

This is a smart acquisition.

Given his age, there is no way Mack would command more than a late-round pick at this stage of his career. Los Angeles would be happy to get anything for him, since he’s a free agent next year. The only hurdle for the Bears would be his contract. They are already tight in cap space, so it would take a couple of maneuvers to find room. Still, you can’t argue that a foursome of Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Mack wouldn’t be effective. After all, the first three have been pretty good already to start this season.

Everything should come into focus in around three weeks. That is when the real trade deadline conversations begin. Mack won’t be the big fish everybody else is hunting. So if the Bears want to swing a deal quickly and quietly, it shouldn’t be too difficult. If anything, he might prefer it happen sooner. Going from a 0-4 team to a 3-1 team probably sounds pretty good right about now.

The Chicago Bears knew they couldn’t afford to take the New York Jets lightly on Sunday, even though they knew the big matchup was right around the corner. They had to take care of business. Then they could shift their focus to the long-anticipated grudge match with the Green Bay Packers. Thankfully, the game went as planned. Chicago cruised to a 23-12 victory that was not as close as the final score says. The Bears dominated all day, marking the third blowout victory of the season.

One would think the Packers are happy as well. They got back in the win column as well, taking down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-14. Unfortunately, the victory came at an appalling cost. The hero of the day was linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who had a crucial interception that helped his team do just enough to win. He wasn’t able to see the finish, though, as he went down with a non-contact injury. Later tests revealed it is likely a torn Achilles, which would end his season.

Cooper is the worst possible loss for a Chicago Bears matchup.

The Packers already had the 28th-ranked run defense in the NFL before Sunday. Cooper is one of the few reasons it isn’t dead last. Taking him out of the picture right as Green Bay is about to face the most dangerous rushing attack in the NFL? Catastrophic is the only word that comes to mind. Cooper has played consistently well against the Bears. He’s had at least 7 tackles in four of the five games he has played against them. He was a big reason Green Bay played the run pretty well against them last year.

Now he’s gone. This puts enormous pressure on 30-year-old Zaire Franklin and Isaiah McDuffie to pick up the slack. Considering how bad the Packers’ run defense has been with Cooper in the lineup, it’s alarming to think what the drop-off could be without him. You can bet the Chicago Bears have every intention of finding out. Head coach Ben Johnson didn’t waste time giving his team a message in the post-game locker room. It’s Packer Week, and they better get ready for war.

Green Bay isn’t getting the team they played last year.

Those Bears were still learning how to win. This is a new animal. These Bears now conduct themselves like true professionals. They prepare well each week and apply their trade with ruthless efficiency. All three of their wins this season have been blowouts. This also isn’t the same Packers team from last year. They don’t run the ball nearly as well as before, and their pass protection has been a mess. On top of that, their defense continues to take grievous body blows from injuries. Micah Parsons is still out. Now Cooper is done for the year.

Nothing is guaranteed in this rivalry. These teams always play each other tough. That said, it’s hard not to feel like the Packers are far more vulnerable. Their two victories this year have come against two teams with a combined one win this season. Those wins were by a combined 6 points. Beating the Bears was hard enough going into this game. Having to do it without their best defensive player is rough.

D’Andre Swift received a big contract extension prior to the 2026 season. It was well-deserved after his strong campaign a year ago. It felt like a sound decision. He is still in his prime and a great fit for Ben Johnson’s offense. His 3-TD game in the opener against Carolina certainly reinforced that. However, things can change fast in the NFL. One thing we’ve learned about Johnson is that he doesn’t let contract size or personal loyalty dictate his decisions on Sundays. He expects results and won’t reward you with snaps if you don’t deliver.

Swift had his first mistake of the season in week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings when he fumbled at the goal line. It cost the Bears what might’ve been a tone-setting score. This didn’t alter much with the backfield. It was a tough break in sloppy conditions. It happens. Swift got plenty of action against Philadelphia without incident—nothing to see here.

Unfortunately, the calm didn’t last long. On a crystal clear day against the New York Jets, Swift lost another fumble. This time, it came in the 3rd quarter while deep in Bears territory. This gave the Jets premium field position, which they turned into a field goal.

D’Andre Swift paid the price for it.

The running back never saw the field after that play. He went to the sideline while Kyle Monangai finished the game for the Bears. Some wondered if the Swift was hurt. He did seem to get up slowly after the fumble. Perhaps that is why he never came out. Maybe Coach Johnson was just being cautious. He was asked about the decision after the game ended. Johnson didn’t even try to dance around the question. The coach left no doubts. Swift wasn’t held out because of an injury.

That is a pretty ice-cold response. There is no room for misinterpretation. D’Andre Swift was basically benched for the rest of the game. It was not an accident. Johnson wanted to send a message. As good as Swift has been in the past several months, it doesn’t make him immune to accountability. If you keep making costly mistakes like those fumbles, this staff won’t let you back on the field. Monagai certainly appreciated it. He finished with 30 carries for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Swift better get this issue figured out.

It’s not like the Bears’ schedule gets any easier moving forward. Green Bay is up next, followed by Atlanta, Seattle, and New England. These are some pretty good defensive teams. All of them are quite adept at forcing turnovers. You can bet they’ll have Swift well-scouted and start punching at the football every chance they get. There isn’t any time for him to ruminate on this. He must get it figured out and fixed as soon as possible. Otherwise, Johnson will be forced to shift the bulk of the carries over to Monangai.

This is another reminder that the Bears’ head coach has at least one thing figured out. There can’t be any place for favoritism, not when the fate of games is on the line. As good as Swift is, he’s a liability if he keeps putting the ball on the ground. Johnson won’t give to players he can’t trust. What happens in Green Bay may determine what awaits the running back the rest of this year.

The Chicago Bears were ecstatic when Dillon Thieneman fell to them at 25th overall in the 2026 draft. They felt the Oregon safety had a rare mix of elite athleticism and top-tier work ethic. He could think the game at a high level and had the natural talent to exploit it. However, they knew that safeties usually took time before they started manifesting their full potential. That is why most expected veteran Coby Bryant to take the lead, allowing the rookie to learn at a normal pace. All of that went out the window when Bryant injured his knee.

This forced the Bears to lean on Thieneman far sooner than they would’ve liked. Ready or not, he had to step up. Not only did the rookie do so, but at a much higher level than anybody could’ve predicted. Sunday was more of the same. Thieneman spearheaded another great defensive effort, holding the New York Jets to 12 points and 59 yards rushing. What stood out the most was that he once again finished the day leading the Bears’ defense in tackles with 7. Thieneman has now led in every single game this season.

Dillon Thieneman is suddenly flirting with Bears history.

Tackles became a mainstream statistic in the NFL and among its fans in 1994. In the 32 years since, no safety has ever led the Bears’ defense in that category. The closest anybody came was Mike Green in 2002, finishing 2nd on the team with 130, behind Brian Urlacher’s 158. Mike Brown was also 2nd in 2000 with 102. Jaquan Brisker finished 2nd in 2022 with 104. Yet none of them got off to the kind of hot start Thieneman has. With today’s performance against the Jets, he now has 30 tackles in 4 games. That puts him on pace for 127 this season. The next closest is linebacker Devin Bush, who now has 19.

This kind of thing is not normal for any safety. Seeing it from a rookie is completely unheard of. It tells you how well Dillon Thieneman has played. This isn’t somebody stumbling his way into tackle situations because of teammates constantly allowing big plays. The 1st round pick moves everywhere, always finding his way to the football. He reads the run well and uses his exceptional speed to limit explosives through the air. His interception last week against Philadelphia was game-changing.

The Bears couldn’t have asked for more.

They would’ve been perfectly happy if Thieneman ranked 3rd or 4th in tackles and didn’t have any glaring setbacks in coverage. Instead, he is a constant presence that opponents are finding it difficult to escape. That is what you expect of somebody multiple seasons into a career, not a rookie in his first four career games. It is a tribute to the hard work and preparation Thieneman has put in since arriving, and also the coaching of defensive coordiantor Dennis Allen and his staff.

The scariest part is that the Bears defense still isn’t at full strength. Bryant has yet to return from his knee injury. When he gets back, a lot should get taken off of Thieneman’s plate. That, in turn, should make him even more dangerous. It would be something special to see him become the first safety in franchise history to lead the team in tackles for a season. That would set the tone for the rest of his career.