Jul 30, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) reacts after hitting a double to drive in three runs in the third inning as Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) looks on at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
It’s been exactly one week since Kyle Tucker last played and the Chicago Cubs finally placed him on the 10-day injured list. Not exactly sure why the team delayed their decision until now when it he wasn’t making much progress through the weekend. Anyway, Tucker is on the injured list retroactive to Sept. 6.
Meanwhile, the team has called up Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A to take Tucker’s spot on the active roster. This is now the third time Ballesteros has been promoted to the big-league roster in 2025.
Ballesteros, 21, has continued his excellent hitting with the Iowa Cubs this year as he’s recorded a slash line of .316/.385/.473, with 13 home runs in 509 plate appearances. In his brief playing time in the majors this year Ballesteros is 4-for-18, with six RBI and three runs scored.
(Previous Update)
Kyle Tucker last played against the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 2, and in the least shocking development coming from the Chicago Cubs the team appears to have screwed the pooch again. Mismanaging an injured player? Yup, we’re talking about the Cubs.
Tucker exited last Tuesday’s game prior to the seventh inning because of calf tightness. After that game Craig Counsell said Tucker wouldn’t play the next game, hoping that two days of rest (Thursday was an off day) would give the right fielder enough time to recover. Tucker was absent from the starting lineup on Friday. Then, he wasn’t in there again on Saturday, but surely he’d be playing Sunday? Nope.
During that entire time it made sense to put Tucker on the injured list, call up a player from Triple-A and move on. But no, it can’t ever be that easy. The Cubs are now set to begin a three-game series against the Braves in Atlanta on Monday and Tucker still isn’t ready to play.
Monday night’s game is only a few hours away and the team still hasn’t made an announcement on it, so it looks like they’re delaying that decision even more. Good job, Cubs.
Apr 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) brings the ball upcourt against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images
In June 2024, the Chicago Bulls made their most significant trade of the last five years, sending Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey. Giddey was 21 years old at the time of the deal and entering the final season of his contract. For Chicago, they were hoping to acquire their point guard of the future, and for Giddey, a chance at a fresh start with a new franchise after being benched during the Thunder’s previous playoff run. During the 2024-25 season, despite a mediocre and inconsistent start to his tenure with the organization, the 6’8″ Australian guard proved invaluable to the rebuild the Bulls are undergoing. Speculated contracts ranged from $20 million to $30 million annually, ranging from three to five seasons. Today, the team finally pulled the trigger on a decision for the future of the point guard position.
Giddey Inks 4-Year, $100 Million Extension With The Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are actively trying to find their newest superstar. The franchise’s identity is entirely unknown after shipping away Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. While several young pieces have shown promise, it’s a stretch to think that Coby White, Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, or Patrick Williams could soon be an All-NBA caliber player. The critical detail, and the one that the Bulls’ front office has hung their hats on for the past three seasons, is that most of the roster is remarkably youthful. Currently, there’s only one player over the age of 30, and only four over the age of 25. After this deal, Josh Giddey must become an All-Star-level talent if the team wants to progress with the rebuild.
With their most crucial player signed for the next several seasons, the Bulls can now focus on developing talent. White, Giddey, Buzelis, and Williams must all improve significantly in consistency and efficiency to avoid yet another absence from the NBA Playoffs. Trading away Lonzo Ball earlier this summer proved that the franchise’s leaders are looking beyond the next few years to a long-term project. Nikola Vucevic, a 34-year-old center, is likely the next asset to be traded. Here’s the projected lineup for their season opener on October 22nd, 2025, against the Detroit Pistons.
With the organization’s decisions over the last 12 months, it’s safe to assume this will be a step down from the prior season’s finish. With any luck, they’ll land a much more coveted draft slot in the 2026 NBA Draft and either trade for a solidified star or select a prospect with franchise-altering potential.
Does this regime continue to deserve the opportunity to turn this ship around, or is it time for Chicago to yet again scrap it all and reset the front office group?
Jun 8, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery (6) at bat during the first inning against the Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
One of the Chicago White Sox’s most exciting young prospects will likely miss the remainder of the season. Outfielder Braden Montgomery suffered a small fracture in his right foot after being hit by a pitch Saturday in Chattanooga.
While the injury isn’t considered major, it’s expected to sideline him for the rest of the year. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, the White Sox are optimistic Montgomery will be ready to participate in the Arizona Fall League once fully healed.
The White Sox have shown promise in the second half of the season, fueled by a wave of young talent reaching the majors. But Montgomery may have the highest ceiling of the group. He is currently the White Sox top-ranked prospect due to his switch-hitting ability and strong arm in right field, making him a potential cornerstone for Chicago’s future.
While he is expected to return by the start of next season, this marks the second straight year Montgomery has dealt with an injury setback. He missed the entire 2024 season after fracturing his ankle while playing for Texas A&M last June. Despite that, the Boston Red Sox still selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft, before trading him to Chicago without him playing a professional game.
While it’s disappointing that Montgomery’s season has been cut short, his 2025 campaign offered plenty of reasons for optimism. Across three levels in his first professional season, Montgomery posted a .270/.360/.444 slash line with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 121 games.
The 22-year-old began the year in Low-A Kannapolis, where he impressed enough to earn a promotion to High-A Winston-Salem after just 18 games. From there, he continued to climb quickly, reaching Double-A Birmingham after 69 games and finishing the season with 34 games at that level.
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) drops back to pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Caleb Williams started the opener against the Minnesota Vikings so well. He hit his first ten passes and scored a touchdown. After that, things slowly started falling apart. After going 11-of-13 to start the game, he finished 21-of-35. That worked out to 60% of his passes completed, far below Ben Johnson’s required bar of 70%. Not stringing completions makes offense harder. However, the numbers can sometimes lie. It is important to look at the tape to see if underlying issues were out of the quarterback’s control.
So I went back and looked at what happened. To a degree, there were certain plays in which Williams had no shot. The defense had the right coverage call, or got pressure too quickly. However, of the 14 incompletions Williams threw Monday night, I counted ten that were primarily his fault. Either he didn’t see an open man, saw them but didn’t pull the trigger, or simply missed them with his throw.
Sails the ball too high and wide for Moore on a post.
Has Burden open in the flat. Looks that way. Passes. Misfires outlet to Swift.
Throws ball behind Zacchaeus on an out.
Puts it in the dirt at Zacchaeus’ feet.
Throws it too wide over the middle to Kmet.
Vikings defender read Williams all the way and almost pick-sixed it.
Has Moore over the middle. Doesn’t pull the trigger. Sacks himself.
Airmails Kmet.
Airmails Moore, who would’ve had a touchdown.
Got to Swift too late and put the ball high.
Caleb Williams’ primary issue was accuracy.
There were only two notable plays in which he had a guy open and didn’t pull the trigger. The other eight were him missing the open guy with an errant pass. Now it was the first game in a new offense. It was primetime against a really well-coached defense. You allow for some early jitters. The problem is that Caleb Williams didn’t start that way. He was playing well. He hit passes. Then he just…stopped. It is something that haunted him last year. He’d go on a stretch where it feels like he can’t miss. Then the switch flips, and he’s like an old musket where you’re lucky to hit the target once in three tries.
It is not unreasonable to believe the Bears will win that game if Williams hits even half of those misses. The popular saying in the NFL is that you can’t miss the layups. Mitch Trubisky had that problem, and so did Justin Fields. This is not something Williams can let persist.
Caleb Williams did not deliver in his first game with head coach Ben Johnson. The start was excellent. Chicago scored on their first drive. Williams looked calm and in rhythm. He was sharp most of the first half. Then the Minnesota Vikings made some adjustments. Suddenly, the quarterback looked lost, frenetic, and unsure where to go with the ball. Penalties made it worse. Yet what stood out the most was how many missed opportunities there were. Williams had several chances to hit big plays. Too often, the ball sailed on him.
Nobody is going to say this partnership is doomed after one game against an opponent that won 14 games last year. That is short-sighted. The Bears must see this through. Still, there are rumblings that Williams, for all of his obvious talent, may not have the mental processing speed Johnson demands. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune contacted an AFC general manager to ask about that partnership. While it can work, some concerns about Williams’ style of play raise red flags.
The feeling is that Johnson isn’t the problem.
“He’s got to be able to show growth to do the things that they were doing in Detroit — all the menu-based stuff. All the ‘check-with-me.’ Getting to the right play is something Ben does a really good job of, so it’s growth in that and running everything at the line of scrimmage.
“There’s no throw-away plays where, from your perspective, you say, ‘That looked like a bad play call into that defense.’ You never saw that in Detroit because the Lions were so menu-based, they could get into whatever they wanted…
…“You know Ben is a smart guy. He’s only going to do what he thinks he can do and what he thinks he can do well. The evolution of this is what people will be following. The two things to watch are, what are they doing? Everything is going to have a reason to it. Why are they doing this? And then what are they not doing? Because there’s a reason for that too.”
“From a league perspective, that is one of those teams that everyone is going to be keeping an eye on,” he said. “It might sound weird because this was a five-win team last season. But everyone had an opinion on the quarterback. He was a polarizing guy. Everyone had an opinion on that kid, and everyone knows how good of a coach Ben is.
“Can he make it work with this quarterback, who is totally different than Jared Goff? That whole dynamic, I think everyone is going to be keeping an eye on.”
3rd and 10 against cover 3. Caleb has DJ Moore wide open at the top of the screen to pick up the first. Turns it down. Also has OZ on the backside in after stepping up in the pocket. Doesn’t throw it. Clean pocket. This is the really concerning stuff pic.twitter.com/96kV9tpqjM
Caleb Williams is learning how daunting the NFL is.
Reality is setting in. High school and college were easy for him because he was so ridiculously gifted. His talent is rare, making it easy for him to do great things against mostly opponents who won’t end up making a living playing the sport. The NFL is a different beast. Everybody is talented, not just the players but the coaches, too. Speed is everywhere, and coordinators are constantly evolving new ways to confuse you. If you’re not on top of the details, you get what you saw in the second half. Caleb Williams never quite appreciated that side of the game. He’s just figuring it out now. The problem is he has a head coach who is notoriously rigid about such details. How many more times will he watch Williams check to the wrong play or not check out of a bad play before he loses patience?
Johnson didn’t draft Williams. That is an inescapable fact we must remember. We’ve all seen this movie before. It happened with Mitch Trubisky, and it happened with Justin Fields. Don’t think it won’t happen to Williams for a second just because he was a former #1 pick. That being said, no decision of such magnitude will be made after one week of the season. Check back in November. Things will be clearer by then.
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) drops back to pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears did it again—another season opener, another home loss. This time it was 27-24 to the Minnesota Vikings. The Bears had all the momentum, until they didn’t.
The nightmare scenario unfolded under the Monday night lights: Caleb Williams struggled. Instead of silencing the noise around him, he may have amplified it. Labeled a “generational quarterback,” surrounded by weapons, and paired with a new head coach who schemed receivers open, Williams still couldn’t deliver. Too often he missed open targets, arrived late with his throws, or delivered the ball inaccurately.
Chicago gave Justin Fields three years. They gave Mitchell Trubisky four. This was only game 18 for Williams—the start of his second NFL season—and he’s already had multiple offensive coordinators. So how long do we give him? Is it fair to say he needs to be better? Absolutely. Is it fair to say he has until midseason to show progress? Maybe. Is the Tyson Bagent hype real? Hard to say.
Just so disappointed in Caleb Williams and the entire Bears offense.
The Bears have never been a quarterback-friendly franchise, but Williams hasn’t done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt. He was drafted to be the guy, the one to finally lead this team. Meanwhile, JJ McCarthy—despite some questionable help from the refs—made the plays his team needed. Williams didn’t.
When you’re the number one overall pick, expectations come with the territory. If you don’t meet them, criticism is inevitable. I’m not ready to jump ship on Williams, but serious doubts are creeping in. And I hate to admit it—but that’s the cold, honest truth.
Time to Worry About Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears?
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) rushes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Opening night was supposed to be different. New coach, new quarterback confidence, new vibe. Instead, the Chicago Bears coughed up a 17-6 fourth-quarter lead and face-planted in primetime, losing 27-24 to the Minnesota Vikings. Ben Johnson’s debut as head coach started like a dream but ended like every Bears fan’s recurring nightmare.
If you want to know why this meltdown happened, it’s not just one thing — it’s a cocktail of the same bad habits that have haunted this franchise for years. And yes, I’m going to drag Cairo Santos, Caleb Williams, and Ben Johnson all in the same breath, because they each deserve it.
Here are the five major reasons why Chicago blew this game:
1. The Defense Turned Into a Pumpkin in the Fourth Quarter
For three quarters, Dennis Allen’s defense looked like it came straight out of 1985. They bullied J.J. McCarthy into irrelevance, holding him to scraps. Justin Jefferson? Just one measly catch for four yards in the first half. The Vikings had 85 total yards and five first downs after three quarters. That’s straight-up domination.
And then the fourth quarter hit.
The Bears gave up 169 yards and nine first downs in just 15 minutes. Minnesota scored on three straight touchdown drives, and Jefferson got loose for a 13-yard dagger of a TD. McCarthy suddenly had time to throw, missed tackles started piling up like beer cans in the Soldier Field parking lot, and Chicago’s pass rush just… disappeared.
Defensive Splits
Period
Yards Allowed
First Downs
Points Allowed
First 3 Quarters
85
5
6
Fourth Quarter
169
9
21
Yes, the Bears were banged up — no Jaylon Johnson, no T.J. Edwards, no Kyler Gordon. But this wasn’t about bodies. This was about collapsing when it mattered most. Elite defenses close games. This one folded like a lawn chair.
2. Penalties That Belonged in a Pop Warner Game
Twelve penalties. One hundred twenty-seven yards. That’s how you beat yourself.
Four false starts in the first half alone, including two from new right guard Jonah Jackson. That’s not jitters — that’s sloppy football. And it didn’t stop there. Nahshon Wright got hit with a 42-yard pass interference in the first quarter that basically handed Minnesota three points.
But the backbreaker came in the fourth quarter: Tyrique Stevenson’s defensive pass interference on Jalen Nailor. The Vikings went from sputtering to sitting on Chicago’s 27-yard line, and of course, they punched it in.
This wasn’t just bad timing — this was a team that looked unprepared and undisciplined. You can’t claim to be a contender and give away that many yards for free.
Look, I’ve defended Cairo Santos in the past. But Monday night, he screwed the Bears.
First, he missed a 50-yard field goal late in the third quarter that would’ve stretched the lead to 20-6. Instead, Minnesota immediately flipped momentum with their first touchdown drive of the game. That kick was the hinge moment — hit it, and the Vikings are gasping for air. Miss it, and you give them life.
Then came the special teams blunder from hell. After Chicago scored late to cut the lead to 27-24, Santos kicked it five yards deep instead of out the back of the end zone. Minnesota’s Ty Chandler returned it, burning precious seconds before the two-minute warning. That mistake cost the Bears around 40 seconds of game clock. When they finally got the ball back? Nine seconds remained. Game over.
Special teams screwups like this don’t make the highlight reel, but they kill you just the same.
4. Caleb Williams Regressed When It Mattered
For a while, it looked like Caleb Williams was ready to arrive. He completed his first 10 passes, marched the Bears down the field on the opening drive, and looked every bit like the No. 1 pick who was supposed to save this franchise. His first half? 13-of-16 for 112 yards. Smooth, confident, in control.
The second half? A horror show.
Williams went 8-of-19 for 98 yards. He held the ball too long, missed open receivers, and even picked up an intentional grounding penalty that sabotaged a scoring drive. Most painful of all: he flat-out missed a wide-open D.J. Moore on what should’ve been a touchdown.
Caleb Williams’ Passing Splits
Half
Comp/Att
%
Yards
TDs
First Half
13/16
81%
112
1
Second Half
8/19
42%
98
0
That’s not just regression — that’s falling off a cliff.
This is exactly the kind of regression Bears fans feared. It wasn’t just about stats — it was about composure. When Minnesota punched back, Williams didn’t. He shrank. And if he’s supposed to be the difference-maker, that can’t happen.
5. Ben Johnson’s Debut Was a Coaching Clinic… for the Wrong Team
The Ben Johnson hype train pulled into Soldier Field, and fans were ready for fireworks. Instead, they got a master class in how not to manage a game.
Let’s count the sins:
Wasted timeout: Challenged a Hockenson “fumble” that was clearly not a fumble.
Left points on the board: Went for it on 4th-and-3 from the Vikings’ 24 instead of taking a field goal. Williams overthrew D.J. Moore, and Chicago got nothing.
Conservative play-calling: After going up 17-6, Johnson’s offense produced just one field goal across eight drives.
Discipline failures: The penalty mess reflects on the head coach, period.
If you wanted to see the difference between a rookie head coach learning on the job and a team that knows how to close games, Monday night gave you the perfect example.
Final Verdict
Here’s the brutal truth: this isn’t just one game. This is a trend. Per ESPN Stats & Info, the Bears have now blown four games since 2023 where they led by 10+ in the fourth quarter — the most in the NFL. That’s not bad luck. That’s their DNA.
Bears Blown Leads Since 2023
Year
Opponent
Lead
Final Score
2023
Broncos
21
Lost 31-28
2023
Lions
12
Lost 31-26
2024
Packers
10
Lost 27-20
2025
Vikings
11
Lost 27-24
Ben Johnson was supposed to change that. Caleb Williams was supposed to change that. But when the lights were brightest, the Bears defaulted to the same old script: collapse, undiscipline, excuses.
Until this team proves it can finish, they’ll just be another franchise with hype in September and heartbreak by December.
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson reacts during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
It was a familiar feeling that Chicago Bears fans have gotten used to. Their team took a big lead into the second half. Then, as has often become the case in recent years, they fell apart late due to mental mistakes and a lack of a killer instinct. Even with Matt Eberflus gone, the same problems remain. That was an important point that Bears center Olin Kreutz made on 670 The Score after the game. While the former coaching staff was undoubtedly a big problem, the cracks run deeper on this team than that. It is time to consider that maybe some of the players on this team aren’t cut out for high-stakes football.
Then Kreutz made an important point. You have to remember about the new head coach, Ben Johnson: He was hired to clean up these problems. That isn’t just limited to new schemes and standards. The new Bears head coach has a lot of power inside that organization. They paid him $13 million per year, and according to multiple insiders, he has considerable personnel power. Most of the players on this team were acquired before he arrived. If this keeps up, there is a strong possibility he sets out to change that.
.@olin_kreutz on Bears' loss to Vikings: "Maybe it wasn’t just all the coaching staff (as the problem in 2024). They were a part of the problem. But if you watched that film last year, you knew the players that were playing were a part of the problem. Ben Johnson has a big job." pic.twitter.com/KaBPQPtTdd
Olin Kreutz is correct. Johnson has a big job ahead of him.
The 2025 season is about trying to win. That won’t change. However, it is also a season where Johnson will spend four months evaluating the entire Bears roster. Every player who wasn’t added since his arrival is under surveillance. If he senses weakness from them, you can bet he won’t hesitate to get them out by next spring. Olin Kreutz saw Lovie Smith do something similar when he arrived in 2004. In what was a down year for the team, Smith assessed where the weaknesses were. By 2005, the Bears had six new starters. It could be an even bigger turnover with Johnson running the show. He doesn’t strike as somebody with the same patience as other head coaches might have. Players should be nervous. None of their jobs are safe. If standard motivations won’t work, maybe fearing for their livelihoods will.
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
People wondered how Ben Johnson would respond when the Chicago Bears hit their first bout with adversity. He didn’t have to wait long. After taking a 17-6 lead in the opener against the Minnesota Vikings, the team fell apart in the 4th quarter. They allowed 21 unanswered points and couldn’t rally in time. It was another in a long line of painful collapses. However, in years past, everybody knew what came next. The head coach stepped to the podium, hemmed and hawed, and just said they needed to be better.
Matt Eberflus refused to take accountability even when he obviously made crucial mistakes.
Not Johnson. He stepped to the podium after the game. His words were straightforward and blunt. There were way too many mistakes on the field and lots of unnecessary penalties. Johnson admitted the coaching wasn’t good enough, starting with himself.
#ChicagoBears HC Ben Johnson to @ESPN1000#ChicagoBears PostGame Show: “we let it get away from us…not good”. Very disappointed by the penalties, “looked like we were poorly coached”
Make no mistake. Johnson was not the primary reason the Bears lost. He needed better execution from quarterback Caleb Williams and kicker Cairo Santos. Their collective miscues sank the team. Johnson had no intention of airing such grievances after the game. He took the bullets from the media and saved his criticisms for the locker room.
Ben Johnson has a big job ahead of him.
Losses like this have become far too commonplace for the Bears. With the coaching staff replaced, it is evident that players can’t hide from blame anymore. They were part of the problem, too. Ben Johnson was tasked to coach them up, sure. However, he has another job too. That is to root out the guys who aren’t mentally tough enough to play this game. That is what much of 2025 will be about. Winning is the priority, but Johnson and his staff will be in constant evaluation mode. Everybody on the roster that they inherited when arriving in January should be on notice. Their jobs are not safe. This team is not a winner, and Monday night only reinforced that reality. Johnson’s job is to help find guys who will change that.
