The Chicago Bears made their feelings on Tyson Bagent clear last offseason when they locked the young quarterback up to a three-year extension. It was a massive vote of confidence from head coach Ben Johnson, who’d apparently grown quite fond of Bagent in their brief time working together. The former undrafted free agent had flashed enough ability and combined it with a tireless work ethic to show he could be an ideal backup for Caleb Williams. However, the ceaseless demand for quarterbacks in the NFL led many to wonder if another team might come knocking about his availability.

Sure enough, John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix revealed that the Arizona Cardinals are intrigued by Bagent. Their new head coach, Mike Lafleur, is likely looking for quarterbacks with the rampant rumors that Kyler Murray will be traded. Most agree that the incoming 2026 draft class is light on franchise-caliber arms. In situations like this, teams always look to free agency or the trade market for solutions. Bagent has two highly affordable years left on his contract and has spent time in an offense similar to what Lafleur will run.

Trading for Tyson Bagent isn’t completely crazy.

There is a precedent for such moves. Since 2000, there have been five documented cases where a team traded for the backup from another team to make him their starter. The results were surprisingly decent. Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Schaub both became Pro Bowlers. Jimmy Garoppolo went to a Super Bowl. Jacoby Brissett was a decent starter. The only outright bust, ironically, was Arizona’s trade for Kevin Kolb in 2011. It isn’t crazy that a QB groomed for a couple of years might be ready for an opportunity.

The problem is compensation. Green Bay moved up seven spots in the 2001 draft and got a 3rd round pick for Hasselbeck. Houston gave up two 2nd round picks for Schaub. Philadelphia got a starting cornerback and a 2nd round pick for Kolb. San Francisco gave up a 2nd round pick for Garoppolo. Teams are reluctant to give up quarterbacks they like. That means if the Cardinals are determined to get Bagent, it sounds like they need to start discussions with Chicago at a 2nd-round pick.

The Bears have a difficult decision if this hits their desk.

They re-signed Tyson Bagent for a reason. They feel he has tremendous value as a backup, as proven by his limited playing time in 2023 and his excellent preseason performances the past two years. However, it has become clear that Caleb Williams is cemented as the starting quarterback. He isn’t going anywhere. Chicago needs to always be thinking about building around him. An extra 2nd round pick could be incredibly valuable in that pursuit, especially with his likely contract extension coming up after this season.

Still, few things are more valuable than a dependable backup quarterback. There is no telling when Williams will get injured. He hasn’t until now, but history says it’s only a matter of time. Having Bagent waiting in the wings would be plenty comforting. Besides, Coach Johnson loves him. It might be hard to convince him that trading Bagent could be in the best long-term interests of the franchise. Coaches focus on winning now. They know what they have with Bagent. There is little sense in creating uncertainty in an important spot for a lottery ticket draft pick.

Drafting pass rushers has been a struggle for the Chicago Bears for years. Only three players in franchise history have crossed the 50-sack line: Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, and Richard Dent. All retired in the 1990s. Trace Armstrong and Alex Brown both managed over 40, but one was traded, and the other faded after that. Leonard Floyd is now at 70 for his career, but most of that was done with other teams. Bears general manager Ryan Poles hasn’t had much luck in this department either. All of his attempts in the draft to this point have been solid at best, like Gervon Dexter and Austin Booker. No outright hits.

That must change this year if he’s going to get the defense up to a level where they can compete in the playoffs. Chicago picks 25th overall in the 1st round, though. That makes the job hard since plenty of teams picking ahead of them will take pass rushers. It’s a premium position for a reason. So if the Bears want to find somebody with good odds of being productive in the pros, they must dig deep for answers. Most will say you have to watch the tape, don’t lean on the stats to tell you anything. This is partly true, unless you know which stats to look at.

One that isn’t talked about at all is TFL/G, or tackles for loss per game.

The Chicago Bears should pay close attention to this stat.

Yes, nothing is perfect. As you can see, there are exceptions to the rule. Walker and Hutchinson have both become very good pass rushers. Courtney Brown flamed out, although injuries played a part in that. Yet the data seems pretty reliable. Out of 22 rushers picked in the 1st round since 2000 who managed 1.00 TFL/G or better, 21 of them have had what can at least be called a good career. Three are already in the Hall of Fame, and seven others seem virtually guaranteed to join. If the player is at 0.80 or better, their odds are still favorable.

Unfortunately, the Bears haven’t really followed this trend for years. Since 2010, they’ve selected eight players in the first three rounds who can be constituted as pass rushers. Only two of them cleared the 0.80 mark.

Sutton, a 3rd round defensive tackle known for size and power concerns, didn’t work out. Floyd, as stated above, has carved out a great career with a Super Bowl ring. Only one of the six other names who failed to reach that mark (Dexter) went on to become productive. Don’t forget they took McClellin over Chandler Jones. They also had DeMarcus Ware (1.27) on the board in 2005 when they selected Cedric Benson. It’s remarkable how consistently bad they’ve been at this.

That leads to the question of who the Bears should draft.

There is some excitement around the group of rushers in this class. It’s a deep, diverse, and productive group. Does the data point to anybody in particular? Interestingly, only two names in the class of potential 1st round picks manage to clear the 0.80 floor. One is Rueben Bain Jr., Miami’s dominant defensive end at 1.02. He is expected to go in the top 10. The other might catch some by surprise. It is Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas, who many had as a 2nd round guy going into this offseason.

Jacas is far more likely than Bain to be an option for the Chicago Bears. He has good enough size, considerable power, the flexibility to bend the edge, and shows a consistently hot motor. The fact that he plays in their backyard makes it extra delicious. The Bears haven’t picked a player from Illinois in the 1st round since Dick Butkus in 1965. This could be the perfect time to end that drought. If the data can be trusted, and history says it’s reliable, then Jacas could become a quality player for this defense.

Will Poles and the coaching staff see it that way? Probably not. It will be interesting to see if the data holds up in the long term.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams joined Maxx Crosby on his podcast The Rush this Tuesday for a fun, compelling conversation that’s now live and available to watch.

This episode stands out as one of the more genuine player-to-player interviews you’ll hear this offseason: honest, competitive, and simply awesome.

Maxx Crosby Gives Caleb His Flowers

Crosby didn’t hold back when talking about Williams’ talent and potential ceiling.

“You’re one of those guys for sure and you’re just getting started,” Crosby said. “I don’t even know you understand yet how good you can be and that’s the scariest part. You know we’re locked in forever. You need me, hit me at any time.”

That’s a serious endorsement and one that doesn’t come lightly from one of the toughest defensive players in the NFL. Crosby wasn’t simply praising Williams’ play; he was spotlighting his growth mindset and future trajectory.

Why This Episode Works So Well

The episode lets Williams speak openly and thoughtfully about mindset, preparation, leadership, and managing expectations, all without coming across as rehearsed or media-trained. It’s real, reflective, and grounded.

Crosby pushed the conversation into competitiveness and drive, bringing out a side of Williams that feels authentic.

The Timing Is Hard to Ignore

What makes this episode even more intriguing is the timing:

The Bears have been linked to Maxx Crosby throughout the offseason. At first, the idea of Chicago landing Crosby felt like a distant pipe dream, a fun rumor with little traction.

But as the offseason has progressed, that chatter hasn’t faded. The Bears have draft capital. They will have salary cap flexibility. And now, arguably more importantly, you have Crosby publicly acknowledging respect for Chicago’s quarterback — on air, in his own podcast.

A podcast doesn’t move draft picks. Compliments don’t finalize deals. But moments like this shift narratives. They change how fans and insiders think about what might be possible.

Final Thoughts

At the very least, this episode reinforces a clear point: Caleb Williams is earning real respect around the league. Not just hype but respect from players who know what greatness looks like.

If you’re a Bears fan, this episode is more than worth your time. Watch the full episode here and see for yourself what all the buzz is about.

It isn’t a secret that Maxx Crosby has fast become one of the gems of the 2026 offseason. Everybody knows he is likely to get traded after a falling out with the Las Vegas Raiders. Their decision to bench him in favor of tanking while facing another long rebuild was the final straw. He wants to win and is prepared to demand that the team send him somewhere he’ll have a chance to do that. It doesn’t take a quantum physicist to know half the league will be interested in him. What they probably didn’t expect was that Caleb Williams would fire the first shot before anybody else.

Crosby has a weekly podcast called The Rush. In episode 81, he had a special guest. Yep, the Chicago Bears’ quarterback. There is no way that is a coincidence. Williams will play it off as innocent, but he’s way too smart a person to do this by accident. That is especially true when you listen to their dynamic. The mutual respect is obvious, and it’s clear they like each other. Crosby has immense expectations for Williams. He also gave a nod of approval for how the Bears fixed their organizational issues, which led to their playoff run last season.

Caleb Williams isn’t ignorant of the Bears’ needs.

Despite their success in getting to the playoffs, it became apparent they were flawed when matched up against the league’s best. No issue loomed larger than their pass rush. Montez Sweat and Austin Booker had some nice moments, but the team lacked a true impact play on their defensive line. It is a big reason the Bears were a distant 23rd in sack percentage this past season. It is hard to win a championship under those conditions. Chicago has been trying to fix it for the past few years.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has taken some significant swings. He traded for Sweat in 2023, drafted Gervon Dexter that same year, and recently signed both Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett in free agency last spring. It hasn’t been enough. The team still lacks that dynamic presence opponents must account for. Somebody like Crosby. That is why Caleb Williams’ timing is plenty suspicious. He knows a huge part of making such a trade happen is getting the All-Pro on board. This interview feels like the perfect way to pave the road.

The best part is that there is nothing to stop Williams from doing it.

The NFL has a rule against team tampering with other players, be they trade targets or pending free agents. However, that rule doesn’t extend to other players. Williams is free to recruit Crosby as much as he wants. It doesn’t break any bylaws. Sure, the two respect each other and seem to be forming a friendship. Yet there is also the makings of a business transaction. Williams wants to build on what the Bears accomplished in 2025, this time getting to the Super Bowl. Crosby wants to join a winning team.

It is a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The challenge for the Bears is two-fold: putting together a package that Las Vegas would accept and finding the necessary cap space to bring Crosby aboard. Recent buzz suggests that packaging wide receiver D.J. Moore, the Bears’ 25th overall pick, and a 3rd round pick in 2027 would be palatable for the Raiders since it gets them that second 1st rounder and another weapon for Francisco Mendoza. If they can get Crosby excited about the prospect of joining the Bears to play with Williams, he might push the Vegas brass to facilitate a deal. It’s worked before.

John Gambadoro reported that the Arizona Cardinals are intrigued by Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and have looked into his availability. That report alone tells you how Bagent is viewed around the league. Teams do not spend time checking on a backup unless they believe he can step in and keep things steady if needed.

Bagent is signed for two more seasons at roughly $4.7 million per year. That is a manageable number for a quarterback who has started NFL games and shown flashes. He could be a long term answer for another team, and he is exactly the type of player coaches trust to get them through tough stretches.

From the Bears side, this interest does not change much. Bagent is not extra depth. He is part of the plan. The Bears have invested heavily in Caleb Williams, and protecting that investment means having a reliable option behind him. This is not a roster spot you weaken just to collect a late draft pick.

Why the Bears Value Bagent So Highly

The Bears know what they have in Tyson Bagent. If Caleb Williams were to miss time, the offense would not fall apart. Bagent can operate the system, limit mistakes, and give the team a chance to stay competitive. That matters for a team that expects to play meaningful football.

There is also the locker room aspect. Bagent is well liked and respected. Players trust him, and coaches trust him. That kind of presence at quarterback carries weight, even if he is not the starter. Stability matters, especially at the most important position on the field.

Unless the Bears are offered a second or third round pick, this should not be a serious discussion. A late round pick does not replace the security Bagent provides. If something were to happen to Williams, the Bears would rather turn to Bagent than scramble for options that lower the ceiling of the entire team.

What I Am Hearing

One person I reached out to told me the Bears are very comfortable with their quarterback room. Tyson Bagent is viewed internally as a valuable piece, not someone they are looking to move. He is loved in the locker room, and that matters more than most outside chatter.

The feeling is that it would take a strong draft pick to even open the door. Until that happens, the Bears are content keeping Bagent exactly where he is.

Bears Trade Price for Maxx Crosby Revealed

After Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson prioritized the 2025 offseason towards upgrading the team’s offense, expectations are that focus will shift to Dennis Allen and the defense this year. It makes sense. While the offense finished in the top 10 in points and yards, the defense was 23rd and 29th, respectively. The Bears can’t expect to chase a Super Bowl until they build that side of the ball up to some semblance of dependability. They can’t expect to lean on turnovers like they did last season.

The obvious question is where to start. For months, the common answer to that question has been edge rusher. Outside of Montez Sweat, the Bears never really got much production from that position. Austin Booker came on late, but he feels more like an ideal rotational guy. They need somebody who can log serious snaps and create consistent pressure. However, Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron is hearing that Allen might be pushing for something different, and arguably more important.

I think the Bears want to add multiple new pieces to the defensive line, but one significant piece up front. Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby are, of course, the two biggest names that people have been discussing, but I think if the Bears find themselves a 3-Tech that they love and can bring in, they would beef up the interior and not worry about spending big at edge.

Dennis Allen wanting an interior pass rusher is no surprise.

His best defenses in New Orleans featured a prominent player in that role. David Onyemata and Sheldon Rankins were the two names who stood out in those years. The Bears don’t really have anybody like that. Gervon Dexter did have six sacks this past season, but his problem has always been consistency. Though his sack total is solid, his pass-rush win rate was only 12.4%, which ranked 18th in the NFL. It isn’t a coincidence that all four teams in the conference championship games had at least one such player in the top 10.

Knowing this, a look at the top options in 2026 free agency becomes an interesting discussion.

Based on recent productivity, Franklin-Myers is the obvious choice. He was a menace in Denver the past two seasons. Set to turn 30 this year, projections have him commanding around $8 million per year in his next contract. That isn’t terrible, but the Bears would have to find the cap space. They’re also likely to have stiff competition for him. Onyemata and Campbell are even older, making them less likely. The real wild card of the bunch is Wilkins.

Wilkins would be a calculated gamble for the Bears.

The defensive tackle emerged as a dominant force in 2023 with 9 sacks. However, he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot five games into his first season with the Raiders. That necessitated surgery. Where it gets murky are reports that the team demanded he get a second surgery to correct some perceived lingering issues so he could return faster. Wilkins refused. As a result, the team cut him and attempted to void the guarantees in his contract, leading to a prolonged legal battle. The defensive tackle did not play in 2025.

His status remains a mystery. It’s safe to assume his injury is healed by now. The question is whether he’s ready to return to action. There are whispers about him being somewhat of a unique character who rubs some teammates the wrong way, but that doesn’t seem like something Dennis Allen would worry about. He’s no stranger to guys like that. Wilkins won’t be expensive to acquire. It will be about whether the long layoff from action has impacted his ability.

If Franklin-Myers is off the table, this might be the lone free agent who could have a genuine impact.

In 2021, former Chicago Bears team president Ted Phillips approached the city park district about possible upgrades to Soldier Field, including installing a sportsbook, to add another revenue stream. Not only were the requests refused, but they were also outright ignored. Phillips never received a reply. As a result, he and the McCaskey family dropped a bombshell when they placed a bid on the Arlington Racetrack property in Arlington Heights. It was the first time in decades the team had made a serious push to leave.

Three years later, the Bears remain stuck in neutral. Though they own the property outright, they haven’t been able to begin building their new stadium for several reasons. The state hasn’t been willing to help with infrastructure costs, and there hasn’t been any clarity on property taxes. According to Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron, it’s the latter issue that has caused this entire mess. Everything started because Phillips screwed up the process from the very beginning.

The way it was explained to me, when purchases of that magnitude are made, especially for a commercial property, the purchaser speaks with local and state governments about obtaining tax certainty on the property. The Bears, before purchase, should have arranged an agreed-upon tax for the empty lot, and what the tax should be with completed structures on the property.

They did not.

When the Bears purchased the property, the tax bill on the property jumped substantially. Arlington Racetrack had been paying approximately $3 million in property taxes, but that number jumped to around $10 million based on the purchase price. However, because the Bears were leveling the park and leaving it a vacant lot, they felt they should be paying less than even the race track was paying previously.

These conversations should have been had before the purchase, but they were not done, so when the government readjusted the property tax based on the new value, the Bears didn’t want to pay it.

True to form, Ted Phillips went in half cocked.

What person in their right mind purchases a property without having all the details in order? That seems like Lesson 101 in real estate. Phillips didn’t bother. He assumed the property taxes would be no issue since the Bears planned to tear down the racetrack after concluding the purchase. Illinois tax law doesn’t work that way. Of course, Kevin Warren was the one left cleaning up the mess. It’s difficult not to feel like Phillips bull rushed the process because he was about to retire and wanted one last thing to hang his hat on before riding off into the sunset.

Per usual, another of his big moves was a complete mess. Everything that man has touched over 20 years as team president has turned to mush. His renovations of Soldier Field in the 2000s were widely panned for the building’s flying-saucer look. Hiring Phil Emery and Ryan Pace as general managers in the 2010s sent the organization into a perpetual death spiral that took Ryan Poles four years to pull out of. Phillips was an accountant masquerading as a big-time executive, and it showed.

The Bears are finally nearing the finish line.

Talks have picked up between Warren and Illinois leaders in recent weeks. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a new act that would make securing infrastructure funding much easier. The final hurdle is passing a megaprojects bill that should allow the Bears to negotiate a fair property tax rate. Once that is done, construction can finally begin on a new stadium. Barring an unexpected snag that causes things to fall apart, the team will stay in Illinois and build in Arlington Heights, as originally planned.

It is objectively hilarious that they went through all the peaks and valleys of the past three years only to wind up back where they started. Ted Phillips probably would’ve saved Warren and the McCaskeys so many headaches if he’d bothered to do any research on what he was about to undertake. It probably didn’t cross his mind. He knew he was stepping down soon. Just get the purchase done. Everything else would work out fine. The past 25 years make more and more sense by the day.