#chicago-bears

#chicago-bears

If last offseason was about rebuilding the Chicago Bears' offense, this one is shaping up to be about stabilizing and reshaping the defense. A year ago, Ryan Poles attacked the offensive line from every angle, adding four new starters through a mix of the draft, free agency, and trades. The result was tangible progress. This offseason calls for a similar approach on the other side of the ball, where needs are both obvious and unavoidable. That's what makes this weekend in Mobile so important.

The matchup is set for Super Bowl LX. Unfortunately, it does not feature the Chicago Bears. Instead, it will be the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks squaring off for the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 8. In the meantime, the Bears (and 29 other NFL teams) are in full-on offseason mode. It's not where I'd rather be, but that is neither here nor there.

CHICAGO -- Linebacker T.J. Edwards will not be back in the Chicago Bears lineup for the remainder the postseason. Edwards needed to be helped off the field and taken to the locker room on a cart during the Bears' stunning 31-27 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. Chicago coach Ben Johnson did not have a positive update on his condition after the victory.

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III suffered a quad injury Sunday night that is not thought to be serious, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Burden suffered the injury on the final play of Chicago's 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He attempted to walk off the field with trainers but eventually needed to be carted to the Bears' locker room. Burden, who also missed Chicago's Week 16 game with an ankle injury, will undergo additional testing Monday, the source told Schefter.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Chicago Bears continue to deal with an illness that has impacted at least eight players ahead of their Sunday night meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. The Bears added wide receivers DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus to the injury report Sunday morning with an illness and designated both as questionable. The team already ruled out Rome Odunze (foot) for a fourth straight game.

The Bears' defense is having an extraordinary year turning the ball over. The ball-hawk brothers Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright are showing a preternatural ability to read a quarterback's mind and, as such, Chicago lead the league in interceptions (21) and total turnovers (31). They need to keep the giveaways flowing to cut the legs from a San Francisco offense quietly becoming a juggernaut.

This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights.