#chicago-bears

#chicago-bears

After missing rookie minicamp, OTAs, and the early portion of training camp with a hamstring injury, Burden entered the season playing catch-up. Rather than rushing the process, he focused on building trust with offensive play-caller Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, and wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El. That patience paid off. As the season progressed, Burden transitioned from a rotational weapon into a reliable weekly target, no longer resembling a first-year player by the stretch run.

Keenan Allen's time with the Chicago Bears was short-lived, but memorable. Allen caught 70 passes for 744 yards in 15 games with Chicago in 2024. He caught seven touchdowns and threw the most random interception you'll ever see. But more than that, he provided a security blanket for Caleb Williams as a rookie quarterback and leadership for a team that needed it in the worst way.

A knee injury sidelined Booker for the first eight weeks of the season, but he made his presence known quickly, recording a sack and forced fumble in his season debut against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. Booker was held out of the sack column on the stat sheet in his next five games, but finished the season strong. Headlined by a two-sack performance against the Cleveland Browns in December, Booker finished the season on a high note with a stellar five-game run.

In addition to his ball-hawking skills, Kevin Byard III provided the Chicago Bears with invaluable leadership, often placing him at the center of pre-game huddles as the team rattled off 11 wins en route to an NFC North title and a playoff victory against the Green Bay Packers. The veteran safety is on an expiring contract. So if 2025 was Byard's final season in Chicago, he'll be missed by Bears fans.

When I was getting the call, my TV was a little delayed, and the Chicago Bears, I thought that they were up. And when I got the phone call I thought that it was the Chicago Bears. And they told me it was the New England Patriots, I was smiling but my heart sunk at the same time. Because during the draft process everyone was telling me Patriots is the last team, the last one that you want to go to.

While the Bears found success with Montez Sweat, their edge pass-rush rotation was otherwise limited, as no other edge rusher with at least 100 pass-rush snaps posted a pass-rush win rate above 10%. Ultimately, Chicago finished just 29th in pressure rate (31.1%) during the regular season, highlighting the need for a game-breaking presence off the edge. Reuniting Hendrickson with his former defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, makes sense.

He had a tremendous season. He was an absolute turnover machine. The Bears, they didn't do a great job between the 20s. OK? The ball was move a lot. But when it came down to turning the ball over, they were better than every team in the league and he was a huge reason why. Intercepting passes, strip sacks, fumbles, fumble recoveries. What he did on a vet minimum contract or something like that, but

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.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Bears nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was limited in his first practice Wednesday since going on injured reserve for a second time this season, is being factored into the gameplan for Saturday's wild-card game against the Packers. Gordon was designated to return from his second injured reserve stint of the season on Monday after missing Chicago's last four games with a groin injury.

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.