Jay Cutler hasn’t taken a snap for the Bears since 2016, but still finds himself as a punch line/punching bag/spiked bowl of punch.
Watch as Cornerback DeAngelo Hall announces his retirement on Tuesday, jokingly taking one last swing at Cutler as he walked out the door:
https://twitter.com/Matthew_Paras/status/1024696968323522561
You see, Hall picked off four Cutler passes on October 24, 2010, in what was a 17-14 Washington win. It was one of the all-time worst games you’ll see from a quarterback and an all-time best game you’ll see from a cornerback. Hall finished his career with 43 interceptions and one knockout punch. Onward, because there are games to play.
Finally, football is back. Kinda. Most of the starters you’re probably tuning into see won’t play. And the ones who find their way onto the playing surface in Canton probably won’t be out there for long. Still, it’s better than not having football.
Unfortunately, one projected starter we won’t see Thursday is someone we might not see for quite some time. Roquan Smith’s holdout continues amidst a newly reported twist that hints something else has tripped up progress toward getting a deal done. Neither side had attempted to negotiate publicly through the media until recently, which makes me think the stalemate could come to an end in short order. It’s totally possible that this could drag on, of course, but because neither side wants to get dragged publicly for too long, my gut says the two sides will come together with an agreement. Call it a hunch.
If you want to hear about Smith’s contract status as soon as the news breaks, be sure to like us on Facebook:
[adinserter block=”12″]
Or even follow us on Twitter: @BN_Bears – I mean, why not? What else are you doing?
Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times views Smith’s holdout as something that casts a shadow over Matt Nagy’s debut. It’s an unfortunate truth, as we would rather be spending more time talking about the Bears’ future with Smith instead of a present where he is sidelined because of a contract dispute. But let’s not allow Smith’s ordeal distract us from what’s ahead. Just because one player (albeit one who figures to be an impact linebacker moving forward) is out of action doesn’t mean there aren’t other players to watch. Smith’s absence simply allows someone else to step in and try to make a good first impression on his coaches, teammates, fans, front office executives, other teams, etc. You never know where your next opportunity will come from if you’re an NFL player, and this could be somebody’s big day.
One of those players could be running back Ryan Nall. The Oregon State product was a priority signing as an undrafted free agent, and because Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen will play limited snaps during the preseason, there’s a good chance Nall will have plenty of opportunities to show that he has what it takes to make the team. Chris Emma of 670 The Score writes that Nall is out to prove himself as a running back – not as a fullback or H-back – in the pros. Back in May, we circled Nall as a potential sleeper in the Bears’ running back rotation, so we’re looking forward to seeing how this works out.
ChicagoBears.com predicts that Javon Wims has the potential for a big game against Baltimore tonight. Wims was the Bears’ seventh-round draft pick, has ideal measureables for an NFL receiver (6-4, 215 pounds), and was a big-time playmaker at Georgia. There’s also a belief among some that he shouldn’t have lasted until the seventh round. And if that turns out to be the case, that means the Bears will have gotten another late-round steal. The competition at receiver is stiff, but Wims looks like the type of player who can make a grand first impression because of the skills he possesses.
The preseason opener is the ultimate K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) game. So it’s great to hear that Nagy isn’t going to complicate matters in the preseason lid-lifter, per WGN’s Larry Hawley. Believe me, I want the Bears to jump in feet first and get this thing going in the right direction by coming out blazin’ as much as the next guy (maybe even more) … but this is a good time to preach patience. Now is the time for installation, practice, and repetition. The Bears have the potential to make fireworks in the future, but now, we’ll settle for sparklers.
Way back when, Brett Favre introduced RPOs to the Green Bay Packers and life hasn’t been the same since. ESPN’s Matt Bowen takes a peek ahead to the first week of the regular season and highlights how the Packers used an RPO to put up a touchdown against the Bears last season:
It’s stuff like this that (1) makes me wonder why the Bears haven’t utilized looks or plays like this and (2) has me excited about having a coach willing (and a group of players with the potential to be able) to do this.
NEWSLETTER
