Happy Training Camp Opening Day to all who observe.
• An important list of Bears Twitter™ people to follow:
Best Chicago Bears Twitter follows for training camp https://t.co/E3edNdYTVA
— Alyssa Barbieri (@AlyssaBarbieri) July 27, 2021
• Bears GM Ryan Pace and Head Coach Matt Nagy speak at 11:30 a.m. CT. Players will trickle through, too. It’s like the first day of school all over again. Here’s hoping I don’t trip over myself talking to my crush.
• And to further drive home the first day of school vibes, the big bad bully is back in town:
Aaron Rodgers has landed in Green Bay. pic.twitter.com/5kxzuUNvtb
— Rachel Hopmayer (@rachelhopmayer) July 27, 2021
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1420015044436320257
https://twitter.com/packers/status/1420027096194297867
• Part of this feels right. Villains don’t sit out because nefarious reasons. Darth Vader didn’t go behind the scenes to publicly beef with the front office. Regina George didn’t step away because of contract issues. Shooter McGavin didn’t leave the golf course when his rival began heating up. So, with that being said, it feels kinda right that Aaron Rodgers put the games aside to play his 17th season with the Packers. Rodgers’ return will only make that playoff ouster that much sweeter.
• And, yet, part of me thinks back to this whole thing and it feels as if Rodgers rattled all those cages, made all that noise, and caused all that stink only to cave at the end while settling for getting a year cut from the end of his contract. Methinks he could’ve done better. But maybe that’s just me.
• From one quarterback with a foot out the door to one who is about to jump in the deep end:
• Good stuff from Dan Durkin, who explains how the Bears can set up Justin Fields for success early in his pro career.
• It’s always good to know what’s happening around the league, so it’s good to have NFL.com’s Jim Trotter highlighting storylines from each of the NFL’s 32 teams.
• These new-look Lions are gonna be weird:
Been a wild ride for the Lions over the past few months — new coach, new GM, franchise QB out, top-10 pick. @nickbaumgardner and I on what happened and how each moment shaped the franchise's direction. (50% off offer inside.)https://t.co/z0cQEp9xoi
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) July 27, 2021
• Think about it. No Matthew Stafford. But the Jared Goff reclamation project experience will get to play out in Detroit. Matt Patricia’s ball cap and pencil-in-the-ear look is out. Dan Campbell and his saying of odd things is in. Things could be different for Detroit moving forward. Or it could be more of the same. It’s why they play games on the field and not in a simulation.
• Oh, sure, now Davante Adams is open to contract talks. (Pro Football Talk)
• If you’ve been rocking with us since Day 1, first of all, thanks. Secondly, you might remember the name Jonathan Allen. Back in 2017, Allen was one of the college prospects most-often linked to Chicago before the NFL Draft. The Alabama product fit a need, played a high level against great competition, and looked to be available with the third pick. As we know by now, the Bears went a different direction. As for Allen, it’s nice to see he is doing well for himself:
According to his agency, it's a 4-year, $72M deal with a $30M signing bonus. https://t.co/qq8yGGKKQ1
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2021
• This was one of the most fun games I’ve been to:
PINCH-HITTING JAVY BAEZ WALKS IT OFF!!! CUBS WIN!!! – https://t.co/MEayo4TbaH pic.twitter.com/DTdDu4LoqR
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 27, 2021
• I’m not sure of the fit, but it would make the Bulls a lot more interesting:
The Chicago Bulls Are "Showing Interest" in Free Agent DeMar DeRozanhttps://t.co/pNyhcX244Q pic.twitter.com/FqXxsI9E4I
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) July 26, 2021
• Busy Blackhawks:
Blackhawks Give Qualifying Offers to Hagel, Nylander, and Zadorov; Sign Gaudette to New Dealhttps://t.co/9o3D6ASYDZ
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) July 26, 2021