The Networks’ Faith in Fields, Chargers Strike Again, Where Are We Traveling? And Other Bears Bullets

Mother’s Day is SUNDAY. If you can do something nice for your mom or a motherly figure in your life, I’d encourage you to do so. My mother isn’t with me anymore and it always weighs heavily this time of year. Enjoy the moments while you can still have them because nothing lasts forever.

  • The Chicago Bears joined the rest of the NFL in releasing their 2023 schedule on Thursday. And I must say this is hands-down the best schedule release the team has ever pushed onto our timelines:’
  • What a star-studded cast. Kudos to the current and former players for chipping in to make a winner. Justin Fields. Peanut Tillman. Spice Adams. Khalil Herbert. Seth Rollins. Darnell Mooney. Jack Sanborn. Pat Scales. Braxton Jones. Kyler Gordon. Tremaine Edmunds. T.J. Edwards. What an incredible group. They better win an Emmy for this one.
  • So … who else has the Bears down for 17 wins this year?
  • BLOOPERS!
  • Lots more schedule stuff in Bears content creation circles. Kevin Fishbain (The Athletic), Will DeWitt (CHGO), Courtney Cronin (ESPN), and Patrick Finley (Sun-Times) have some of my favorite morning-after pieces. Meanwhile, the Tribune’s trio of writers (Colleen Kane, Dan Wiederer, Brad Biggs) drop off some insight and make predictions. Because it’s never too early to shoot that shot.
  • My favorite thing about the schedule is that the Bears are getting some prime-time love:
  • Don’t say we didn’t warn ya (because we totally did).
  • Haters gonna hate when it comes to Justin Fields. But QB1’s breakthrough season in 2022 has given TV execs enough to put the Bears on Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football (TWICE!) this year. Plus, a handful of late afternoon starts that are generally reserved for FOX’s “America’s Game of the Week” time slot. If this team is good in 2023, they’ll have more of those prime spots down the stretch.
  • My favorite part of the schedule are the bookend Bears-Packers showdowns. If you haven’t been to Lambeau Field, I’d highly recommend it. It is a quality tailgating experience in a town that gives off suburban Chicago vibes. Think Naperville, but if it had a stadium that sat 80,000 people and access to New Glarus Spotted Cow on tap.
  • On the other end of the spectrum, my least favorite part of the schedule is that all of my top-ranked destinations have schedule conflicts with other engagements. I realize that’s just a me problem and I’ll own it. But I’m a bit miffed. Scheduling Los Angeles and New Orleans as back-to-back road games feels like an affront to me and I’ll be making sternly worded tweets at Roger Goodell’s burner later today.
  • I can’t front, the Chargers stuck the landing here:
  • Do I like the Week 13 bye because it positions the Bears to make key adjustments before a season-closing five-game stretch? Or do I like it because 13 is Taylor Swift’s favorite number and I’m seeing it as a sign? I don’t know the answer to that question just yet.
  • More schedule nuggets are coming our way from our friends at BN’s NFL wing.
  • Get to bidding:
  • He’s trying so hard to be like Mike:
  • Some love for Cubs catcher Yan Gomes, who’s been a low-key MVP for this team:
  • The Connor Bedard trickle-down effect figures to be HUGE:
  • META: We got a sudden wave of folks reaching out about being blocked/banned/spam-listed by Disqus this week, so I’m going to take a wild guess and say there was likely a bug. If that has happened to you and you’re thinking, “Why in the world would they banned me?!” – we almost never ban anyone, except for the worst of repeat offenders – we probably didn’t ban you. So, if you find yourself getting a notification about being banned recently out of nowhere, try logging out, clearing cache and cookies, restarting, and logging back in. In the past when things like this have happened, that usually clears it up for folks.
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

    more bears news

    What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

    You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

    D-Line Thoughts, Caleb, GM Seth Rollins, Pack Votes No, and Other Bears Bullets

    Cubs and White Sox opening day is today today. March Madness resumes with the Fighting Illini playing in the Sweet 16 later tonight. SIU, my alma mater, is reportedly hiring a "Coach Nagy" to lead its basketball team. And what...

    Dan Campbell is Happy To See Justin Fields Leave the NFC North

    There was no escaping the mixed emotions from Chicago Bears fans when the Justin Fields trade went down earlier this month. But there were none of that from Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell. Heck, I'd argue there was just...

    Another Pass Rusher Signs Elsewhere: Jadeveon Clowney Lands With the Panthers

    Another day. Another pass rusher signing. And another defensive lineman going to a team that isn't the Chicago Bears. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was the first with the news of Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, ESPN's...

    Malik Nabers Might’ve Run His Way Out of the Chicago Bears Draft Spot

    Today was LSU's Pro Day and Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles was scheduled to be in attendance, per The Athletic's Adam Jahns. Assuming Poles made his flight, he got a good look at the likes of quarterback Jayden Daniels, as...

    Goodell on Bears Stadium Deal, No to Hard Knocks? More Old Friends Go to Steelers, and Other Bears Bullets

    I keep forgetting that I have a Starbucks gift card from Christmas that has gone unused to this point. Maybe I'll remember it next time I go out for coffee. A big shout out to PFF Brad, who made the...

    Ryan Poles Was Pissed Off By RGIII’s Comments About Caleb Williams Situation

    When I saw them pop up, RGIII's comments suggesting Caleb Williams pull an Eli Manning and refuse to play for the Chicago Bears were met with an eye-roll, audible groan, and immediate dismissal before moving onto more pertinent topics. But...

    Bears Stadium Update: Kevin Warren Reiterates Plans to Build in Downtown Chicago

    It sure is starting to sound like Arlington Heights fumbled the bag when it comes to locking in Arlington Park as the future home of a Chicago Bears stadium. While meeting with the media at the NFL owners meetings in...

    The NFL is Playing a Christmas Day Doubleheader in 2024

    Christmastime is generally full of cheer. And in 2024, it will be full of cheering. In fact, we're talking double the cheer. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports the league will play not one, but *TWO* Christmas Day games. It's...

    2024 NFL Mock Draft: How High Can J.J. McCarthy’s Stock Rise?

    Hard to believe we're less than a month away from the 1st Round of the 2024 NFL Draft! With just weeks remaining until the NFL's most noteworthy offseason event, there are plenty of rumors floating. As we work through all...

    Latest News

    Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

    The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

    What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

    You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks are moneyline favorites (-230) to begin their season with a home win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Zac Gallen gets the starting nod for Arizona while Kyle Freeland is Colorado's...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners are moneyline favorites (-162) to begin their season with a home win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo starts for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane Bieber and Oakland's Alex Wood have been named the...

    Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Damian Lillard must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers...

    Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Brook Lopez needs to make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...

    Giannis Antetokounmpo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his over/under for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's...

    CJ McCollum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, CJ McCollum must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksCJ McCollum's over/under for three-pointers in...

    Devils vs. Sabres Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The New Jersey Devils are -115 on the moneyline and the Buffalo Sabres are at -105 for their game on Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.Devils vs. Sabres Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Devils (-115)Underdog: Sabres (-105)Total: 6.5Best Devils vs. Sabres Promo...

    more bears news