Let The Rooks Cook, Hopkins Not Chicago’s Best Fit, Wright Plan, Honoring Memorial Day, and Other Bears Bullets

I’m still processing what hit me harder last night: The end of Succession and its grip on my Sunday night television-watching habits OR that Taylor Swift’s next show will be in Chicago — and I will be in attendance at Soldier Field. There’s just a lot of emotions right now.

  • One thing I’ll never overlook is the human element in sports. More specifically, the value of teammate camaraderie. This isn’t to say that all players under one roof need to be besties. Instead, it is to remind us, as a collective, that it’s an easier battle to win when everyone is pulling from the same side of the rope. With that being said, I love team-building exercises like this one (and not just because it turns into easy-to-re-share content):
  • Let the kids play. And let the rookies cook.
  • One of my favorite games to play when I’m on the grill is “which Hall of Famer would you add to this current version of Team X?” When I play it in football circles, I try to throw in the caveat of not including Walter Payton or Gale Sayers because those are too easy. Even after Payton and Sayers are off the board, there are so many defensive guys who pop up. But at some point, someone’s gotta take Jimbo Covert … right?
  • It’s not as if Bears Hall of Fame offensive linemen grow on trees. It’s hard to call a Hall of Fame player underrated, but prior to his HOF induction and enshrinement, Covert was definitely one of the most underrated all-timers. Re-visiting his résumé reminds me of how integral he was to the success of the Bears during their most productive stretch during the modern era.
  • I’m nowhere near putting Darnell Wright in the Hall of Fame. But I do love the Bears’ development plan for their rookie right tackle.
  • Ex-Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins will have a Hall of Fame case someday. Five Pro Bowl appearances, three first-team All-Pro nods, and six seasons with at least 1,100 receiving yards on the résumé makes for a compelling case. However, the next place of employment for Hopkins is unlikely to be Chicago. Add Josh Schrock (NBCS Chicago) to the list of those who are lining up reasons why it just doesn’t make sense. Don’t get me wrong. I understand how mind-blowing it is to be the Bears and not courting a top-tier type of receiver. However, recent durability and productivity concerns make him a risky potential addition. And I’m just not sure the Bears are in a place right now to roll that dice.
  • Apparently, the Cardinals were miffed that a healthy Hopkins sat out the last two weeks of the 2022 campaign. Perhaps that played a role in the ultimate decision to cut ties with Hopkins late last week. In any case, the Cardinals are a mess and the Hopkins situation didn’t do anything to clear that up. Maybe it’s just best to stay away from that for a while. (PFT)
  • Kristopher Knox (Bleacher Report) ranks the 10 best remaining free agents and explores potential landing spots. It’s the kind of thing you’d probably like reading on a Monday when you don’t have much else to do on what might be your off day. It left me perplexed thinking about how the Bears aren’t seen as a fit for any of the defensive linemen who crack the top 10. But maybe that is something we can dive into tomorrow.
  • The Cubs and White Sox play home games today. And if you’ve never done a Red Line Doubleheader, this is one of the rare times you’ll get to experience it. Festivities begin at 1:20 p.m. CT at the corner of Clark and Addison. Michael has the look-ahead to the Cubs-Rays series. (BN Cubs)
  • This is an awful, awful way to lose a championship:
  • Tab continues to bang the drum for Steve Farmer as a hockey Hall of Fame. (BN Blackhawks)
  • There’s a big basketball game tonight and it’s got me re-visiting the moment that got us here:
  • Let’s keep some perspective on Memorial Day:
  • Signing off with a Memorial Day message from the Bears:
  • 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.

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