The Bears can upgrade their tight end position with a trade for David Njoku.

The Bears tried to solve their tight end issues through free agency and the NFL Draft, as they added veteran Jimmy Graham, formerly of the rival Green Bay Packers and Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet with their first pick. Those moves ought to make for some improvement, but it’s not enough. If Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace want to survive the next year and offseason in the Windy City, they’ll trade for Browns tight end and former first-rounder David Njoku.

When healthy, Njoku is one of the more talented young tight ends in football. He’s still just 23-years-old and feels overshadowed in Cleveland.

Should the Bears trade for David Njoku?

Reports out of Cleveland suggest they’re trying to convince Njoku to stay, but that’ll be a tough case, as the Browns signed Austin Hooper and drafted Harrison Bryant this offseason. Njoku’s targets are bound to go down even if Baker Mayfield ascends to Pro Bowl status in 2020. He’s far too talented to waste away on a middling AFC North squad.

In Chicago, Njoku would be relied upon as arguably the No. 1 receiving threat after wide receiver Allen Robinson and allow for Kmet to adjust to the pace of the NFL as a rookie.

Whether the Bears go with Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles next season is irrelevant if they don’t provide their signal-caller with appropriate targets. An ancient Graham isn’t enough.

To make such a trade, Chicago would have to part ways with a mid-round pick. Njoku is under contract until 2022, which benefits the Browns in negotiations. Still, he’s coming off an injury-plagued season in which he only caught five passes. If Cleveland were truly happy with their situation at tight end, they wouldn’t have brought in reinforcements. Such a trade screams a third-round pick in return and even that’s being generous.

It’s a price Chicago ought to be willing to pay.

Next: 5 NFL teams that should trade for David Njoku

The post Here’s how the Bears can swing a trade with the Browns for David Njoku appeared first on Bet Sunday.

The world has learned what vicious beast killed Jay Cutler’s chickens.

Pour one out for Jay Cutler‘s dead chickens…

The former starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears and star of the Vanderbilt Commodores took us on an unforgettable life-changing murder mystery we never knew we were all that interested. It was about learning how much Cutler could ever care about anything. He loved his chickens like any proud warm-blooded father figure ever would.

For days, we had no idea what was murdering Cutler’s favorite feathered friends. Bigfoot was a possibly and so was his cat with loose morals named Thelma. No, it wasn’t an inside job, thankfully. It was far, far more sinister than this. On Wednesday morning, we learned the truth. It was a raccoon who was eating all this chickens. This trash panda ruined the lives of fowl creatures.

A sasquatch, a menacing mountain lion, a frightening fox or even a very scary bear would have been epic, but no, it was a stinky, selfish trash panda. If you liked raccoons up until today, you need to change your mind. That vicious clawed beast ended the lives of many of Cutler’s closest friends. I’d be devastated to if I lost the closest things I had to friends, too. On a stage like Instagram…

A raccoon is responsible for the deaths of all of Jay Cutler’s chickens.

We never knew until these last few weeks how a former starting quarterback could love something so much that couldn’t even talk. He couldn’t take these chickens on walks or really let them in the house and give them belly rubs, but those were his birds, man. They were a flock of the same feather. It was a damn tragedy and one we’re never, ever going to forget.

So when you see a bunch of yardbirds and roosters doing their thing outside of the coop living their best lives as our favorite avian friends, just remember Cutler cared more for those birds than he ever did playing for the Miami Dolphins. To him, the Dolphins were a pay cut, but precious chicken buddies, that’s the type of friendship we hope lasts forever. I can’t believe it’s over.

Cutler taught us how much pet chickens can mean to aloof signal-callers with rocket right arms.

The post The mystery behind Jay Cutler’s dead chickens has finally been solved appeared first on Bet Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – AUGUST 24: Mitchell Trubisky #10 of the Chicago Bears warms up before the preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears need to move on from Mitchell Trubisky after the 2020 season.

The Chicago Bears should end the Mitchell Trubisky era in the Windy Cindy after the conclusion of the 2020 season.

The Bears former No. 2 draft selection in the 2017 NFL Draft is entering his fourth season. During his second year, the Bears were 12-4 and won the NFC North. In 2019, Trubisky regressed as the Bears finished third in the NFC North and missed the playoffs at 8-8.

Chicago averaged 17.5 points per game, ranking 29th in the NFL.

Here are five reasons why it would be wise for the Bears to move on from Trubisky after 2020

5. Trubisky’s Contract

In March, the Bears brass decided to decline Trubisky’s fifth-year option. This means Trubisky’s contract is set to expire after 2020. While the Bears will be off the hook, they should take advantage of their out.

The Bears gain nothing by deciding to offer Trubisky another contract. They should allow Trubisky to enter free agency and find a new quarterback either through free agency or the NFL Draft.

Also, this offseason the Bears traded a draft pick to acquire Nick Foles. Foles is under a restructured three-year contract. He gives the squad an option at quarterback for 2021, serving as a bridge or compete for the starting job moving forward.

The post 5 reasons Bears should move on from Mitch Trubisky after 2020 appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Jay Cutler is out to find a vicious chicken serial killer on his property.

When you put Jay Cutler in front of a camera, the most incredible things happen.

The former Chicago Bears and Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback wowed us for years with his howitzer of a right arm and his general nonchalantness for pretty much everything under the sun. You either love or hate him, there is no middle ground with Cutler. And you’re never going to believe what this viral Instagram star has for us on this fine Wednesday evening.

Okay, so let’s try to make some sense out of this chicken mess. Basically, Cutler is a man of his land these days. He has recognized there is a vicious chicken serial-killing beast hunting hens on his property. Cutler has grown tired of his feathered friends getting hunted for sport.

He speculates it could be a coyote, a bobcat or…an inside job?

Yes, Cutler hasn’t ruled out Thelma the Cat because “Thelma is a savage with loose morals.” This is why Cutler needs to be on television again. He doesn’t need to be on a reality show with his ex-wife, as he’s the driver of a Nielsen Rating. We’re all a little depressed these days that he didn’t join Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis in the No. 2 booth on FOX a few years back. We missed out.

Jay Cutler will find the vicious killer of his precious yard hens.

So what is Cutler’s plan to save the lives of all his chickens? He plans to call up his chicken guy, Blake, because let’s be real, why wouldn’t Culter have a “chicken guy” named Blake to help him out?

Cutler plans to watch the whole thing unfold from his treehouse out in the distance. His documentation of this chicken serial killer hunt is all on this Instagram.

Turns out, weather is absolutely going to be a factor, as his sacred treehouse wasn’t built to be enjoyed in the rain. It’s one of those open-air treehouses like Brennan Huff and Dale Doback had fun in at Dr. Doback and Nancy’s house. Too bad it’s not a boat, and it’s just a treehouse.

It will be nightfall soon and we will learn who is eating all of Cutler’s chickens. This has to be the most anticipated hunt for a serial killer since Hannibal Lecter helped Clarice Starling catch “Buffalo Bill” a.k.a. Jame Gumb. Hopefully, there will be a Silence of the Hens so Cutler can get some shuteye and fully enjoy his retirement and newfound single life in this pandemic. He’s a hero!

Cutler showed more passion for his hens than he ever did for the Bears, Broncos or Dolphins.

The post Jay Cutler, viral Instagram star, on the search for a chicken serial killer appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Watching the Chicago Bears with my dad was everything.

To celebrate Father’s Day and the end of Dad Week, the FanSided.com editorial staff is looking back at the sports and entertainment we will forever associate with our dads.

Baseball was my first love as a sports fan. Watching the Chicago Cubs with my dad and my two younger brothers was my entry point into sports. Summers, vacations and birthday parties were planned around Cubs games. My dad’s 50th birthday was spent in the Wrigley Field bleachers with all of his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, his sons and his dad, my grandpa. It was a day I’ll never forget.

But as I got older, I stopped playing baseball and started to get more into football. Watching the Chicago Bears games on Sunday with my dad became our national pastime.

Coming back from church and flipping on the TV while my dad made a breakfast that I still strive to emulate in the kitchen form some of the best memories I have from my adolescence.

The Bears weren’t memorable for most of my youth and adulthood, but it didn’t matter whether they won or lost. It didn’t matter if our quarterback couldn’t throw a spiral. All that mattered was being with my dad for the three or four hours the game was on.

I was probably around 10 or 11 when I really started understanding the gameplay and we would talk about what was happening, predict what may happen next and react to the big hits and game-changing plays. That blossomed into me wanting to play football. I kinda wanted to do it to impress my dad. Have him watch my games and be proud of what I was doing.

Now, I have a career writing about football. That doesn’t happen without those Sundays watching the Bears with my dad.

Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006: Bears vs. Lions

The Bears hosted the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field for a Week 2 game on Sept. 16 in 2006. Chicago had a good roster but questions about quarterback Rex Grossman lingered.

Grossman threw four touchdowns in a 34-7 win as the Bears got off to a 1-0 start when Jon Kitna and the Lions came to the lakefront. It was a game I’ll never forget.

I remember Bernard Berrian streaking up the field on his 41-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. It was a career game for Grossman and arguably the best performance either my dad or I had seen from a Bears quarterback.

I remember leaving my dad’s, telling him I love him and waving from my car as he waved back from the driveway.

That was the last game we watched together.

Two days later, my dad was killed in a car accident on his way to work.

The next few days were an absolute blur but I remember most every second of them. From telling people what happened to picking the casket and dropping off the suit my dad would be buried in to meeting with our pastor to the funeral and service on Saturday.

And then it was all over, just like that by Saturday afternoon. I should have known what I was doing that Sunday afternoon. I would have gone to my dad’s to watch the Bears play the Vikings.

Now, what am I supposed to do?

It’s insane to think about what happened in my life in between Bears games.

While they were game-planning for the Vikings, I was writing a eulogy for my dad and planning a funeral. They were trying to figure out the injury report designations and what plays to run on third down. I was 24 years old and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life, without my best friend and biggest supporter by my side.

From that point on, sports seemed entirely insignificant to me.

I care about sports and how people use them to come together like my dad and I did, but I don’t love them to the same degree as before.

Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006: Bears vs. Vikings

That Sunday, my brothers and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings with a couple of my cousins for the game vs. the Vikings. They didn’t want us to be alone that day. I did want to be alone. I didn’t want to do anything. But I’m glad I did.

We didn’t watch the whole game there, my brothers and I went to my dad’s for a few minutes to take care of a few things, but none of us could stomach being at our dad’s for long without our dad there.

On the drive home, we listened to the end of the Bears game on the radio. The Bears were losing the whole game. It looked like it was going to be the first loss of the year after Ryan Longwell kicked a field goal to extend the Vikings’ lead to 16-12 midway through the fourth quarter.

I remember sitting in the car and hoping the Bears could find a way to win. I wasn’t praying for the Bears to win, but I was doing what sports fans do when they wish and hope for something good to happen.

And like that, Tommie Harris forced a fumble and Adewale Ogunleye scooped it up. The Bears had a chance. It wasn’t some miracle or divine intervention. I didn’t think my dad was looking down and saying, let’s give them a chance to win, but Grossman threw the game-winning touchdown to Rashied Davis and I remember crying again.

The Bears won that day. I watched a lot of the games the rest of the season at my cousin’s house. My dad would have loved that we were spending so much time together.

Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007: Bears vs. Colts

The Bears kept winning that season. They ended up going to the Super Bowl. Of all years, why did that have to be the year they go to the Super Bowl?!

Pretty much the entire Schmidt family that lived in Illinois at the time was together for the Super Bowl. I don’t know how many times someone said, “your dad would be loving this right now.” I know the intentions were good, but at the moment, it just made me sad.

When Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, I had an out-of-body experience, where I could see everyone celebrating around me, I was standing and celebrating too, but at the same time, I don’t remember hearing anything and I remember tears welling up in my eyes and I knew he was with me, with us.

I don’t get to watch the Bears games with my dad anymore, but I still have his number in my phone. There are times when I still reach for it and want to call him. I don’t know if that goes away.

When I get to watch Bears games with my brothers and people in my family, it’s not a sad occasion anymore, it’s carrying on a tradition and keeping the memories of my dad alive.

And someday if I’m a dad with kids of my own, I look forward to doing the same with them and telling them stories about their grandpa.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I wish we could catch a game today.

For more stories like this, explore our Dad Week hub on FanSided.com.

The post My dad, the Chicago Bears and me appeared first on Bet Sunday.

The Chicago Bears traded for Nick Foles this offseason, but Mitch Trubisky isn’t giving his job away.

Mitch Trubisky is down, but as the saying goes, not out.

After seeing Chicago slide to an 8-8 record last year after winning the NFC North in 2018, Chicago general manager Ryan Pace made a bold move. In March, the Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Nick Foles, a player whose contract runs through 2022. Meanwhile, Pace told the world what he thinks of Trubisky, declining his fifth-year option in May.

Mitch Trubisky is going to fight Nick Foles for Bears starting job

To his credit, though, Trubisky isn’t talking like a defeated man. When speaking to reporters on Friday, the fourth-year quarterback claimed he was “pissed off in a good way” about the team acquiring Foles while saying he’s motivated to win the job come training camp.

Trubisky will need to prove himself and then some to keep his job both for 2020 and the long term. As aforementioned, the former No. 2 overall pick is scheduled for free agency in 2021 while Foles has guaranteed money over each of the next three campaigns. To keep Trubisky — let alone start him — will mean he significantly outplayed Foles this summer and beyond.

Last season, Trubisky threw for 3,138 yards and 17 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 15 games. Obviously, in today’s pass-happy NFL, those numbers are below-average across the board.

If Chicago is going to jump the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings en route to the NFC North crown, Trubisky (or Foles) will need to ascend to a completely different level.

The post Mitch Trubisky isn’t conceding Bears job to Nick Foles appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Mitchell Trubisky is motivated after the Bears traded for Nick Foles this offseason.

If you were wondering if Mitchell Trubisky got the message when the Bears traded for Nick Foles, he did.

In what could be the understatement of the decade, the Mitchell Trubisky era hasn’t gone the way the Chicago Bears anticipated when they made him the second overall pick in 2017.

Not only has he mostly been ineffective at quarterback for the Bears, but seeing Patrick Mahomes (the tenth overall pick in the same draft) and Deshaun Watson (the 12th overall pick) both gone on to do nice things so far is just salt in the wound for Bears fans.

It might have seemed like Trubisky was a lost cause after Chicago traded for Nick Foles this offseason, but it very well might have lit a fire under him.

Kevin Fishbain, Chicago Bears beat writer for The Athletic, tweeted that Trubisky was upset about the acquisition of Foles, but upset in a good way.

What was Mitchell Trubisky’s reaction to the Nick Foles trade?

“I think I was kinda pissed off in a good way. I’ve been motivated ever since. I’ve been motivated since last season,” Trubisky said to the media on Friday. “I’m excited for this year. I think it’ll be a good competition.”

When Trubisky first got to Chicago, he eventually “stole” the starting job from Mike Glennon and ended his rookie season with underwhelming numbers. After a much improved 2018 campaign, Bears fans were buying in, but Trubisky followed that up by disappointing in his third season as a pro while Mahomes went on to win a Super Bowl and Watson played at an extremely high level.

There’s no question that 2020 is a make or break season for Trubisky in Chicago. If he plays well and can keep his job throughout the season, there’s a chance the Bears keep him around. If, however, he gets outplayed by Foles, who – despite the one weird season where he won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia – has mostly proven himself as a career backup, then it’s clear that Chicago needs a fresh start.

Trubisky has talent, there’s no debating that. He has the dual-threat ability where he can use his legs to make plays as well as his arm. The problem has been that he hasn’t been consistent enough and – as unfair as it is to him – he was in a draft class with two quarterbacks who have been franchise changers. Those players are always going to be linked to Trubisky and that’s just something he’s going to have to overcome.

The Bears added Nick Foles to their roster this offseason because they thought he could help at the quarterback position. If the best thing that happens while he’s a Chicago Bear is that it lights a fire under Trubisky, then it’d be hard for Bears fans to be upset about that.

It’ll be interesting to see if Mitchell Trubisky truly is able to elevate his game now that he has true competition behind him. Will he be a member of the Chicago Bears a year from now? Only time will tell.

The post Mitchell Trubisky explains his reaction to hearing the Bears traded for Nick Foles appeared first on Bet Sunday.

The Chicago Bears will be in the market for a young quarterback soon, but what if it’s not Trevor Lawrence?

By trading for Nick Foles and not picking up his fifth year option, the Chicago Bears have given up on Mitch Trubisky. There is the facade of a competition for the starting job, but it would be an upset if Foles is not the guy in Week 1.

Even with some heat on head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace, the Bears are a sneaky candidate to tank for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence this year. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields might also be on the radar of a concerted effort to get a top pick in next April’s draft.

It’s easy to point to an ACC quarterback who plays in the Carolinas as the Bears potential quarterback of the future. But what if it’s ultimately not Lawrence?

Who could the Chicago Bears wind up looking at as their quarterback of the future?

Mack Brown returned to coaching at North Carolina last year, and he had an impact quarterback right away. Freshman Sam Howell started every game, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for and caught a touchdown, as the Tar Heels went 7-6 and won their first bowl game since 2013.

Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) recently ranked the best deep passers in college football entering the 2020 season. Howell came in at No. 10, with a 42.2 percent completion rate, a 115.0 passer rating and an average of 14.9 yards per attempt on 20-plus yard throws last year.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Howell has some of the best pure arm strength in the entire country,” PFF’s Anthony Treash wrote. “In 2019, he threw it 40 yards downfield consistently like it was nothing and wouldn’t lose any zip on the ball when throwing on the run. Howell’s six touchdowns on 40-plus yard throws led the FBS, and his 15 touchdowns on 30-plus yard throws were five more than the next-highest player.

According to Treash, Howell’s 31 “big-time throws” on 20-plus yard throws was tied for second-most last year with Fields, only behind Joe Burrow. But seven turnover-worthy plays on those same throws was tied for 10th-most.

The Bears got Foles to restructure his contract upon acquiring him, with the ability for him to void the deal after either of the next two years depending on performance. Where those performance thresholds lie is unknown, but one way or another it’s hard to see Foles being the quarterback in Chicago come 2022.

Howell has already started as many games in college as fellow UNC alum Trubisky did (13), with two years left to polish his game since he will not be eligible until the 2022 draft. So if “Tank For Trevor” is not eventually on this year in Chicago, “Suck for Sam” might be coming in 2021.

The post What if the Chicago Bears quarterback of future is in the ACC, but it’s not Trevor Lawrence appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Where the 2020 Chicago Bears are going, they don’t need eyes to see.

Nobody wants to watch the Chicago Bears and their quarterback competition this summer.

It’s a waste of time because we already know what the end result will be. Newcomer Nick Foles will beat out former No. 2 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky before the Bears take on the division rival Detroit Lions Week 1. So why is head coach Matt Nagy telling us he needs to see how the preseason goes before deciding who will be his starting quarterback?

“Preseason games, reps, playing more, creating more reps,” Nagy told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Having both those quarterbacks play with the same wide receivers and tight ends against the same defenses — that’s going to be important. I do believe it’ll naturally happen. I feel good about that. We have a good plan. And they understand it.”

Nagy did say he regretted holding out the starters during the preseason last year. By all means, competition is great and should be a big part of an NFL team’s roster construction. However, giving any first-team rep to Trubisky at this point would be the equivalent to setting a $100 bill on fire. It’s amusing, but it accomplishes nothing other than being an over-the-top symbolic gesture.

Matt Nagy needs to believes his eyes when it comes to Mitchell Trubisky.

The very instant the Bears decided to not extend Trubisky the fifth-year option for 2021 meant it was over for the former North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback in Chicago long-term. He might be a great guy, a good teammate and a hard worker, but you can’t keep playing a quarterback who can’t complete a 10-yard pass with any regularity whatsoever. It’s Foles’ team now, so just accept it.

The only benefit to not starting Foles right away in Week 1 is he’s been yanked out of games before. The journeyman quarterback has had his struggles with the St. Louis Rams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars before. Telling him to hold a clipboard will not hurt his feelings. He’s already a Philadelphia Eagles legend, something you can never take away from him.

As for Trubisky, the second he’s no longer viewed as a starting quarterback talent by the Bears, this goofy Ryan Pace fever dream will be over, and he must deal with the aftermath of his worst professional decision. The Bears have a defense capable of getting them to the playoffs, but they can’t have putrid quarterback play actively undermining them like it did a season ago.

To say there’s a quarterback competition at this juncture is only posturing by the Bears organization because they’re afraid to be honest with themselves. If they want to win and make the playoffs, start Foles and don’t look back. If this blows up their face, there will be a new regime in town and the Bears might have stunk bad enough to draft a new franchise quarterback.

For someone to be good, someone has to be bad. Outside of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars, which teams do we know for sure will be terrible this year? If it hits the fan for the Bears, they may have their opportunity to draft Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall out of Clemson or Justin Fields No. 2 overall out of Ohio State. Both are light years better than Trubisky.

Saying he needs to see preseason snaps means Nagy needs to pay a visit his local optometrist.

The post Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy working with Mitchell Trubisky feels more symbolic than helpful appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Mitch Trubisky is likely playing his last season with the Chicago Bears in 2020. His future is murky at best.

The Chicago Bears are ready to be done with Mitch Trubisky. They’ve already said as much.

By declining Trubisky’s fifth-year option in May, Chicago general manager Ryan Pace admitted what the football world has known for years. He missed.

While everyone eagerly points out Trubisky was taken ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, the time has come to move on. It’s done.

What’s more interesting is what happens from here for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Trubisky is fighting with Nick Foles for the starting job. Considering Foles is signed with guaranteed money through 2022 and Trubisky had his option declined, there’s strong reason to believe Foles wins the spot. If so, the North Carolina product rides pine for a season before hitting free agency at age 26.

Looking at this offseason, Trubisky compares well with Marcus Mariota. A starter who eventually lost his job to a veteran, Mariota sat on the bench in Tennessee during his final year with the Titans. In March, he was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders on a two-year, $17.6 million deal to back up Derek Carr.

Like Trubisky, Mariota was a former No. 2 overall pick who didn’t quite find his footing. Still, he landed a lucrative reserve job with a team housing a shaky starter. Trubisky, barring a renaissance in 2020, would do well to find himself in the same position a year from now.

Of course, all this is tinged with regret for Chicagoians. The past belongs there, but Bears fans certainly feel pain every time Mahomes or Watson performs a magic act. Meanwhile, Chicago is wasting a phenomenal defense and Allen Robinson’s prime years watching Trubisky flounder.

Perhaps soon enough, Trubisky won’t be in uniform anymore to remind them of the error.

The post Mitchell Trubisky is likely through with Bears after 2020 appeared first on Bet Sunday.