Caitlin Clark is fresh off a gold medal-winning run with Team USA at the FIBA World Cup. She returned to the Indiana Fever and surprised her teammates with a gift for each one of them.

The superstar guard played a key role for the national team. She came off the bench in all six games but received ample playing time from head coach Kara Lawson. Clark showcased her elite skill set, particularly her court vision and outside shooting. She scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting along with three assists in the finals versus France on Sunday. The 24-year-old finished as a +11 in the 97-79 victory.

She aims to continue building on the momentum with Indiana, which is on a two-game winning streak. The team has also won seven of its last nine games to move to fifth in the standings with a 26-14 record.

Caitlin Clark’s Fever teammates were happy with her gift

Clark gave each of her Fever teammates a pair of her first signature shoe, the Nike Caitlin 1s. A video on X showed them hyped while holding their Racer Blue pairs.

Caitlin Clark just gave her whole team a pair of her Caitlin 1’s

Makayla Timpson: “My CC win a gold medal, she come back & give the whole team a pair of shoes!” pic.twitter.com/YxSBPPRgUZ

— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) September 16, 2026

Fans have been looking forward to the general release of one of most anticipated shoe lines in recent memory. The Nike Caitlin 1s are set to drop on Oct. 1 in different silhouettes, including the Racer Blue, Midnight Fever, Purple Venom, Warning Code and Cave Stone, among others.

Meanwhile, Clark and Indiana have four games left on their regular-season schedule. They will return to action on Friday to take on the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum. A two-game homestand follows before their last game on Sept. against the Minnesota Lyn at Target Center. The Fever share the same record as the Atlanta Dream but don’t own the tiebreaker and trail the Las Vegas by one full game. All three teams have four assignments left.

Related reading:

Fever star Kelsey Mitchell reveals mindset heading into WNBA playoffs

Aliyah Boston sends strong message after World Cup

Sophie Cunningham comments on major WNBA development

Caitlin Clark sends grateful message to Team USA after World Cup gold 

The post Caitlin Clark surprises Fever teammates after returning from World Cup appeared first on ChiCitySports.

While the Chicago Bears impressed mightily in their 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers, their defense left a lot to be desired. If the franchise remains an offensive juggernaut, calls for a blockbuster defensive trade will only grow louder.

It’s still only Week 2, meaning who exactly is available hasn’t been made fully clear. There will obviously always be speculation. But franchise are still figuring out the makeup of their roster. Furthermore, teams want to see where they stand before trading away talent.

If the Bears were to trade for a defensive star, they could realistically add to any position in the unit. But after allowing Panthers quarterback Bryce Young to throw for 361 yards and three touchdowns, fans have been calling for an addition at cornerback.

One premier option appears available for trade. But actually finalizing a deal is easier said than done.

Joey Porter Jr. trade difficult for Chicago Bears

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. missed with Week with a back injury. But with his contract set to expire after 2026, it has been speculated that his absence is more based on a lack of a long-term deal. If both sides can’t come to an agreement, the Steelers may be forced to trade him.

If the Bears are serious about trading for a cornerback, Porter would be atop their wish list. However, the draft compensation required to swing a deal may take Chicago out of the running, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“I can’t imagine the Bears would want to pay the high level of compensation required to acquire Porter if the Steelers trade him,” Biggs wrote. “They could always find a way to make the salary cap work if they really wanted to, but I’d be surprised if Porter was traded for less than a first-round draft pick. There are questions at cornerback when you look to the future for the Bears. But there are more pressing needs on the defensive line.”

Over his three years with the Steelers, Porter has put up 165 tackles, 31 pass breakups and three interceptions. Only 26-years-old, he would be a building block in the secondary assuming an extension came with the trade.

If the Bears continue to falter on defense, the idea of a trade will only get more tantalizing. But Chicago will be cautious with their resources.

The post Chicago Bears insider pours cold water on Joey Porter Jr trade with Steelers appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Dillon Thieneman enjoyed an impressive NFL regular-season debut on Sunday. He played a key role in the Chicago Bears’ 59-37 win, showcasing his elite skill set. The rookie safety posted photos on Instagram two days later, and Colston Loveland dropped a reaction to it.

Thieneman registered eight tackles, including six solo efforts. His speed and route reading was on full display, preventing the Carolina Panthers from gaining extra yards. He received the defensive game ball from head coach Ben Johnson for his strong performance.

The 22-year-old will likely continue receiving more playing early in the season. Coby Bryant is set to be sidelined for four to six months, paving the way for Thieneman to prove his worth immediately. Chicago selected him at No. 25 overall this year, and its investment is already starting to pay dividends.

Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland reacts to Dillon Thieneman’s Instagram post

Thieneman’s post featured him in different moments from Sunday. The five photos showed him on the field, entering Bank of America Stadium and inside the locker room before wearing his cleats.

“Blessed,” Thieneman wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dillon Thieneman (@dillonthieneman)

Loveland dropped one emoji in the comments section.

“,” Loveland added.

Chicago is now 1-0 and will look to keep its unbeaten record intact in Week 2. The team will host the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field, with its fans cheering for them. The visiting team also won its first assignment, defeating the Green Bay Packers 39-22.

Thieneman’s contributions will be crucial as the Bears seek to surpass their 2025 achievements. They won the NFC North with an 11-6 record and reached the Divisional Round. However, they lost 20-17 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams. Chicago is facing the league’s toughest schedule and injuries to some of its key players. The good news is Thieneman has lived up to expectations so far and has a chance to strengthen his case as one of the league’s up-and-coming stars.

Related reading:

Panthers coach addresses Bears QB Caleb Williams postgame comments

Bears CB Malik Muhammad’s debut draws strong words from Ben Johnson

Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman reacts to Ben Johnson’s decision

Panthers waive player after loss to Bears

The post Colston Loveland had no words for Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears offense did pretty much everything right in a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Week 1.

The offensive line was a key reason why D’Andre Swift won NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors and Caleb Williams was a force as both a passer and runner against Carolina.

The Bears invested heavily in 2023 first-round pick Darnell Wright before the season, signing him to a four-year $116 million contract. Pro Football Focus graded Wright at the No. 1 offensive tackle in Week 1.

However, Chicago revealed some disappointing news on Right. He was listed as a non participant at Wednesday’s practice due to a on the Week 2 injury report. His status as a non participant isn’t good for his availability against the Minnesota Vikings.

In addition to Wright, defensive linemen Neville Gallimore (illness) and Grady Jarrett (rest) were not participants. Five players were limited at practice: Running back Kyle Monangai (hamstring), defensive back Malik Muhammad (ankle), Dayo Odeyingbo (shoulder), D’Andre Swift (limited), Ozzy Trapilo (knee), and safety Xavier Woods (groin).

If Wright is not able to go for the Bears’ Week 2 game at home against the Vikings, the team could look to Theo Benedet to start at right tackle unless Ozzy Trapilo is ready to return to start at left tackle. He was limited in practice last week but made inactive against Carolina.

Chicago Bears RT Darnell Wright suffers injury

Wright is a huge part of the Bears’ offense and for their plans as run focused team. He was thankful for having the opportunity to stay with Chicago long-term via the contract extension.

“I feel very grateful that they they trusted me like that and they believe in me, I think it was maybe a year, year-and-a-half ago, I don’t know, two years maybe, Poles really invest in us. I got besides the financial investment now, obviously, but he really invested in me… He’s not coaching me, but he’s investing more than just being a general manager into me,” Wright said.

“So I feel like I want to pay that back forward and be a good player. Not just for the team, just for everybody to help me. Ryan, the strength staff, coaches.”

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

The post Chicago Bears RT Darnell Wright suffers troubling knee injury appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs were fortunate that every other team in the hunt for a National League Wild Card spot also lost on Tuesday. Otherwise, the team’s frustrating 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves would’ve been a really tough blow.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Counsell deflects blame amid bullpen apocalypse

As things stand right now, the Cubs are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies when it comes to the top NL Wild Card seed and, more important, the right to host the Wild Card series. The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, are just 1.5 games behind the Cubs with ten games to go in the regular season.

With the tight race in mind, this will be “all hands on deck” time for the Cubs, across the board.

For the offense, being present and productive is especially important considering the team’s pitching problems.

That’s why the return of Dansby Swanson is taking on an extra degree of importance.

The veteran shortstop went on the IL August 17 with a left oblique strain and was to begin his rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, with the goal being two games played and then a return to the main Cubs roster by this weekend for the Cincinnati Reds series.

Revised plans for Dansby Swanson

More News: Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, now a lock for MVP honors

A rainout for the Iowa Cubs is forcing a change of plan.

“The weather’s not cooperating,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Tuesday.

“We’ll just have to make a decision and go from there,” Counsell said. “Obviously, the plans are going to get changed. He’s unlikely to play two games, so we’ll figure that out.”

Counsell hinted at the possibility of just one rehab game for Swanson before a return to the majors, but that decision could depend on what he sees in that one game.

Whatever the case, the Cubs would like to have Swanson and his elite glove back on the field for what will amount to a crucial stretch of games. They could also use his bat.

The importance of having Dansby

A notoriously streaky hitter, Swanson can carry the team when he’s hot and is still a significant longball threat, even when slumping.

In his absence, Nico Hoerner has moved over from second to shortstop with rookie Pedro Ramirez taking the second base spot more often than not. Hoerner has done a tremendous job filling in and Ramirez has been solid, but there’s just something extra special about the Swanson-Hoerner tandem.

“Shortstops that [hit 20 homers and drive in 80 runs in a season] and play Gold Glove defense don’t really just grow on trees, you know?” Hoerner said back in July. “He’s a star for a reason.”

Outfielder Michael Conforto shares Hoerner’s admiration of Swanson.

“Dansby’s been the same every single day,” Conforto told media, also back in July, amid a Swanson hot streak. “That’s what real leaders do. He’s that steady presence for us, and he deserves every bit of what’s coming to him because he works his butt off.”

On the season, Swanson is hitting just .216, but he has 18 home runs and 66 RBIs with an OPS of .704 through 119 games.

The post Chicago Cubs: The latest on Dansby Swanson and his up-in-the-air return appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears may have won their season opener on Sunday, but a trade target has already emerged for them. New England Patriots legend Devin McCourty floated the idea of the team dealing for the New York Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux.

The veteran linebacker is playing in his fifth NFL season, all with the Giants. He has appeared in 53 career regular season games and has recorded 152 combined tackles, including 86 solo efforts. Thibodeaux also has 23.5 sacks, 31 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. He is one of the most reliable in the league at his position, and would bring a lot of experience to the table.

Chicago’s offense compensated for the defense last season. The same happened against the Panthers, with Caleb Williams leading his unit to score the most points in a season opener in franchise history.

Chicago Bears: Kayvon Thibodeaux emerges as potential trade target

McCourty appeared on the “Up & Adams” show on Tuesday. Its host, Kay Adams, asked him to share his thoughts on what moves the Bears need to do via free agency or trade.

“If you’re gonna score a lot of points, then it comes down to your pass defense,” McCourty said. “Your pass defense is impacted by your pass rushers or your cover guys. They’ve invested in their cover guys, Jalen Johnson, Tariq Stevenson… You lost some players, you lost (Jaquan) Brisker. Kevin Byard last year, who’s now playing in New England.

“I know everybody in New York is excited. You might want to call down to the Giants. ‘Hey, I know you got Abdul Carter. You got Brian Burns. What you thinking about with Thibodeaux? You plan on extending them? So maybe that’s a call they make. You add a pass rusher.”

“[The Bears] might want to call down to the Giants… what are you thinking about with [Kayvon] Thibodeaux?”

Devin McCourty has a trade target in mind for Chicago @devinmccourty | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/QnBSmQiTpi

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) September 15, 2026

McCourty knows a thing or two about having a team that wins Super Bowl. He won three rings during his career and also earned three second-team All-Pro and two Pro Bowl selections.

The Bears will next face the Minnesota Vikings in front of their home fans on Sunday. They will also play their next two games at Soldier Field versus the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets.

Related reading:

Panthers coach addresses Bears QB Caleb Williams postgame comments

Bears CB Malik Muhammad’s debut draws strong words from Ben Johnson

Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman reacts to Ben Johnson’s decision

Panthers waive player after loss to Bears

The post Chicago Bears trade target emerges after 1 NFL game appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox entered a pivotal matchup against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday. Whoever wins will have officially clinched the three-game series. Furthermore, they’d take one step closer to winning the NL Central.

Before first pitch, the White Sox decided to shake things up. Outfielder Tommy Pham has been activated from the 10-day injured list, the team announced. In turn, catcher Edgar Quero has been optioned to Triple-A. Right-handed pitcher Drew Thorpe was activated off the injured list and optioned to Triple-A.

pic.twitter.com/lchuS2cTX1

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 16, 2026

Pham hit the injured list in early September with a calf strain. He just needed the minimum 10 days to get back into action. In fact, he made sure general manager Chris Getz knew he was ready after running into him in an elevator, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

“Tommy Pham (calf) activated and batting cleanup for the White Sox,” Rogers wrote. “He said he ran into Chris Getz in the elevator last night and told him he was ready. “What happens if you don’t run into him?” “Probably wait till this weekend.”

Chicago White Sox need Tommy Pham’s bat 

The White Sox acquired Pham with hopes he would add an extra spark to their offense. Chicago has scored more than three runs just three times over their last eight games. Pham will be thrown into the fire immediately, batting cleanup on Wednesday.

He hasn’t done much over his 10 total games in 2026. But in 2025, Pham hit .245 with 10 home runs, 52 RBIs and five stolen bases through 120 games with the Pirates Pirates. He is a career .256 hitter with 149 home runs, 522 RBIs and 131 stolen bases over his 13-year run.

Pham won’t suddenly turn the White Sox into world beaters over night. But at the very least, he will need to be an impactful battle in the middle of Chicago’s lineup.

The post Chicago White Sox shake up roster before Guardians rubber match appeared first on ChiCitySports.

This past summer, the Chicago Bulls drafted forward Caleb Wilson fourth overall in the 2026 NBA draft.

Wilson, 20, was a standout at the University of North Carolina during his one campaign in Chapel Hill. Unfortunately, his freshman year was cut short due to a broken wrist, which caused him to miss the rest of the season.

At the time of his injury, Wilson was leading UNC in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals. He was a top prospect coming out of high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and has continued to live up to that status ever since.

Now, he’ll have the weight of Chicago basketball on his shoulders. A city begging to love the sport again may have finally found its savior.

This morning, an Instagram photo flew around social media showing Wilson and four-time NBA champion LeBron James together, appearing to have just finished a workout. Regardless of your opinion on LeBron, it’s a great sign to see Wilson in the gym with one of the best athletes to ever live.

Caleb Wilson in the gym early this morning with LeBron James. this guy puts in the WORK.

(via cdubarchiv3/IG) pic.twitter.com/W0mKzjkS3O

— Bulls Chronicles (@BullsTalkOnly) September 16, 2026

James is listed at 6 feet 9 inches, and Wilson himself is listed at 6 feet 10 inches.

I’m not sure about you, but Wilson looks a bit taller than that. Maybe even closer to 7 feet.

The two have similar traits coming into the league. Both are athletic freaks of nature who impose their will on both ends of the court. LeBron also notably struggled with shooting when he came into the league, which is something Wilson himself will have to work on at this level.

Caleb Wilson has clearly put in the work this offseason: Will it show during his rookie year?

This will be an interesting season for Chicago. A youth movement will be in order, as Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis will try to lead this group to the playoffs.

However, Bulls fans need to pump the brakes on Wilson and his development. This kid has a long way to go, especially after missing most of his freshman year. The pressure shouldn’t be on him alone, but in today’s landscape, he’ll have some, just because of his draft position.

A solid sign going forward is the new additions the Bulls front office has made.

They went out and grabbed a top-tier head coaching candidate in Tiago Splitter, who was coveted around the league. Some were even puzzled that the Portland Trail Blazers opted not to keep him after his very successful season as interim coach.

Chicago has also brought in some former players to be assistant coaches, which will surely excite the fans.

The post Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson joins LeBron James for workout ahead of rookie season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs bullpen did it again. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, inheriting a lead late in the game only to blow it in a most spectacularly awful way.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, now a lock for MVP honors

On Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs had a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth. A two-run home run off starter Kevin Gausman brought manager Craig Counsell out with the hook and the bullpen in for the great big fail.

Daniel Palencia, who came in to close out the sixth, was decent enough. But then Jacob Webb was brought in.

Webb gets blasted, again

More News: Chicago Cubs facing Phillies grab for prized free agent star

The veteran right-hander gave up the lead in the seventh which, ultimately, gave up the game. In two-thirds of an inning, Webb allowed two earned runs—via a two-run blast by Ozzie Albies—in yet another poor showing down this closing stretch of the season. Over his last 8 appearances, the 33-year-old has given up 11 earned runs and has allowed 4 home runs in 6.2 innings. During this stretch, where he’s posted an ugly 14.85 ERA, he also set a dubious MLB record for being the only pitcher to allow a game-tying or go-ahead homer with two outs in the ninth in three straight save opportunities since saves became official in 1969.

The recently activated Edward Cabrera, converted to a reliever after an injury and inconsistency-wracked debut season with the Cubs, would salt the earth behind Webb. He gave up a two-run home run in the ninth—the Braves’ third of the day—making sure the game was far out of reach, 6-3, against a tough Braves bullpen.

After the game, Counsell would seemingly make a concerted effort not to single out the bullpen for scorn.

“We got to put together 27 outs,” Counsell told reporters. “We got to score runs. I’m going to tell you that again: We got to score more runs. But, yeah, we got to get guys pitching well. And we got to have guys that we can count on. Multiple guys that we can count on. We’re not going to survive if we don’t have multiple guys we can count on.”

“We need everybody,” Counsell continued. “We need to talk about a lot of names every night to help us win games. It’s not just the bullpen. Everybody’s got responsibility.”

Nobody is coming to the rescue

And, yeah, all of that is true—to an extent.

The Cubs have the best offense in baseball and they’re also fielding the best defense in baseball. Their starting pitching hasn’t been great, but more often than not it’s been solid enough to put the team in a good spot to win a game. On Tuesday, for example, Gausman allowed two earned runs through 5.2 innings, which should’ve been good enough to get Chicago a win.

The scary part when it comes to the team’s postseason chances is that it looks like there won’t be a cavalry riding in to save the bullpen. Shelby Miller was just shut down for the season, Justin Steele may be right behind Miller. Meanwhile, Cabrera bombed out in his first stab at bullpen duty.

So, Chicago will ride or die with what they have right now in the pen. That doesn’t exactly instill confidence.

The post Chicago Cubs: Counsell deflects blame amid bullpen apocalypse appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Just two days before the Chicago Bears began their season, the organization extended running back D’Andre Swift.

Swift signed a 3-year, $33,750,000 contract with the Bears, including $27,500,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $11,250,000. The 27-year-old back has been great with Chicago ever since joining the team in 2024.

He started off his 2026-27 season with a bang, running all over the Carolina Panthers in a 59-37 victory this past Sunday. Swift ran for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns, with an impressive 6.9 yards per carry.

Today, Swift was rewarded for his Week 1 efforts and was named the NFC offensive player of the week. A huge accolade just days after signing his extension.

Bears RB D’Andre Swift yesterday

18 CAR
124 YDS
3 TD

Bears defeat the Panthers 59-37 pic.twitter.com/jE7LYIRMFS

— Rafters (@RaftersHQ) September 14, 2026

Swift was impressive all day. Outside of the box score, it was clear that Swift was moving differently during Week 1, looking agile and quick, similar to his younger days in Detroit.

He also caught one pass for 10 yards and will likely be used as a receiver even more as the season goes on.

D’Andre Swift truly deserved NFC offensive player of the week

The argument for his QB, Caleb Williams, to earn the award could’ve been strong as well. He had a monster day behind center, throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran in two more, leading this Chicago Bears offense to a huge opening day.

Swift’s counterpart Kyle Monangai also ran well, rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown of his own. The ground attack looked lethal early and often, all thanks to an impressive performance by the offensive line.

Coach Johnson has raved about them all offseason, and we could see why this past weekend.

The Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings next week, as they look to move to 2-0 on the young season. They’d love a similar performance from Swift in Week 2, and will be looking for a better contribution defensively, after Bryce Young had his way with them in the opener.

More: Could the Chicago Bears trade for Joey Porter Jr?

The post Chicago Bears RB D’Andre Swift earns honors after big pay day appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Dwyane Wade is a lifelong Chicago Bears fan. He was born in the city and grew up in Robbins, Illinois, cheering for the team. He sent a special message to Caleb Williams on Instagram.

The NBA legend has attended Bears games in the past. He has also been vocal about his support for his hometown team whether in interviews or social media posts. Wade turned pro in 2003 and was the No. 5 overall pick by the Miami Heat. He spent 15 seasons with the franchise and won three championships in his illustrious career. The Marquette product also earned 13 All-Star and eight All-NBA team selections, among other accolades.

Meanwhile, Williams and the Bears opened their 2026 season with a bang. They defeated the Carolina Panthers 59-37 on Sunday, setting the franchise record for most points in a season opener. He completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. The 24-year-old added 65 yards and two scores on the ground.

Chicago Bears: Dwyane Wade comments on Caleb Williams’ Instagram post

Williams uploaded a carousel of photos on Instagram on Tuesday. It included photos of him from Sunday’s game, along with snaps of his teammates, dog and head coach Ben Johnson. He also shared the legendary picture of Wade passing an alley-oop to LeBron James during their Heat days.

“I don’t give the benefit of the doubt, the doubt never benefitted me. 1-0 ,” Williams wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by CALEB WILLIAMS (@ayeeecaleb)

Wade reacted to the post in the comments section.

“That Guy!” Wade commented.

The Bears are seeking to surpass their achievements last year. They won the NFC North with an 11-6 record and reached the Divisional Round. Williams and Co. will be back in action on Sunday to take on the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field.

Two more home games follow before they go on a two-game road trip. Chicago will clash with its rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in Week 5 at Lambeau Field.

Related reading:

Panthers coach addresses Bears QB Caleb Williams postgame comments

Bears CB Malik Muhammad’s debut draws strong words from Ben Johnson

Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman reacts to Ben Johnson’s decision

Panthers waive player after loss to Bears

The post NBA legend Dwyane Wade has words for Bears QB Caleb Williams appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Jordan Brand is set to expand into a new venture. The brand announced on Tuesday that they are launching “Jordan Strength”,  a premium line of training equipment inspired by the relentless work ethic that defined Michael Jordan’s legacy. The collection was unveiled today as part of a special event at Athletic Gaines, the elite Beverly Hills training facility led by performance coach, Travelle Gaines.

As Jordan Brand has dipped into multiple sports over the years, strength training is the latest path they want to take.

Built for athletes who strive for excellence, Jordan Strength blends performance-driven design with iconic Jordan Brand details. The collection includes dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, a soft plyo box, adjustable bench and a half rack with integrated storage, creating a complete foundation for functional strength training.

Every piece is engineered for durability, performance, and versatility. Features such as interlocking bumper plates and streamlined storage solutions are designed to elevate training environments, from elite performance facilities to home gyms.

Finished in the iconic black, red and cement colorways, the collection draws inspiration from the legacy of MJ both on and off the court. Signature details, including Elephant Print accents on the dumbbells and kettlebells, pay homage to some of the most recognizable elements of Jordan Brand. References to Jordan’s six NBA championships are also incorporated throughout the collection, reinforcing the pursuit of greatness that continues to inspire athletes around the world.

The full collection will be available at NikeStrength.com and at participating Dick’s Sporting Goods stores beginning October 13.

The post Jordan Brand launches new gym gear with Jordan Strength appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Dillon Thieneman received the defensive game ball from Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson on Sunday. The rookie safety made a strong impression in his debut NFL game, and Caleb Williams sent a message to him.

Thieneman recorded eight combined tackles, including six solo efforts. He stepped up big time in Coby Bryant and Xavier Woods’ absence and proved that he belongs in the league. The 22-year-old also showed the Bears front office that they made the right decision to select him at No. 25 overall this year. He enjoyed a successful 2025 season with the Oregon Ducks, earning first-team All-American honors.

Williams, on the other hand, completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He also registered 10 rushing attempts for 65 yards and two scores in the 59-37 win.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams reacts to Dillon Thieneman’s Instagram post

Thieneman posted five photos from Sunday’s season opener. It showed him on the field, making his tunnel walk and inside the locker room. The Oregon product added a one-word caption.

“Blessed,” Thieneman wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dillon Thieneman (@dillonthieneman)

Williams reposted in on his story along with his message.

“Yeaaaaaaaa rook,” Williams added.

The Bears brought Thieneman in to add more depth at safety after losing three players in free agency. However, with Bryant set to sidelined for four to six months, the rookie will take on a bigger role immediately. The good news for the the team is he lived up to expectations and played a key role in the first win of the campaign.

Thieneman and Chicago will return to action on Sunday. They will host the Minnesota Vikings for their season opener at Soldier Field. Two more home games follow, with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets set to visit in Weeks 3 and 4. The Bears will then take on their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, the following week at Lambeau Field.

Related reading:

Panthers coach addresses Bears QB Caleb Williams postgame comments

Bears CB Malik Muhammad’s debut draws strong words from Ben Johnson

Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman reacts to Ben Johnson’s decision

Panthers waive player after loss to Bears

The post Bears QB Caleb Williams sends message to rookie Dillon Thieneman appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Since making his MLB debut on August 9, Hagen Smith has provided a massive boost to the Chicago White Sox pitching staff. The 23-year-old rookie has seamlessly taken on a variety of roles, starting games, working out of the bullpen, making single-inning appearances, and pitching multiple innings when called upon.

Through his first 22.0 innings, Smith has handled every challenge with impressive poise, posting an outstanding 0.41 ERA. He has also recorded 32 strikeouts while maintaining a remarkable 0.81 WHIP. Across his first 13 appearances, Smith’s dominant start to his MLB career has placed him in rare company alongside former 17-year veteran Fernando Valenzuela.

Hagen Smith joins Fernando Valenzuela as the only other pitch with this stat line to begin a career

As highlighted in the graphic below from Just Baseball, Smith and Valenzuela are the only two pitchers in the live-ball era to begin their MLB careers with one earned run or fewer and at least 30 strikeouts through their first 13 appearances.

The only pitchers in the Live-Ball era to allow 1 or fewer earned runs with 30+ strikeouts in their first 13 MLB games:

1980-81 Fernando Valenzuela
2026 HAGEN SMITH

The lefty has made an IMMEDIATE impact for the White Sox! https://t.co/jNZ0UsQjIJ

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 15, 2026

Valenzuela’s first 13 appearances spanned two seasons, with 10 coming in 1980 before becoming a full-time starter the following year. In 1981, he took the league by storm, winning both Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award after making 25 starts and posting a 2.48 ERA.

Interestingly, Smith and Valenzuela share another similarity aside from making an immediate impact at the major league level. That is both are left-handers and Smith is expected to play a role in the White Sox starting rotation next season, a path that mirrors Valenzuela’s early days with the Dodgers 46 years ago.

If Smith can continue to build on his dominant debut season and carry that into next season, he could have the opportunity to follow a similar trajectory to the legendary left-hander.

The post Hagen Smith joins 1981 ROY and Cy Young winner as only other pitcher with this stat line appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark played a key role in Team USA’s success at the FIBA World Cup. The Indiana Fever guard was a big part of head coach Kara Lawson’s rotation despite coming off the bench in all six games. However, the international basketball federation snubbed her with their recent decision.

Clark started the tournament with a historic performance versus China in the group phase. She finished with 14 points and 11 assists, setting the record for most dimes by a USA player at the event in 28 years. The three-time WNBA All-Star also had two disappointing performances, but played well in her other appearances.

During the gold medal game against France, Clark contributed 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and three assists. Her solid numbers backed Breanna Stewart’s 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray added 18, 15 and 12 points, respectively, in the 97-79 win.

Caitlin Clark not part of FIBA World Cup All-Star Five

FIBA announced the World Cup All-Star Five that includes two Team USA players. However, Clark is not one them. Stewart and Young are joined by France’s Gabby Williams, Germany’s Leonie Fiebich and Spain’s Iyana Martin.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (@fibawwc)

Clark averaged 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 19.3 minutes. Her two subpar outings likely caused her snub, as she registered just one point on 0-of-6 shooting versus Italy. The 24-year-old also struggled in the semifinals against Spain, scoring only one point again, failing to convert any of her three field goal attempts.

She will turn her attention back to the WNBA regular season as Indiana returns to action on Friday. The team will face the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum for the first of its four remaining assignments. Clark and the Fever have a 26-14 record and currently fifth in the standings. The final seedings will be determined in the final week of the campaign.

Related reading:

Fever star Kelsey Mitchell reveals mindset heading into WNBA playoffs

Aliyah Boston sends strong message after World Cup

Sophie Cunningham comments on major WNBA development

Caitlin Clark sends grateful message to Team USA after World Cup gold 

The post FIBA snubs Caitlin Clark with World Cup decision appeared first on ChiCitySports.

It’s an exciting time to be a Chicago sports fan. While the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are both in playoff races, the Chicago Bears have kicked off their season. The Bears got the season off to a good start with a huge performance from Caleb Williams and the offense. While he’s doing that, his close friend Pete Crow-Armstrong is wrapping up an MVP season for the Cubs.

The two have developed a close relationship over the past few years which has also included Matas Buzelis , Connor Bedard and now, Caleb Wilson. That’s a lot of star power in a friend group and it has Chicago fans confident in future success for their teams.

But they have bigger plans as Crow-Armstrong recently said.

Pete Crow-Armstrong says he and Caleb Williams want to build something special

With the Cubs in a playoff push, every series matters here down the stretch. Following a big game on Monday in a win over the Atlanta Braves, Crow-Armstrong was asked about his friendship with Williams.

“It’s cool that people appreciate us being friends,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That’s where it all really stems from. We’ve definitely talked about what we want to build here together. That all stems from genuine appreciation of each other’s abilites and craft and how we make stuff happen. It’s agreed upon by all of us that we want to give people something to look forward to.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong on his friendship with Caleb Williams and the new era of Chicago sports: "We've definitely talked about what we want to build here … it's agreed upon by all of us that we want to give people something to look forward to." pic.twitter.com/JWUs5wy9aa

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 15, 2026

Crow-Armstrong and Williams were spotted supporting Bedard back in January, sitting on the glass for a Blackhawks game. Recently, it was PCA who received the support as  Williams, Wilson, Buzelis and Cole Bennett sat behind the Cubs dugout. They celebrated as PCA hit a big home run in the game.

Right now, it feels like a very cool era of Chicago Sports with young stars. Let’s hope they can turn that into some championships for the city.

The post Pete Crow-Armstrong, Caleb Williams want to build something special in Chicago appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams is coming off a strong performance in the season opener against the Carolina Panthers. The Chicago Bears quarterback spearheaded the team’s attack, while Rome Odunze made impact plays in the 59-37 win. The wide receiver posted a carousel of photos on Instagram, and Williams reacted to them.

Odunze only recorded two receptions; however, one of them was a highlight play. He completed a “Moss catch” by snatching the ball off his defender’s back for a 47-yard gain. D’Andre Swift ran the football to the end zone in the ensuing play. Meanwhile, Williams completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns, along with 65 yards and two scores on the ground.

The duo have built a strong bond on and off the field. They often comment on each other’s social media posts, showing fans the chemistry they’ve built.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams pokes fun at Rome Odunze’s Instagram caption

Odunze’s post included snaps from Sunday’s game. The others featured him in his pregame outfit, spending time with his son, with Luther Burden III and memes. Williams poked fun at his three-word caption in his Instagram story. He also uploaded the eighth slide showing the wideout in a chef’s uniform.

“Real Bad Mann,” Odunze wrote.

 

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A post shared by @romeodunze

“Peep caption ,” Williams added.

Odunze’s two catches totaled 52 yards. While he failed to score a touchdown, Williams and his teammates more than made up for it. Swift registered three, and Kyle Monangai, Jahdae Walker and Cole Kmet had one each.

Next up for the Bears is their home opener on Sunday versus the Minnesota Vikings. It’s another intriguing matchup as the visiting team won its Week 1 assignment 39-22 over the Green Bay Packers. Two more games in front of their home fans at Soldier Field follows for Williams, Odunze Co. They will take on the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets in Weeks 3 and 4.

Related reading:

Bears HC Ben Johnson used one word to describe Caleb Williams

Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts to big play vs. Panthers

Caleb Williams reacts to historic Chicago Bears development

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

The post Caleb Williams reacts to Bears WR Rome Odunze’s 3-word statement appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams was instrumental in the Chicago Bears’ season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He produced an impressive stat line, proving that his strong performances last year are not a fluke. Panthers head coach Dave Canales shared his take on the quarterback’s postgame comments about the home team’s defense.

Williams completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with a 124.1 passer rating and added 10 rushing attempts for 65 yards and two scores. Scoring over Carolina wasn’t a problem for Chicago all afternoon long, winning 59-37 at Bank of America Stadium.

Cole Kmet and Jahdae Walker were the recipients of Williams’ touchdown passes, while D’Andre Swift rushed to the end zone three times. Kyle Monangai scored the other rushing touchdown.

Chicago Bears: Panther HC Dave Canales discusses Caleb Williams’ postgame comments

The clip of Williams’ postgame exchange with Canales has gone viral. It was posted on X and has since been viewed more than 1.6 million times.

“Y’all are a great defense man.” – Caleb Williams

Postgame exchange between the #Bears QB and #Panthers head coach Dave Canales.@CSLonQCN | #NFL pic.twitter.com/GC8wdRPVJt

— Gabe McDonald (@GabeMcDonald_) September 13, 2026

Reporters asked Canales for his thoughts about Williams’ comments. He made it clear that he doesn’t think the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner took a dig at his team. The third-year head coach also highlighted that Williams is a respectful player.

“It was a common postgame humility,” Canales said. “It was the same thing with my exchange with Ben Johnson. Caleb (was) just talking about preparing for the guys that we had and all that. The type of defense that we were able to play down the stretch last season, he was aware of it.

“They took advantage of things and they executed better than we did. So I didn’t take that as a dig at all. I thought it was a good kid just being respectful and just kind of making a comment about just like, ‘Hey, we prepared and you guys played hard.'”

Chicago will next face the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on Sunday, looking to remain unbeaten. Canales and Carolina, on the other hand, will visit the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 2.

Related reading:

Bears HC Ben Johnson used one word to describe Caleb Williams

Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts to big play vs. Panthers

Caleb Williams reacts to historic Chicago Bears development

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

The post Panthers coach addresses Bears QB Caleb Williams postgame comments appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears fired on all cylinders on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Several players impressed Ben Johnson and his coaching staff, particularly cornerback Malik Muhammad. The rookie received strong words from his head coach following his regular-season debut.

Muhammad entered the NFL as the No. 124 overall pick in the fourth round. He enjoyed a successful collegiate career with the Texas Longhorns from 2023 to 2025. The Dallas native earned second-team All-SEC honors last year. Chicago selected him to bolster its secondary, and he proved in Week 1 that he belongs in the league.

The 22-year-old finished with three tackles, including two solo efforts and one interception in the 59-37 win. He can carve out a bigger role as the season progresses if he continues to play at a high level.

Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson praises Malik Muhammad’s debut game performance

Johnson spoke highly of Muhammad for shining against Carolina. The second-year head coach expressed pride in what he saw from him despite playing in his first regular-season matchup.

“Sticky in coverage,” Johnson said. “Competed his tail off. Fearless. Was really proud of what he put on tape.”

Bears head coach Ben Johnson on CB Malik Muhammad’s NFL debut: “Sticky in coverage. Competed his tail off. Fearless. Was really proud of what he put on tape.”

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 14, 2026

Johnson, Muhammad and the Bears are now 1-0 and will play their next three games at Soldier Field. However, it won’t be easy to sweep all the assignments as they will face the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets. All three teams won their Week 1 games and will test Chicago’s defense.

The good news is Caleb Williams picked up where he left off last season. Muhammad’s emergence as a reliable cornerback is also a welcome development for Johnson, giving him more weapons to utilize. The Bears are seeking to surpass last year’s achievements after winning the NFC North with an 11-6 record. They also reached the Divisional Round before losing 20-17 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams.

Related reading:

Bears HC Ben Johnson used one word to describe Caleb Williams

Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts to big play vs. Panthers

Caleb Williams reacts to historic Chicago Bears development

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

The post Bears CB Malik Muhammad’s debut draws strong words from Ben Johnson appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever have clinched a playoff spot. However, the final seedings will be determined in the last week of the regular season. She shared her mindset ahead of the WNBA playoffs.

Mitchell is amid a historic season. The veteran guard set new league marks in consecutive regular-season games with 20-plus points and most consecutive in a single campaign. She is averaging a career-high 25.0 points, along with 1.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists through 40 games.

The Fever are 26-14 for the season and currently fifth in the standings. They have four games left on their schedule starting on Friday against the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Indiana Fever: Kelsey Mitchell opens up on her mentality ahead of the playoffs

Mitchell addressed the media on Tuesday. A reporter asked her what she feels at this stage of the season and her mindset knowing that they’re headed to the playoffs.

“It’s humbling,” Mitchell said. “I’m grateful. I’m happy our group stayed down this season… It’s a gut check. And I think you just gotta be mindful about what you can do and give it to God, man. I can’t really dwell on what could happen, all I can do is keep showing up.”

Soft-spoken #Fever star Kelsey Mitchell on the fast-approaching playoffs:

“It’s a gut check. And I think you just gotta be mindful about what you can do. And give it to God, man. I can’t really dwell on what could happen … all I can do is keep showing up.” pic.twitter.com/vmWHobTa0i

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 15, 2026

Indiana shares the same record as the Atlanta Dream; however, it doesn’t own the tiebreaker. Both teams are trailing the Las Vegas Aces by one full game.

Mitchell and the Fever will have a two-game homestand following the Tempo game. They will host the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Their final game is on Sept. 24 at Target Center versus the Lynx. Indiana can finish as high as No. 2 or as low as No. 8. Every win is crucial as it will place the team in a better position for the playoffs. It is aiming to a deeper run this year after exiting in the second round in 2025.

Related reading:

Caitlin Clark sends grateful message to Team USA after World Cup gold

Aliyah Boston reacts to gold medal victory with Team USA

Caitlin Clark’s strong reaction to loaded Angel Reese question

Fever star Sophie Cunningham makes move away from basketball   

The post Fever star Kelsey Mitchell reveals mindset heading into WNBA playoffs appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Dillon Thieneman impressed Ben Johnson in his first NFL regular-season game on Sunday. The Chicago Bears head coach gave him a lot of playing, and he repaid the coaching staff’s trust. The rookie safety reacted to Johnson’s decision after the game on his Instagram account.

Thieneman recorded eight tackles, including six solo efforts, along with one pass deflection and one quarterback pressure in the 59-37 win. He proved that he belongs in the league and that Chicago made the right decision to draft him at No. 25 overall. The 22-year-old showed no fear in defending the Carolina Panthers’ established stars, making his presence felt on the defensive end.

He emerged as one of the best players at his position during his collegiate career. Thieneman played for the Oregon Ducks last year and earned first-team All-American honors. The Indiana native amassed 96 combined tackles consisting of 44 solo and 52 assisted efforts.

Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman receives postgame honor from Ben Johnson

Thieneman received the defensive game ball from Johnson after the game. His brother, Jake, posted an Instagram story about it and expressed pride about his performance. Dillon reposted it on his account without a caption.

“10 tackles & defensive game ball in NFL debut,” Jake wrote.

Jake also played for the Purdue Boilermakers, where Dillon stared his college career. He went undrafted in 2019 but had stints with the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers. However, he did not make the active roster.

Meanwhile, Dillon and the Bears will return to action on Sunday. They will play their home opener at Soldier Field versus the Minnesota Vikings, which also won its first game of the season. Chicago will continue its three-game homestand with matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets before two away assignments. The team will clash with its rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in Week 5, and the Atlanta Falcons the following week.

Related reading:

Bears HC Ben Johnson used one word to describe Caleb Williams

Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts to big play vs. Panthers

Caleb Williams reacts to historic Chicago Bears development

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

The post Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman reacts to Ben Johnson’s decision appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Carolina Panthers lost their season opener on Sunday to the Chicago Bears. It didn’t take long for their front office to shake up the roster, waiving a player, Jimmy Horn Jr., just two days after.

Chicago overwhelmed the home team 59-37 at Bank of America Stadium. Caleb Williams led the way by completing 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He added 10 rushing attempts for 65 yards and two more scores. The Bears offense fired from all cylinders, setting a new franchise mark for most points in the first game of the season.

The Panthers selected Horn at No. 208 overall in the sixth round last year. He played four collegiate seasons, spending his first two seasons with the South Florida Bulls. The wide receiver entered the transfer portal before taking his talents to the Colorado Buffaloes.

Chicago Bears: Panthers release Jimmy Horn Jr. following Week 1 defeat

Carolina parted ways with Horn and he is set to clear waivers. The decision came after his muffed a punt in the second quarter with the game tied at 21-all. Chicago took advantage and scored on a field goal on the ensuing play.

Panthers waived wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 15, 2026

The fumble may have caused him his job with the Panthers.

“BANANA BALL: Bears P Tory Taylor just caused a Panthers WR to get cut after experiencing what Ben Johnson called a “banana ball” punt ,”Bearszn wrote. “A banana ball is a punt that is aimed toward the sideline, but then curves back to the middle of the field while the ball side spins. This makes it difficult to track and catch for the returner. We saw Jimmy Horn Jr become the first victim of the Banana ball. Maybe Tory Taylor should punt like that more often. .”

Horn appeared in 13 games in his rookie season. However, he saw limited targets, recording just 11 receptions for 108 yards and zero touchdowns. His release gave the team an open spot for veteran linebacker Tyrel Dodson. If no team signs Horn after clearing waivers, Carolina could sign him again to its practice squad.

The Panthers will next face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Meanwhile, the Bears will play the first of their three-game homestand on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Related reading:

Bears HC Ben Johnson used one word to describe Caleb Williams

Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts to big play vs. Panthers

Caleb Williams reacts to historic Chicago Bears development

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

The post Panthers waive player after loss to Bears appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Dillon Thieneman played his regular-season debut during the Chicago Bears’ first win on Sunday. He received ample opportunities from Ben Johnson against the Carolina Panthers, allowing him to showcase his talents. The rookie safety experienced the atmosphere of an NFL game for the first time. He also shared his reaction to seeing his team’s fans at Bank of America Stadium.

Thieneman played a solid game and left a good impression on Johnson and his coaching staff. He recorded eight tackles, including six solo efforts in the 59-37 win. The No. 25 overall pick of this year’s draft added one pass deflection and one quarterback pressure. He stepped up in Coby Bryant’s absence, who is set to miss four to six months after undergoing knee surgery.

Dillon Thieneman reacts to seeing Bears fans at Panthers’ home stadium

Thieneman saw firsthand how much Chicago fans support their team. They traveled to Sunday’s venue to cheer on the Bears, making the players feel like they’re at Soldier Field. He also talked about seeing them when the team left their hotel.

“It’s so awesome (as) the Bears were traveling,” Thieneman said. “We’d rip off a huge play and they’d be cheering and it just don’t feel like an away kind of crowd. That was awesome.”

I asked #Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman about the amount of Bears fans in Charlotte for the game: pic.twitter.com/HHxGSz0Dd1

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) September 14, 2026

He also talked about seeing them when the team left their hotel.

“It threw me off a little bit,” Thieneman said. “I didn’t think there would be that many people there for that.”

The 22-year-old will have more chances to shine in the Bears’ upcoming games. They will have a three-game homestand starting in Week 2 on Sunday versus the Minnesota Vikings. The team will then face the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets. Fans will likely pack the home venue to will the team to more victories and start the campaign stronger. A pair of away games follow, with a matchup with the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.

Related reading:

Bears HC Ben Johnson used one word to describe Caleb Williams

Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts to big play vs. Panthers

Caleb Williams reacts to historic Chicago Bears development

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

The post Dillon Thieneman’s admission about Bears fans appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Carolina Panthers put up a fight, but ultimately, the Chicago Bears came out on top 59-27 in their Week 1 matchup. For the Panthers, it was one of their darker days on the defensive side.

Carolina made numerous additions throughout the offseason like Devin Lloyd, Jaelan Phillips and Bobby Okereke. All three made an impact in the Week 1 matchup. In the end though, it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room that is 59 points allowed.

Carolina will watch the tape and try to regroup heading into Week 2. But their loss to the Bears will remain a dark cloud over the organization.

Carolina Panthers’ infamous history vs. Chicago Bears

The 59 points allowed are the most in franchise history, beating out Carolina’s previous high of 52, via Brayden Stamps of Fox 8. Furthermore, the 291 rushing yards are the most any team has let up in Week 1, via StatMuse.

“The 59 points that Carolina allowed were the most points the team has ever allowed in a game in franchise history, breaking the previous record of 52 points,” Stamps wrote. “The 291 yards of rushing the Bears gained on the Panthers are the most a defense has ever allowed in a Week 1 game in NFL history, according to Statmuse. Breaking the previous record of 278 yards set by the Dallas Cowboys in 1978 against the Baltimore Colts.”

The Bears’ ground game led them to victory, scoring a record-trying six times on the ground. That will be a key aspect of their scheme the Panthers will try to clean up moving forward.

As for the Bears, they will continue riding the potent duo of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Quarterback Caleb Williams has proven he isn’t afraid to take off either. For any team preparing to face Chicago, they must at the very least know how to handle their rushing attack. The Bears may not score 59 points every game. But the franchise is at least going to try.

The post Chicago Bears send Carolina Panthers to new franchise lows after Week 1 appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears have been considered one of the biggest winners from Week 1, as their 59-point explosion against the Carolina Panthers proved how potent their offense can be. But moving forward, the Bears will have a target on their back.

The NFL is well aware of what quarterback Caleb Williams brings to the table. They’ve seen what Chicago’s run game can do. Head coach Ben Johnson’s acumen as a play caller is no secret.

Teams will be game planning accordingly, doing everything in their power to limit the Bears. That will start in their Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Working against the Bears is Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Brian Flores gives Bears, Caleb Williams difficult test

The Vikings exited Week 1 with a 39-22 victory over the Green Bay Packers. In the process, Flores blitzed early and often. Minnesota blitzed more than any other team in their season opener, finding major success with the league’s highest pressure rate on early downs, via Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analytics.

Brian Flores is insane pic.twitter.com/HnfEPV3Dvi

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 14, 2026

The Vikings blitzed Packers quarterback Jordan Love on 78.3 percent of his drop backs, the most for any quarterback since 2023, via Benjamin Solak of ESPN. Minnesota came away with four sacks and 52.8 percent pressure rate.

Williams is known for his ability to break away from pressure in the backfield. But having to do so on nearly every play will be a much more rigorous challenge. At the very least, the quarterback must be aware that pressure is coming his way.

But much like the Bears have a target, so will the Viking. Chicago is now well aware of Minnesota’s tendency to blitz. As they gameplan for Week 2, that will certainly be a factor the coaching staff focuses on.

The Bears have plenty of momentum coming out of Week 1. But putting together a winning streak would be all the more impressive.

The post Bears, Caleb Williams must be prepared for entirely different test vs. Vikings appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs are still battling for a playoff spot with eleven games left in the regular season.

As things stand right now, they are a half-game up on the Philadelphia Phillies at the top of the National League Wild Card standings and 1.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres, who have the third Wild Card seed.

More News: Chicago Cubs facing Phillies grab for prized free agent star

If/when they do clinch a playoff berth, though, they will have to rely heavily on their top-rated offense to compensate for a pitching staff that has been inconsistent at best and horrible, at worst.

Leading the way for the Cubs offense, of course, is Pete Crow-Armstrong.

PCA’s all-time great season

More News: Chicago Cubs: How Bregman got his groove back

The 24-year-old center fielder is in the midst of a monster season that has reached historical heights. Various feats throughout the year have already pushed his name into the rarefied air reserved for some of the sport’s most legendary names.

His 2026 is already putting him near the top of all-time great Cubs seasons, giving him a legitimate shot at surpassing Rogers Hornsby’s fWAR of 11.0 in 1929. In Monday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, he hit home run number 42, tying him with Billy Williams for the franchise’s home run record from a left-handed hitter.

In terms of present tense greatness, PCA has become the most potent multi-faceted position player in the game, posting 42 home runs, 102 RBIs, and 37 stolen bases—all while playing Gold Glove-level center field.

As of this writing, he’s No. 1 in runs (112), No. 5 in hits (164), No. 6 in triples (7), No. 2 in home runs (42), No. 3 in RBI (102), No.5 in stolen bases (37), No. 11 in on base percentage (.374), No. 2 in slugging (.571), No. 2 in OPS (.945), and No. 1 in WAR (9.3).

M-V-Pete

He’s also being considered a lock to take home the NL MVP award.

Per Jesse Yomtov of USA Today:

“The Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong will certainly dethrone Shohei Ohtani for the NL MVP award, snapping Ohtani’s three-year reign that dates back to his final season with the Los Angeles Angels.

With Shohei Ohtani injured this summer, PCA has locked this up as he closes in on the seventh 40-40 season in MLB history. The 24-year-old is putting together one of the greatest years ever, with a 9.3 fWAR while leading the National League in slugging and OPS.”

During this past offseason, Crow-Armstrong inked a 6-year, $115 million contract extension that will keep him in Chicago through the 2032 season. Locked in and secure, he would then get to work on the finer points of his game.

His sudden patience and discipline at the plate is being credited for kicking the rest of his offensive game into high gear. A newfound discerning eye has resulted in him getting better pitches to hit—something he’s fully taken advantage of.

No matter what happens the rest of the way, 2026 will go down as an absolutely stellar season for the young talent—one that ranks among the very best of all-time.

The post Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, now a lock for MVP honors appeared first on ChiCitySports.

It’s hard to find many flaws with a quarterback who had no turnovers while leading the Chicago Bears to a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, but Pro Football Focus managed to give Caleb Williams a poor grade after his Week 1 performance.

Williams went 21 of 29 passing for two touchdowns. He added another 65 yards and two scores on the ground, but took two sacks for -8 yards on the day.

PFF ranked Williams as the No. 20 best quarterback in Week 1, putting him behind Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who threw for 361 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception but added a rushing score to his total. Young was ranked No. 6.

PFF’s grade caused a stir on social media, and the publication responded to the outcry.

“Important reminder,” PFF posted on X. “What the PFF grade measures is the part of the play the QB actually controls — the read, the decision, the throw. Not the result that lands in the box score.”

PFF takes heat for Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams’ grade

The response was met with more criticism.

“I don’t doubt that’s how you do it, which makes you entirely irrelevant in 2026. I’ll never spend another dime with you because you have lost the scent,” wrote Ken Mitchell of Windy City Gridiron.

“Attempting to gaslight people by accusing them of box score watching is pretty messed up, when in reality they watched the same tape you did and came to a more accurate conclusion,” wrote Adam Hoge of CHGO Sports.

“I don’t have a problem with Caleb getting a negative grade for the INT that didn’t count, but giving him a -1.5 for a no play and only a 1.0 for the hole shot TD to Kmet proves the issue here is the grader, not the player.”

“Eh not really,” wrote Anthony Ruiz of Fox NFL. A QB throws to a WR, and the CB falls down. He gets a neutral grade on an open throw. He makes the same exact throw but the CB stays up and nearly gets a hand on it. Now it’s a +2 because it’s tight window.”

The rankings might need adjustment or an update. Clearly the publication is a little behind the times on their analysis the game, especially at the quarterback position.

Ranking Williams at No. 20 should have flagged the edit that something was amiss. Or maybe PFF doesn’t know how to analyze football.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

The post Chicago Bears: PFF under fire for slapping Caleb Williams with poor grade appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears opened their 2026 season with a bang, earning a 59-37 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Williams contributed four total touchdowns in the win.

Two of them came on the ground, from nine yards and then 29 yards out respectively. The Bears rushed for 291 yards total with 65 of them coming from their quarterback. Williams’ work in the ground game will only make him trickier to stop.

The quarterback is already know for his elusiveness on drop backs. But when it’s time to kick it in another gear, Williams has proven he isn’t afraid to put pedal to the floor.

Against the Panthers specifically, the quarterback continued a trend that puts him over every other pass thrower in the NFL.

Bears’ Caleb Williams is speed demon

On both of his touchdown runs, Williams broke 20 MPH. That marked the seventh time he has broken the 20 MPH mark since the start of 2025, more than every quarterback in the NFL combined, via Ben Solak of ESPN.

“That’s some legitimate acceleration — special stuff,” Solak wrote. “Williams has cleared 20 mph seven times as a ball carrier since the start of last season. The rest of the quarterbacks in the NFL have six such plays combined.”

The analyst was particularly impressed with Williams’ first touchdown. After being flushed out of the pockets, the quarterback is easily able to breeze by any remaining defenders.

“His fastest touchdown (20.8 mph) was a 29-yard scamper at the end of the first half, but it’s easier to see the impact of his extra gear on his first touchdown (20.45 mph),” Solak wrote. “Williams is as dangerous as anyone in the league when throwing on the run (and especially to his left), so he initially runs only fast enough to outstrip pursuing Panthers defensive end Princely Umanmielen.”

“Once he realizes he can make the pylon, he rounds the corner and hits the gas,” he concluded. “It looks as easy for him as it does for quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.”

Caleb Williams reached a top speed of 20.35 mph on his 9-yard scramble TD run, the third-fastest speed by a QB as a ball carrier since the start of last season (Williams also owns the top two speeds).

Williams has reached 20+ mph six times since the start of last season. No…

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 13, 2026

With Williams speed, he is going to be difficult to bring down consistently. If he is able to find the edge, it may be off to the races.

The post Bears’ Caleb Williams better than all NFL quarterbacks combined in 1 key stat appeared first on ChiCitySports.

As the Chicago Cubs continue to move towards a playoff run, it’s looking more and more likely that they could meet National League Wild Card rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, at some point in the playoffs.

More News: Chicago Cubs: How Bregman got his groove back

But they could also be in competition with the Phillies after the postseason as well.

Philadelphia could be an aggressive suitor for Cubs free agent outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

The 32-year-old right fielder will be eligible for free agency at the end of this season and he’ll be looking for a deal considerably larger than the 5-year, $85 million contract given to him by the Cubs when he first broke into the majors in 2022.

Suzuki will be highly desired

More News: Chicago Cubs offer intriguing update on Justin Steele

In a weaker free agent market—and in the shadows of a looming labor dispute that could kill off a good chunk of the coming season—the Japanese star could find himself near the top of the list of attractive free agent position player buys.

For the Phillies, especially, the appeal of adding an established right-hand bat to their lefty-dominated lineup may nudge them towards spending in excess of Suzuki’s projected 4-year, $100 million asking price.

Brandon Glick of TBOH, a Phillies blog, recently laid out the case for Philadelphia grabbing Suzuki:

“Over the past four seasons, he’s hit .272/.353/.485 with a 131 wRC+, good for 13.3 fWAR. By that last metric, Suzuki has been the 12th-best outfielder in all of baseball in that span, only trailing a ridiculous list of names that includes Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Pete-Crow Armstrong, and other modern luminaries.

For good measure, he’s also suddenly morphed into a Gold Glove contender this year, providing the Cubs with +8 Fielding Run Value and +14 Defensive Runs Saved from right field. Add on the fact that he historically crushes left-handed pitching — his career wRC+ against southpaws is 139 — and is hitting .305/.359/.407 in 14 career games at Citizens Bank Park, and he basically looks like the perfect fit for the Phillies this offseason.

…He would immediately slot between Schwarber, Harper, and Trea Turner atop the lineup, finally giving the team the right-handed slugger they’ve spent years searching for.”

Putting the Cubs in a tough spot

An aggressive Phillies grab at Suzuki will put the Cubs in a tough position.

Chicago is already facing a dilemma with their two corner outfielders—Suzuki and left fielder Ian Happ—hitting the free agent market. Replacing both, whether in-house or from the outside, would be tough, so the general consensus is that they’ll work to re-sign one of their potentially outbound outfielders. Most assume that they’d choose Suzuki over Happ if they could only re-sign one.

But keeping Suzuki will cost them dearly, especially if the free-spending Phillies are aggressively pursuing him. It’s very likely that the Cubs could lose out on Suzuki in a long, drawn-out bidding war and also lose out on Happ as he signs elsewhere while the battle for Suzuki rages.

Then, Chicago would be in a truly tough spot, having to rely on Matt Shaw in left and Kevin Alcantara in right as their 2027 every day corner outfielders.

The post Chicago Cubs facing Phillies grab for prized free agent star appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears have begun their season, winning in spectacular fashion. Ben Johnson’s offense put up 59 points on the road in Charlotte, as the Bears took down the Panthers 59-37.

The alarming part of that sentence? Chicago’s defense gave up 37 points to Bryce Young.

No one was expecting this Bears defense to be great, but for them to look this bad in the first week is definitely cause for concern.

And yes, it’s a long season. The overreactions of Week 1 are common across the league. The Bears are set to host the Minnesota Vikings next week, who are coming off an impressive victory of their own, defeating the Green Bay Packers in an electric comeback. It’s likely that veteran QB Carson Wentz will get the start after Kyler Murray exited the game early with a concussion.

Rushing the quarterback is the clear concern of this unit – but what about the shaky secondary?

Even though he may be back soon, Kyler Gordon has been out for weeks. Jaylon Johnson looked pretty rusty. Rookie DBs Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad looked great in their debuts, but relying on that for the entire season is irresponsible. Could the Bears be in the market for a trade?

One cornerback who has been named in trade talks is Pittsburgh Steelers DB Joey Porter Jr.

2025 Joey Porter Jr. pic.twitter.com/0McbZMSoIR

— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) August 26, 2026

Porter has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over the past few seasons and could fit this defense perfectly. He excels in press-man situations, limiting opposing quarterbacks to a low passer rating and ranking near the top in preventing completions.

The 26-year-old has been a staple on the seemingly always-good Steelers’ defense, but is in the midst of a contract dispute at the moment. The Steelers do not negotiate re-signings during the season, which points to a Porter trade becoming very likely.

The question is simple: Do the Chicago Bears entertain this possibility? One ESPN analyst believes they should.

ESPN’s Ben Solak: The Chicago Bears should call the Steelers about a trade for Joey Porter Jr.

The Chicago Bears have their sights set on a deep playoff run this season. If Week 1 is any indication, their offense surely has enough to do it.

However, the same cannot be said about their defense.

ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak released an article today on some hot topics around the league. That included the status of Joey Porter Jr. He mentioned that the Bears should be the team to make the move, or at the very least, make a call.

“I might think … that the Bears should trade for Joey Porter Jr. The Steelers’ corner sat out Week 1 as he and the team continue to stare each other down amid contract extension talks. If the Steelers really do want to trade him — and my sense so far is that they don’t — I think the Bears are the right team to make the call. Chicago has the future cap space necessary to give Porter a big long-term deal and should do anything and everything it can to build a halfway-decent defense around this stupendous offense.”

Funny enough, when the Bears traded for Steelers WR Chase Claypool in 2023, they sent their own 2023 second-round draft pick to Pittsburgh. That pick ended up becoming Joey Porter Jr.

Even though it went down as one of Chicago’s worst trades in recent history, it clearly shows the relationship between the two organizations. The Bears moved QB Justin Fields to the Steelers a few years ago as well, so these two sides can get a deal done if need be.

Why does Pittsburgh want to move on from Porter?

To me, I don’t know. You bring back a veteran in Aaron Rodgers to make a Super Bowl push, but won’t pay your young, number one corner? It doesn’t make a ton of sense. Porter hasn’t contributed very much in the turnover department (just 3 INTs) in 3 seasons, but you can’t always judge a defensive back on stats. Maybe the two sides are far apart on money, which is common in today’s NFL.

If the Bears can swing it, I don’t see it being a bad idea. He’ll likely warrant a few mid-round picks, maybe a third and a fifth. The Steelers would need a replacement, and maybe that’s where Tyrique Stevenson comes into play. He hasn’t exactly been worth his second-round selection to this point.

Time will tell, but if Porter is moved, it could happen at any moment.

The post Chicago Bears urged to make blockbuster trade for star cornerback appeared first on ChiCitySports.

When you think of Chicago beer, you think of Goose Island. They have been a staple in the city for years, releasing a variety of beers. Now, they are taking it to another level as they entire the golf world.

Goose Island teamed up with Bettinardi Golf for a special “Bettinardi x 312 Beer Collection” that officially releases on September 24th.  The Bettinardi x 312 Beer Collection brings the personality and visual identity of 312 into the world of golf through a series of products designed collaboratively by the Goose Island and Bettinardi teams.

It will feature a total of eight items with the “It’s a Chicago Thing” branding throughout. The collection features two limited-edition putters, four custom headcovers a, divot tool and a ball marker.

Take a look at the collab below:

The Chicago Chipping Challenge celebrates the new collab

The post Bettinardi Golf and Goose Island’s 312 Beer team up for limited edition collab appeared first on ChiCitySports.

When the Chicago Bears’ offense is on the field, most are watching quarterback Caleb Williams. However, opposing defenses can’t forget about Chicago’s ability in the run game either. It was that work on the ground that helped propel the Bears to a 59-37 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.

As a team, Chicago rushed the ball 39 times for 291 yards and six touchdowns. D’Andre Swift found the end zone thrice, Williams twice and Kyle Monangai once. The Bears averaged 7.5 yards per carry, consistently taking advantage of the Panthers’ run defense. Moving forward, the ground game will continue to be a crucial threat on Chicago’s offense.

That shouldn’t be too surprising, seeing as the Bears finished third in rushing in head coach Ben Johnson’s debut, averaging 144.5 yards per game. They now exit Week 1 with the top rushing offense, gaining nearly 90 more yards than any other team on the ground.

Chicago will need to prove they can stay consistent in the run game throughout the season. But at the very least, their Week 1 performance will keep them in the history books forever.

Chicago Bears make history with rushing attack 

Seeing 59 points scored, many fans would assume most of the work came through the air, simply due to time. But the Bears bucked that trend, using the two-headed monster of Swift and Monangai, with a splash of Williams, to do their bidding. Now, Chicago is tied with three teams, the most recent being the 1922 Canton Bulldogs, for most rushing touchdowns in a season opener, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.

“The Bears’ six rushing touchdowns today tied the 1920 Detroit Heralds, 1920 Rock Island Independents and the 1922 Canton Bulldogs for the most in a season opening game in NFL history,” Schefter wrote.

Swift led the way with 18 carries for 124 yards and three touchdowns. It’s clear why he recently earned a three-year contract extension. Monangai added 10 carries for 100 yards, including a 61-yard rushing touchdown. Williams’ two touchdowns showed off his playmaking ability with his legs, running 10 times for 65 yards overall.

Chicago’s quarterback will continue to draw major attention from opposing defenses. But being just as, if not more lethal on the ground will make the Bears even harder to beat.

The post Chicago Bears’ rushing attack achieves feat not seen since 1922 appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Aliyah Boston played an important role for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in Berlin. The Indiana Fever star showcased her all-around game and delivered consistent performances for the national team. She reacted to helping secure its fifth straight world championship and winning a gold medal with strong words on Instagram.

Boston contributed seven points, one rebound and one assist in the finals on Sunday against France. She played only 15:33 minutes but was able to make an impact on both ends, finishing as a +16. Breanna Stewart led Team USA’s attack with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting, along with 10 rebounds and four assists. Jackie Young and Kahleah Copper backed her with 18 and 15 points, respectively.

Caitlin Clark and Jackie Young were the other USA players to score in double digits, recording 12 each. The Americans pulled away in the second half and won 97-79.

Indiana Fever: Aliyah Boston posts reaction to Team USA’s World Cup win

Boston uploaded a carousel of photos on her account. She expressed gratefulness for being part of the team and having a chance to win a world championship.

“WORLD CHAMPION God is great all the time ,” Boston wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aliyah A. Boston (@aliyah.boston)

She and Indiana will play the first of their four remaining regular-season games on Friday. They will visit the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum before a pair of home games. The team will host the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx. Boston and Co. will then travel to Target Center for their final game versus the Lynx on Sept. 24.

The Fever have clinched a playoff berth and are currently fifth in the standings with a 26-14 record. They share the same win-loss slate with the Atlanta Dream but don’t own the tiebreaker. Indiana has a chance to finish as high as No. 2 but could also end up as low as No. 8.

Related reading:

Caitlin Clark sends grateful message to Team USA after World Cup gold

Aliyah Boston reacts to gold medal victory with Team USA

Caitlin Clark’s strong reaction to loaded Angel Reese question

Fever star Sophie Cunningham makes move away from basketball     

The post Aliyah Boston sends strong message after World Cup appeared first on ChiCitySports.

In a little over a week, the NHL season will begin.

The Chicago Blackhawks will open in Las Vegas as they take on the defending Western Conference champion Golden Knights, a real test to start the new campaign.

Unfortunately, the Blackhawks will be without their star Connor Bedard, who is expected to miss at least the first month of the new season following successful surgery on his left shoulder. Bedard is coming off another great season as he scored 22 goals and added 39 assists over 68 games.

Good news did fall in the young center’s lap today, as Bedard was named captain of the Blackhawks for the 2026-27 season. This makes him the youngest active captain in the NHL.

Connor Bedard is the Blackhawks’ new captain.

He becomes the youngest captain in the league, but he showed he was ready for it last season. The Hawks were clearly already his team.

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) September 15, 2026

He becomes the 2nd youngest captain (21 years old) in Chicago Blackhawks history, trailing behind Jonathan Toews was 20 years and 79 days old when he earned his first C.

Bedard made a statement following the announcement: “Being named captain of the Blackhawks is an unbelievable honor and something I’m truly humbled by. The captains who have come before me have left an incredible legacy. To have the opportunity to carry that tradition forward is something I don’t take lightly. I’m grateful to the organization and my teammates for trusting me to lead this team. We’re building something really special here, and I’m committed to making the entire Blackhawks organization and our fans proud.”

Pure class from Connor, as always.

This is a Blackhawks team looking to make improvements in 2026, and naming your star player as captain is a great start. They’ll need to prioritize goal scoring this season, as they were ranked 30th in goals per game (2.5) in 2025-26.

Second-year head coach Jeff Blashill will certainly have some pressure going into the new season.

Additionally, the Hawks named Tyler Bertuzzi and Patrick Kane as alternate captains.

With the Blackhawks looking to make a playoff push, will Connor Bedard take another leap in year four?

The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t made the postseason since the 2019-20 season.

What needs to change for this team to make it back?

Well, goal scoring is the priority, but that skill will be tested early as Bedard rehabs from his surgery. The Blackhawks will need continued success from Tyler Bertuzzi, who had 58 points (32 goals, 26 assists) in 79 games last season.

Defensively, Chicago added Bowen Byram, who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres and signed to a six-year, $75 million contract right after. Byram is expected to start alongside Alex Vlasic on defense and will need to prove his worth immediately, as the Hawks gave up a lot to get him.

Patrick Kane also returns to Chicago, which will certainly provide a spark in the locker room and buzz around the city. Time will tell if he was a fun addition or if he actually makes an impact on this young roster. A lot will need to change in order to get away from that dismal 29-39-14 record they had last year.

More: Chicago Bears DB Kyler Gordon to return soon? 

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With their first drive ending in a fumble, the Chicago Bears began their 2026 season in questionable territory. But by the end of Week 1, no one was denying what the Bears can do on offense.

Earning a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers, the franchise is now tied for second-highest Week 1 score ever. Chicago was able to succeed on the ground and through the air. In year two of the head coach Ben Johnson era, Caleb Williams and company have found their explosive stride.

The key is now staying consistent through the entire 2026 season. Chicago won’t be expected to drop 59 points a game. But the Bears now can’t lay an egg. They must live up to their offensive billing to reach new heights.

When it comes to Week 1 though, the Bears are sitting pretty. Chicago’s offensive explosion has opened the eyes of many around the NFL world.

Chicago Bears deemed Week 1 winner 

Seeing as the Bears scored 59, it’s not surprising to see the franchise deemed a Week 1 winner. But after an offseason of hype, Chicago managed to walk the walk. That is telling of their mentality and potential moving forward, via Carter Bahns of CBS Sports.

“Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson has goals beyond just a Super Bowl, and he took a major step toward fulfilling them in the season opener,” Bahns wrote. “The heralded offensive mastermind said this preseason that he aims to field the highest-scoring offense in league history — one that rivals the 2013 Denver Broncos, who averaged 37.9 points per game.”

“Johnson’s team nearly hit that number in the first half alone on Sunday,” he continued. “The Bears racked up 31 points by halftime and kept their foot on the gas over the final half hour of a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. The final score was one the NFL had never seen before, and it put Chicago on pace to contend for the record it seeks.”

Moving forward, all eyes will be on the Bears’ offense. They’ll be expected to bring the fireworks weekly. Whether or not Chicago can continue their staunch offensive success will determine just how far the franchise goes.

The post Chicago Bears earn valuable Week 1 accolade after explosion vs. Panthers appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears are deeply analyzing the film from their 59-37 Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. But soon, the franchise’s attention shift to their Week 2 opponent in the Minnesota Vikings.

Like the Bears, the Vikings came away with a Week 1 win, knocking off of the Green Bay Packers 39-22. However, not everything was good news for Minnesota. Starting quarterback Kyler Murray exited the game with a concussion. Now, his status for Week 2 is in question.

The quarterback will now undergo numerous tests before making his return to the gridiron. He must be fully out of the concussion protocol if he is going to be cleared in time for Week 2. As of now, the Vikings and NFL world at large aren’t certain exactly where Murray stands, via Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

“He was spotted after the game in good spirits,” Rapoport said. “That is a good sign, but every player recovers from a concussion differently. Every concussion is different. We just do not know as of right now how quickly Kyler Murray is going to progress in the NFL’s concussion protocol.”

“Carson Wentz could in fact be the starter for the Vikings,” he continued. “They can at least take solace in how Wentz played.”

From @GMFB: #Vikings QB Kyler Murray's status is uncertain because of a concussion, but the play of Carson Wentz sparks optimism. pic.twitter.com/0WB4dkBkvK

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 14, 2026

If Murray isn’t able to go, Minnesota will turn to back up Carson Wentz. Based on his Week 1 performance, the Bears can’t take that threat lightly.

Chicago Bears must be prepared for Carson Wentz

After coming in for Murray, Wentz completed 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. He showed he can handle the Vikings offense and ultimately led his team to a victory.

For all the hype Chicago drew on offense, their defense received an equal amount of flack. Letting up 37 points and 478 yards of offense, the Bears must bounce back in a hurry on that side of the ball. If Wentz performs how he did in Week 1, that won’t be an easy task.

Of course, Murray could clear the concussion protocol and the Wentz gambit could become moot. But that opens a new can of worms Chicago would have to contend with. Overall, the Bears must be paying close attention to the Vikings’ injury report throughout the week. Furthermore, the franchise must be prepared for both QB options.

The post Chicago Bears’ Week 2 Vikings matchup takes Kyler Murray twist appeared first on ChiCitySports.

All season long, Tristan Peters has served as an underrated catalyst for the Chicago White Sox offense. The 2026 All-Star is batting .277/.365/.459 and leads the team with 31 doubles while ranking fourth in hits with 114.

On Monday night, in game one of a crucial series against the Cleveland Guardians, one that will have significant implications for the division race, his abilities at the plate were on full display. In the sixth inning of a tied game, with a runner on base and Gavin Williams on the mound, he battled through an 18-pitch at-bat that ultimately ended in a walk.

Peters fell behind 1-2 early in the at-bat but refused to go down quietly, fouling off 12 pitches before watching the fourth ball sail outside the zone to earn a walk after an epic battle. The marathon at-bat forced a pitching change, and the White Sox capitalized, scoring six runs in the inning to blow the game wide open before ultimately securing a 7-3 victory. This win also provided Chicago with the tiebreaker over Cleveland and extended their division lead to 1.5 games.

Tristan Peters makes history by drawing a walk on the 18th pitch against the Cleveland Guardians

According to Sarah Langs, Peters’ 18-pitch walk is tied with Adam Kennedy from the 2004 season for the longest plate appearance ending in a walk since pitch counts began being tracked in 1988. Peteres’ at-bat was also the longest of any hitter since Matt Wieters of the Cardinals saw 19 pitches before flying out in 2020. Lastly, for those wondering, Brandon Belt of the Giants saw the most pitches in one at-bat in 2018, seeing 21 before flying out.

18-PITCH PLATE APPEARANCE!

Tristan Peters works a walk and the @WhiteSox dugout loves it https://t.co/u0F3eZELRX

— MLB (@MLB) September 15, 2026

While Peters sixth inning walk may only show up as a single line in the box score, its impact on the game was anything but ordinary. His relentless at-bat helped spark a six-run inning that turned a tight game into a decisive White Sox victory. In a crucial series with major implications for the division race, Peters’ marathon plate appearance proved that sometimes the biggest impact comes from simply refusing to give in.

The post Tristan Peters’ historic 18-pitch walk sparks 6-run White Sox inning appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The WNBA will have a new commissioner next season, and Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham shared her thoughts about it. Cathy Engelbert is set to retire after this campaign, and several names have emerged as her potential replacement.

The league is currently in its FIBA World Cup break and will resume by Thursday. Team USA captured gold in Berlin and secured its fifth consecutive world championship. All eight playoff spots have been clinched, but teams still have a lot to play for as they have yet to finalize the final seedings.

Cunningham and the Fever are currently fifth in the standings with a 26-14 record. They have the same win-loss slate as the Atlanta Dream; however, they don’t own the tiebreaker. Both teams are trailing the Las Vegas Aces by one game.

Indiana Fever: Sophie Cunningham opens up about new WNBA commissioner

The veteran guard addressed reporters on Monday. She was asked to share what she wants from whoever replaces Engelbert to help the WNBA grow further.

“I think that WNBA has always been a place for people to feel safe and comfortable,” Cunningham said. “I think there’s all types of walks in this organization or in this league, which I think is absolutely awesome. We need someone who’s going to unite everybody because it can be so different, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. I think it makes it a lot of fun. You continue to have a growth mindset and see other people’s walks of life and really get to know why they are the way they are.

“That’s truly fun, you are playing the best basketball, you’re in the best league in the entire world. Yet you’re getting to learn so much about who you are as a human who other people are as a human. With all that with all the diversity, you do need someone who’s going to unite our league and have a common goal, get us all on the same page. I think that’s super important.”

#Fever’s Sophie Cunningham on what the next commissioner should prioritize:

“The #WNBA has always been a place for people to feel safe/comfortable. I think there are all types of walks in this league. …You need someone who’s gonna unite everybody b/c it can be so different.” pic.twitter.com/MDbXu9E057

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 14, 2026

Cunningham and Indiana have four games remaining on their regular season schedule. They will play their next game on Friday at Coca-Cola Coliseum against the Toronto Tempo. A two-game homestand follows before their final assignment versus the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center on Sept. 24.

Related reading:

Caitlin Clark’s 4-word reaction to Team USA gold medal win

Fever star Sophie Cunningham goes viral with latest TikTok video

Angel Reese sends personal message to Atlanta Dream teammate

Sophie Cunningham makes request after career development   

The post Sophie Cunningham comments on major WNBA development appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has built a strong bond with Caleb Williams on an off the field. He has seen firsthand what the star quarterback is capable of during games and described him in one word.

The Bears opened their 2026 regular season with a statement 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Williams shined by completing 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He added 10 rushing attempts for 65 yards and two scores. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner consistently made big plays and his passes were pinpoint.

Williams earned a 124.1 passer rating and continued to silence his critics. He is aiming to lead Chicago to more success and surpass last year’s achievements. The team won the NFC North in 2025 with an 11-6 record and reached the Divisional Round.

Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson discusses Caleb Williams’ skill set

Johnson appeared on ESPN Chicago on Monday. The show’s host, Jeff Joniak, asked him about his skill set, particularly his throw to Kalif Raymond while scrambling to his left.

“He’s a freak,” Johnson said. “That’s the only way you can say. His body throughout middle school, high school (and) college, that’s what he showed his whole life and and so now we really challenged him to harness that from what we put on tape a year ago. Every time we break the tackle box, just coming to life as route runners and making sure that we capitalize on opportunities down the field. I thought he had a really nice balance yesterday, not only of knowing when to be aggressive and throw the ball down the field at certain times. He had that one.

“Rome (Odunze) had a little bit of a broken coverage (for) example where he ended up going up and getting that ball. We had another one that was really close to being caught on the right side there as well. But the mix between being aggressive, throwing the ball and then using his legs, I thought that was really good for a start.”

Ben Johnson Calls Caleb Williams a “FREAK” After Unreal Throw!!

FULL CONVERSATION WITH BEN JOHNSON: https://t.co/SxMP3k5SNG#Bears #DaBears #BenJohnson #NFL #Football pic.twitter.com/J1Zm7viiXQ

— ESPN Chicago (@ESPN1000) September 14, 2026

Johnson, Williams and the Bears will play their Week 2 game on Sunday versus the Minnesota Vikings. It’s also their home opener at Soldier Field, and first of a three-game homestand.

Related reading:

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

Chicago Bears make Caleb Williams announcement outside NFL

D’Andre Swift’s two-word reaction to new Chicago Bears deal   

‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season

The post Bears HC Ben Johnson used one word to describe Caleb Williams appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland entered the 2026 season on a wave of hype and high expectations. But despite the Bears dropping nearly 60 points on the Carolina Panthers, Loveland was nowhere to be found; at least in the stat sheet.

Overall, the tight end was targeted twice, but failed to bring in a reception. Loveland remained active in the blocking game and saw plenty of reps. But his predicted offensive explosion will need to wait at least another week.

While some players may be openly ticked off with their lack of production, Loveland isn’t one of them. Ultimately, the Bears came away with a 59-37 victory. And playing in head coach Ben Johnson’s system, he knows there are plenty of mouths to feed.

Perhaps the scariest part about the Bears’ win was the fact Loveland wasn’t involved. If they can score 59 without the star tight end, what happens when he is involved in the scheme?

Bears’ Colston Loveland doesn’t need spotlight 

Even without Loveland, quarterback Caleb Williams still threw for 269 and two touchdowns. The run game exploded for 291 yards and six touchdowns. Loveland knows the Bears are loaded with talent, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“That’s how many dawgs we’ve got on this team,” Loveland said. “We’ve got so many weapons and running backs doing their thing. It’s awesome.”

It shouldn’t be long before the tight end is re-introduced into the offense. He has become a favorite target of Williams and is coming off of a rookie season that saw him catch 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns. Loveland didn’t catch more than three passes that season until Week 9.

The Bears certainly aren’t stressing after their offensive explosion. And neither is Loveland seeing the pieces around him.

The post Bears’ Colston Loveland has no beef with Week 1 dud appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox are gearing up for a potentially NL Central deciding series against the Cleveland Guardians. Things haven’t looked pretty for the South Siders as of late.

Chicago has lost five of their last six games. In all of those defeats, the White Sox failed to score more than three runs. With their record now at 76-73, they hold just a 0.5 game lead in the NL Central over the Guardians.

Which is why the upcoming stretch is so crucial. The White Sox will still play the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies after the three-game stretch, so there will still be opportunities to clinch. But whoever wins the Guardians-White Sox series will be the NL Central leaders moving forward.

While Chicago has struggled, they know the challenge in front of them. If they want their 2026 run to continue into the playoffs, the White Sox must lock in.

Kyle Teel ready to fight for Chicago White Sox

While the White Sox have numerous options behind the plate, Kyle Teel has emerged as the primary option at catcher, starting six of Chicago’s last nine games. As he prepares for the pivotal Guardians series, Teel knows he and his teammates are ready to do whatever it takes to succeed, via Lamond Pope of the Chicago Tribune.

“Leave it all out on the field,” Teel said. “Get our work in and go compete. Guys in this room, we know what we’re capable of. We’ve got an exceptional team and we just need to stay within ourselves and go out there and compete.”

The White Sox will be looking f0r their bats to wake up against the Guardians and will hope Teel could play a key role in that charge. While he is hitting .200 over his 20 games, the backstop does have four home runs and 18 RBIs. He also has a chip on his shoulder and understands where the White Sox stand.

The post Chicago White Sox catcher sends fiery message before pivotal Guardians series appeared first on ChiCitySports.

As the final stretch of the regular season plays out, the Chicago Cubs know exactly where they stand. They’re looking to earn the top Wild Card spot, guaranteeing home-field advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.

With a 10-game lead, the Milwaukee Brewers have essentially locked up another NL Central crown. But holding an 83-67 record, the Cubs sit in the top spot in the Wild Card race. While they share a record with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago holds the tiebreaker.

That remains true against the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, who occupy the two spots below the Phillies, as well. Essentially, the Cubs can control their destiny to the top Wild Card spot. But they know it won’t be easy.

For starting pitcher Matt Boyd, earning home-field advantage is a near must. He knows the benefits the Cubs get playing in front of their own fans at Wrigley Field.

Matthew Boyd itching for Cubs home-field advantage

The Cubs have nearly identical records home and away in 2026, with only three more wins at Wrigley Field. But come playoff time, Boyd understands the atmosphere in the air. He wants to hear the roar of the Chicago crowd when it matters most, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

“Every time that you get to play at Wrigley, it’s a huge advantage,” Boyd said. “We have amazing fans. It’s an amazing atmosphere any day, but in the playoffs, it was an amazing opportunity that we had. The atmosphere, it was so fun to play in front of. Any baseball that we get to have here, it matters, in a good way. We want to have it.”

“It’s our job to play our best baseball,” he continued, “attack every facet of it, all aspects of our game. The opponent doesn’t matter. It’s the big leagues. Everybody’s good. You focus on you. Really, it’s a time to double down on that.”

While has been limited by injuries in 2026, the Cubs know Boyd is still a crucial contributor out of the rotation. In turn, the left-hander plans to do everything in his power to help Chicago reach new heights.

The post Cubs’ Matthew Boyd desperately fighting for postseason home-field advantage appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark’s FIBA World Cup run with Team USA ended with a gold medal. It was the national team’s fifth consecutive world championship, with the Indiana Fever star guard playing a vital role. She thanked USA Basketball for choosing her to be part of the lineup.

Clark had an up-and-down World Cup which began with a historic double-double against China. She recorded the most assists by a USA player in the tournament in the last 28 years. However, she struggled mightily versus Italy, finishing with just one point on 0-of-6 shooting. The three-time WNBA All-Star followed it up with back-to-back solid games over Czechia and Hungary, registering nine and 10 points, respectively. Clark once again scored just one point in the semifinals matchup with Spain.

She shined in the finals on Sunday, contributing 12 points on 4-of-5 from the field and three assists. The Americans dominated France in the second half to pull away with a 97-79 victory.

Caitlin Clark posts thank you message on Instagram

Clark uploaded a carousel of photos from the World Cup on her Instagram account on Monday. It included action shots of her from the finals and posing with her gold medal. One snap featured her with her Indiana teammate, Aliyah Boston.

“WORLD CHAMP THANK YOU @usabasketball,” Clark wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Caitlin Clark (@caitlinclark22)

The Fever will return to action on Friday when they visit the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum. A pair of home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse follows as they take on the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx. The team wraps up its regular season with another clash with the Lynx at Target Center on Sept. 24.

Indiana is currently fifth in the standings with a 26-14 record. It has secured a playoff berth but the final seedings have not been finalized. Clark and Co. can finish as high as No. 2 and as low as No. 8. The playoff rankings will all be determined in the final week of the regular season.

Related reading:

Caitlin Clark’s 4-word reaction to Team USA gold medal win

Fever star Sophie Cunningham goes viral with latest TikTok video

Angel Reese sends personal message to Atlanta Dream teammate

Sophie Cunningham makes request after career development

The post Caitlin Clark sends grateful message to Team USA after World Cup gold appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears offense was near perfect in a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 on Sunday.

The Bears defense… showed they have a lot to improve upon before the team is ready to talk about a Super Bowl appearance.

Chicago cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson were among the worst performers on the defense. Per Pro Football Focus, Johnson was graded as the 73rd-best cornerback out of 80 players. Stevenson was graded No. 79.

Not good.

On Monday, Bears head coach Ben Johnson put a little pressure on both players to play better against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, saying he expects that from them.

“They were excited that the team won the game and both of them felt like they could play better than they did,” Johnson said, via CHGO Bears. “We got a chance next week to come back and start all over again and play better. I expect that out of them.”

Chicago Bears couldn’t be perfect in Week 1

Johnson told reporters after Sunday’s game that he didn’t expect the Bears to play their best football of the season against the Panthers. Still, he’s in a race to get better at all three phases of the game, including the defense.

“Now we’re in a race to improve in all three phases and collectively as a team,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’ve got to do. So, we’ll take a look at the tape, what can we get better at. It only gets harder from here on out.

“And yet I told those guys, you’d like to think in a long season like this, we’re playing our worst football early on and we continue to get better and better and better. And so that’s really the message right there. All three phases, we all got to get better, each and every week.”

The Bears are counting on the secondary to hold down the fort to help the defensive line rush the passer. Clearly, that was a bust in Week 1.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Wide receiver Rome Odunze was active for the Chicago Bears‘ Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The passing attack features fellow potent names such as Luther Burden and Colston Loveland. But none of those players lead the Bears in passing.

Instead, that distinction went to free agent signee Kalif Raymond. He made a career-high eight receptions for 84 yards. He was a consistent target for quarterback Caleb Williams and continuously helped the Bears move forward.

For Raymond, the key for he and all of Chicago was their preparation. They knew a win on Sunday doesn’t happen unless they put in the work. The Bears didn’t back down from any challenge, via Raymond’s postgame press conference.

“It’s really nice to be here, just watching the way the guys work,” Raymond said. “The game happens however the game happens. But it doesn’t start on Sunday. That starts Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so much earlier. When you go into the game, you’re living in your preparation. We did a lot of preparation for this one.”

As the Bears continue growing on offense, it’d be a bit of a shock to see Raymond remain the WR1. But head coach Ben Johnson at least knows he can trust the wide receiver if his number is called.

Chicago Bears still want more

In Raymond’s first game with the Bears, he saw his team earn a 59-37 win. That’s tied for the second-most points ever scored in Week 1. There was plenty of celebrating on the sidelines.

But Raymond notes it’s not all fun and games. The Bears are still actively looking to improve and analyzing every play. That plays into their heightened preparation. Any mistake on the gridiron, Chicago is prepared to fix it.

“Professionally, you like the good stuff. But you’re going back on, ‘I saw this on this play.’ You’re checking the other stuff to make sure the rest of the game continues to go how it goes,” Raymond said. “You’re checking yourself, because the game is still going. If you get too lost in what already happened, you won’t be prepared for the future.”

After dropping 59 points, the Bears will have a clear target on their back moving forward. But Raymond and company will be prepared for any obstacle thrown their way.

The post Chicago Bears surprise WR1 was fully ready for Week 1 opportunity appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Is anyone else sick of the Kyler Gordon saga yet?

If you ask Ben Johnson, he’s certainly done talking about it. That is, until Gordon is on the practice field preparing for a football game. Considering the amount of money Gordon makes ($12.91 million salary-cap hit this season), I’m sure Johnson wants him practicing with the team, at the very least.

This issue has become larger and larger as time has gone on, as the unknown about Gordon’s status is alarming to many.

After a great 59-37 win by the Bears in yesterday’s season opener, all the nationwide talk has been about the prolific offense. And rightfully so. Chicago finally has a coach and quarterback worth talking about, and it’s been years in the making.

However, if you unpack what really went on during Week 1, it wasn’t hard to realize how shaky this Chicago Bears defense was.

Panthers QB Bryce Young had one of his best games, throwing for 361 yards (second most of his career) and three touchdowns. The secondary looked confused and weak at times, but forced turnovers when it mattered.

Rookie DBs Malik Muhammad and Dillon Thieneman were great in their NFL debuts.

Bears rookie CB Malik Muhammad with one of the best interceptions you'll see

1 INT and 2 PBU in the first half pic.twitter.com/HptUAjC4ym

— Dave (@davebftv) September 13, 2026

This secondary group needs Kyler Gordon back in the lineup, especially when you consider his contract situation.

Not every offense will look like the Panthers’ (rather weak at times), and the schedule will get more difficult as the weeks go on. But when is Gordon expected to be back?

According to his trainer, it’s sooner than most of us probably think.

Chicago Bears: Kyler Gordon’s trainer Montel Fleming hints at possible return to football activities

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote a story today involving many of the Bears’ Week 1 storylines.

This included a blip on Kyler Gordon and his potential return to the team. Biggs reached out to Montel Fleming, who is working with Gordon on body alignment and injury prevention. Kyler will be out until at least Week 5, as he is on the PUP list.

Fleming previously worked with DB Jaylon Johnson back in 2021, as the specialist reached out to Johnson on Instagram with some tips on his dysfunction.

Biggs asked Fleming if he could explain Gordon’s situation and how soft-tissue injuries could affect him this consistently.

“Due to overcompensation,” Fleming said. “OK, so a lot of strength and conditioning coaches in these programs and these clubs think that lifting weights is the only outcome to prevent injuries and to gain strength. Well, they don’t understand that a key measure is called your myofascia. Your fascia is what allows your body to have the range of motion that it needs to have.”

Fleming continued, speaking on Gordon’s current mindset with everything going on. He also said he’s working with Dr. Michael Risher, a chiropractor, to get Gordon cleared to return to football activity.

“Kyler right now has a very strong support system around him, making sure that his head is staying on straight and he is still staying disciplined and focused for this season,” Fleming said. “He’s not in a depressed state. He’s joyful. He’s happy. He’s really happy now because he doesn’t feel the same pains that he did just a few weeks ago. Michael and I are really doing our very, very best to make sure that Kyler gets back as expeditiously as possible.”

A welcome sign if you’re a Bears fan, depending on what you make of Fleming’s words. It’s not uncommon for players to work with specialists outside of the organizations, but it does create a layer of uncertainty.

Fleming concluded by saying, “Kyler will be back very soon.”

The post Chicago Bears DB Kyler Gordon “Will be back very soon”, says his personal trainer appeared first on ChiCitySports.

As recently as July 10, many—if not most—Chicago Cubs fans were decrying the 5-year, $175 million contract given to third baseman Alex Bregman over the offseason. And, really, they weren’t wrong in their complaints.

More News: Chicago Cubs offer intriguing update on Justin Steele

The 32-year-old three-time All-Star was slashing .235/.333/.338 with an OPS of .670 and only 7 home runs. The numbers weren’t obscenely awful, but they sure didn’t represent the kind of impact a signing of that magnitude was supposed to generate.

Bregman, himself, was down on Bregman. The former Red Sox and Astros star poured over his old video, looking back as far as his early days in the minors to find some angle to build upon. The veteran is well-known as a perfectionist when it comes to his technique and is said to be downright obsessive in working on even the most minute of details.

But, obviously, this attention to detail has paid off.

Since July 11, Bregman is hitting .312 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. His wRC+, which measures a hitter’s total offensive value and how many runs they create per plate appearance, is 180—14 points above anyone else’s in baseball.

How Breggy got his groove back

More News: Chicago Cubs: Cabrera gets make-or-break gut check in new bullpen role

The thing that clicked for Bregman was the change of mindset from hyper-focusing on the fails in the here and now to just working on positive change.

“Probably like June, I decided that I don’t really care what my numbers look like,” Bregman told The Athletic. “I care about fixing my mechanics for the rest of my career. I feel like that mentality allows you not to chase hitting seven homers in one at-bat. It allows you to take one at-bat at a time and try and win the next pitch, win the next at-bat.”

“The most important thing for me over the last few months has been the work in the cage,” Bregman added. “The attention to detail of, am I loading correctly? Am I making a good move to hit? I know that if I’m doing that before the game, I’m going to do it in a game.”

Bregman is killing it

On the year, the third baseman is already beyond the power numbers most reasonably expected from him. Currently at 25 homers, he’s one away from his 2024 total tally which, in turn, was the most he had since 2019. His 84 RBIs is the most he’s posted since 2023. And through the early struggles and these latest successes, he’s played elite-level defense at the hot corner and is living up to his rep as a clubhouse leader.

Where there was once loud lamenting from Cubs fandom over four more years of an aging Bregman on the roster, there’s now appreciation and optimism about the immediate future at third base.

The reality is that the Cubs might desperately need their MLB-best offense to get deep into the playoffs if the pitching doesn’t get consistent and stay consistent.

But regardless of what happens in the postseason, Bregman is turning out to be an even better version of himself than anticipated.

The post Chicago Cubs: How Bregman got his groove back appeared first on ChiCitySports.

After 15 seasons as a very good role player, former Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson has retired.

Gibson, 41, was a vital part of the Bulls roster from 2009-2017, playing a key role off the bench on some very good teams. After his Chicago stint, he bounced around the league up until this past season, acting as a veteran on 7 different NBA teams.

In 2010, Gibson made the All-Rookie First Team after the Bulls selected him in the 2009 NBA draft. He continued to become a great leader in the locker room with Chicago and has earned himself quite a good reputation around the league.

Shams Charania of ESPN was the first to report it just moments ago.

After 17 NBA seasons, Taj Gibson is retiring and returning to the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach under Tiago Splitter to begin his coaching career. pic.twitter.com/K601XXGZe2

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 14, 2026

The Chicago Bulls are looking to return to contention in the 2026-27 NBA season.

They have hired a new coach, Tiago Splitter, a former NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs. Splitter most recently served as interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and was a top candidate in this offseason’s coaching cycle.

The former Spur now brings a familiar face back to Chicago, as Gibson was a fan favorite for many years. He joins as an assistant coach.

Taj Gibson will bring a veteran mindset to a very young Chicago Bulls team

This is a smart move by the Bulls, and Splitter in particular.

With a new center in Nic Claxton coming over in the offseason, Chicago will need to continue developing him. Claxton and Gibson share a lot of the same traits: tough hard nose defenders who rebound the ball well. Hopefully, he and Splitter will be able to get the most out of him, as Claxton seemed to regress over the past few seasons in Brooklyn.

Another key storyline this year will be the development of rookie sensation Caleb Wilson, who was picked 4th overall by the Bulls in this past summer’s NBA draft. Splitter has already spoken very highly of Wilson and sees him as the future of the franchise.

The former UNC Tar Heel will have a lot of pressure on him as a rookie, and hopefully Gibson’s role as a coach can help him manage it. This is likely to be a process full of growing pains, and not immediate contention, as some fans expect.

Needless to say, Tiago Splitter is making some great moves early on in his Chicago tenure. Bringing a guy like Taj Gibson back to the city will only help this rebuild.

The post Taj Gibson retires from NBA after 15 seasons, joins Chicago Bulls coaching staff appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Rome Odunze and the Chicago Bears opened their season with a huge road victory over the Carolina Panthers. He only had two receptions, but one of them was highlight reel-worthy. The third-year wide receiver shared his reaction to the play during his postgame availability.

Odunze recorded two catches for 52 yards. He was able to consistently draw attention from the defense for his route running, and his connection with Caleb Williams made him a marked player. The 24-year-old was instrumental to helping the team secure a 1-0 record with the 59-37 win.

The star quarterback shined with 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He was also responsible for two rushing scores and distributed his targets effectively.

Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze discusses his “Moss catch”

Reporters asked Odunze for his thoughts on his “Moss catch” late in the first quarter of the Week 1 game. He caught the ball from Williams’ pass which he snagged from behind his defender’s head.

WOW: #Bears WR Rome Odunze just went full-on Randy Moss. pic.twitter.com/AOGld0tHR3

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 13, 2026

‘”You know it’s going to be a contested catch just seeing the flight path of the ball, seeing where it’s dropping down, and seeing the defender closing in,” Odunze said. “So just staying focused on the football, keeping the eye on the ball. As people say, there’s a lot of distractions coming in with him coming close to you. So just staying calm and poised in that moment to make the catch.”

Kalif Raymond saw the most targets among all Bears receivers with nine. He completed eight of them and amassed 84 yards. Luther Burden III went 5-for-5 for 63 yards, while Cole Kmet registered two receptions for 35 yards and one one touchdown.

Chicago will return to action in Week 2 with a home game against the Minnesota Vikings. Two more matchups at Soldier Field follows as the team takes on the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets in Weeks 3 and 4.

Related reading:

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

Chicago Bears make Caleb Williams announcement outside NFL

D’Andre Swift’s two-word reaction to new Chicago Bears deal   

‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season

The post Bears WR Rome Odunze reacts to big play vs. Panthers appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears first drive of the 2026 season went about as poorly as head coach Ben Johnson could’ve expected. However, the franchise managed to bounce back and earn a 59-37 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

On that first drive, the Bears were called for holding and ultimately fumbled the ball. The Panthers would go on to score a touchdown with such great field position.

But Chicago didn’t wave their white flag. Instead, they scored a touchdown on their next three possessions. The Bears’ willingness to fight back was one of Johnson’s biggest takeaways from the Week 1 win, via the head coach’s postgame press conference.

“These guys really rose to the occasion, the head coach said. “They played hard for each other. We had some adversity on that first drive. Nobody blinks, nobody bats an eye. That’s probably what I’m most proud of there.”

While the Bears nearly dropped 60, Johnson knows there’s still work to be done. He has already discussed with his team plans for improvement.

Ben Johnson wants more from Chicago Bears

The Bears are now shifting their attention to their Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Then, Johnson will expect to see cleaner play from his roster. Still, the head coach understands there might still be some rust in Week 1. As the year goes on, Johnson is expecting Chicago to be much more consistent.

“We talked about as a team, get to the plane with a win. We did that,” Johnson said. “Now we’re in a race to improve in all three phases and collectively as a team, that’s what we got to do.

“It only gets harder from here on out. You’d like to think in a long season like this. We’re playing our worst football early on and we continue to get better and better and better. That’s really the message, all three phases we’ve got to get better each and every week.

It’s never linear, there’s some dips along the way,” he concluded. “And yet, as long as we’re doing whatever we need to do to try and find a way at the end of the game to get the victory that’s what it’s about.”

It’s clear the defense has a lot of room to grow. Even offensively, Johnson thinks the Bears could still improve. But after Week 1, the head coach clearly sees the vision. Now it’s up to Chicago to execute.

The post Chicago Bears’ fight vs. Panthers has Ben Johnson amped up appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Monday is here, and Week 1 of the NFL season will conclude tonight. Many fanbases are either very happy or very disappointed this morning, as the overreactions will soon begin.

For Chicago Bears fans, that means they’re celebrating a 59-37 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Ben Johnson’s squad traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday and nearly put up 60 points, shattering expectations, even if they were high.

This offense looks to be high powered and efficient, even against what many thought was a solid Panther defense. Running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for 224 yards and four touchdowns, leading the way on offense.

QB Caleb Williams looked solid as well, completing 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards, all while throwing two touchdowns. He also ran it in twice.

Defensively, things could’ve clearly been better. The Bears allowed 478 yards and at times looked poor in pass defense. Bryce Young had one of the best statistical games of his young career, potentially showing glimpses of a leap in season four.

Even after a statement victory like this, how would you grade this Chicago Bears team overall in Week 1?

This morning, John Breech of NFL.com released his team grades for the first slate of games in the 2026-27 season. He was generous with the Bears, giving them an A-, stating that this offense may truly be record-breaking.

“Before the season started, Ben Johnson said he wanted to break the NFL record for most points per game this year (37.9), and if Sunday’s performance was any indication, the Bears might actually be able to do it. Caleb Williams ran Johnson’s offense to perfection.”

Breech also praised Williams, and the RB duo of Swift and Monangai.

He later mentioned that this defense will still be a concern, but not a massive one if the offense is this good all year.

“The Bears rushing attack steamrolled the Panthers for 291 yards with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both topping 100 yards. The Bears defense definitely has holes, but when your offense plays this well, it gives you time to figure things out.”

For anyone who watched the entire game, you know it wasn’t pretty the whole way, especially defensively. The Panthers have struggled on offense for the last few years, and yesterday, they looked just as competent as anyone.

That’s not to say Young and company haven’t improved, they likely have. However, still a worthy note as we dive into everything this morning.

The Chicago Bears offense looked great in Week 1 – but is this performance sustainable all season?

It’s unlikely that the Bears continue dropping 50+ points on opponents, especially on the road. That’s not realistic.

With that being said, they could still break records, like head coach Ben Johnson wants them to. They’re surley off to a great start in that department.

Not only did the playmakers show out, but the offensive line did as well. They created holes, protected Williams, and allowed these running backs to do their job. Just check out the footage on Monangai’s 61-yard house call.

Absolute art from the Bears.

I slowed down the end zone angle so you can see the blocks from Cole Kmet, Luther Burden III and Kalif Raymond. O-line creates a wall, and Kyle Monangai shows off the contact balance and speed.

61 yards to the house. pic.twitter.com/ASrfZgEixb

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) September 14, 2026

Special teams wise, it could’ve been better. Kicker Cairo Santos failed to reach the zone twice yesterday, resulting in the Panthers starting with great field position. Something to keep an eye on going forward.

In general, things will need to be tightened up next week. The Bears face off against their first divisional opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, who are coming off a comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers in their Week 1 affair.

Luckily, the Bears will be back in Chicago for their home opener, but the defense will absolutely need to work this week. Justin Jefferson went to the endzone twice yesterday, and could certainly do it again next week.

More: Could the Chicago Bears have a kicker problem in Cairo Santos?

The post The Chicago Bears’ Week 1 grade says everything about their statement victory appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs have been besieged by pitching injuries all season. In a lot of ways, it’s a minor miracle that the team didn’t just fold and give everyone a great big “wait ‘til next year.”

More News: Chicago Cubs: Cabrera gets make-or-break gut check in new bullpen role

Aside from losing emerging ace Cade Horton for the season after just two starts, the team has also suffered through two IL stints apiece from Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, and closer Daniel Palencia while watching injury shut down the seasons of breakthrough asset Ben Brown, Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Riley Martin, and, at least indirectly, Hoby Milner.

Then, of course, you have to throw in the non-comeback of Justin Steele.

The 31-year-old, who had become Chicago’s ace and one of the most reliable starting pitchers in all of baseball, underwent elbow surgery in April of last year and was actually ahead of schedule with his rehab as the 2026 season began. There was some serious talk that the southpaw could be back at his rotation gig as early as late-May or mid-June.

But then Steele suffered a left elbow flexor strain in April, which saw him get shut down for an entire month. When he was allowed to pick up a ball again, the team was very cautious and deliberate with what he was allowed to do.

He’s now, however, three outings into a rehab assignment in Iowa and the unavoidable “when will he come back” talk has been flying.

The Cubs have already killed off any idea of Steele returning to the rotation this year, but they’ve left open the possibility of a bullpen role. And despite a 6.35 ERA through 5.2 innings in Triple-A, his return is a really appealing option for a bullpen that has given off a bad, near-collapse, vibe at various points in the late-season.

A Justin Steele update

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen strikes back with noteworthy scoreless inning streak

Over the weekend, there was an update on just where Steele stands in his recovery.

Per Jared Wyllys of CHGO Sports:

“Counsell said Justin Steele will be in Chicago Sunday to throw a bullpen in front of the pitching coaches here.

From there, he’ll have at least one more outing with Triple-A Iowa.”

With two weeks left in the regular season, time is running out on the safe reintegration of the former ace. Even the most minor of setbacks would probably push his comeback to 2027.

In a perfect world…

As far back as the end of July, though, Steele said that he was throwing with no pain.

‘‘Obviously, I want to be back,’’ he told reporters at the time. ‘‘Front office, the pitching coaches, the team — everybody wants me back. But you don’t want to rush it to the point where you do get back into games and you’re one or two outings in and you start to feel the soreness starting to creep back in. Then you’re kind of turning the clock back at that point.’’

‘‘Everything feels good,’’ he added. ‘‘Fastball, sinker, slider, curveball — everything’s there.’’

In a perfect world, Steele gets sharp, bringing his bulldog attitude and field-level leadership to the Cubs bullpen in time for the playoffs and to assume the role of key lefty reliever. But as we’ve seen throughout this season, a perfect world is rarely in the cards.

The post Chicago Cubs offer intriguing update on Justin Steele appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Heading into the season, all eyes were on Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. After helping his team win the NFC North in 2025, fans and pundits want to see if he is truly legit. In Week 1, Williams gave the NFL world plenty of reasons to believe.

In a 59-37 victory over the Carolina Panthers, Williams completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He added another 65 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. With Williams leading the way, the Bears had one of the best offensive showings in franchise history.

When head coach Ben Johnson took the Bears job. His biggest priority was helping Williams reach his No. 1 pick ceiling. Despite the near 60-bomb against the Panthers, Johnson knows that is still a work in progress.

Still, the head coach came away impressed with Williams’ play. He wasn’t shocked by it based on the quarterbacks’ preparation.

Ben Johnson impressed with Caleb Williams’ preparation

As head coach and quarterback, Johnson and Williams are fully intertwined. They must work in tandem for the Bears to reach new heights. As Johnson watched his quarterback prepare for the Panthers, he knew something special could happen, via the head coach’s postgame press conference.

“He came out hot. I’m sure there will be a number of things we see on tape we need to address and we can continue to get better at,” Johnson said. “I thought it was a good start. There’s a lot of information going around going into a game week. And yet, his process was really good throughout.

“I could kind of tell last night. We do our quarterback meeting one last time, he was on top of it,” he concluded. “Everything, he was just rattling out where my eyes need to be, what I’m thinking, bah bah bah. I went to bed, I slept really well with that in mind.”

For all the talk of Williams’ completion percentage, the quarterback had a mark just over 72 percent on Sunday. Furthermore, he dazzled with both his arm and legs, showing off his trademark playmaking ability.

Johnson knows there’s still things to improve, and he will work closely with Williams on all of them. But the head coach came away from Week 1 more than impressed with what the Bears have under center.

The post Ben Johnson’s immediate reaction to Caleb Williams’ Week 1 outburst appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams continued to prove his doubters wrong with a huge performance during Sunday’s season opener. The Chicago Bears quarterback led the team to a 59-37 victory and delivered an impressive stat line. However, he made a bold declaration after the win over the Carolina Panthers.

Williams completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns and a 124.1 QBR. He also showed off his rushing skills with 10 attempts for 65 yards and two scores on the ground. Chicago made franchise history by recording its most points in the first game of the season. The previous mark was 45 set in 1948 against its rivals, the Green Bay Packers.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams sends a strong message to other NFL teams

Williams and the Bears may have played a strong game, but he is far from satisfied. The 24-year-old made it known that Sunday’s outing would be the worst game they’ll play this season. The offense delivered; however, there are adjustments to be made on defense. Ben Johnson and his staff will look to address some issues in the build up to the next game.

“This is going to be kind of our worst game,” Williams said. “I know points don’t necessarily show that, but execution, the blocking, the penalties, all these different things. Just being able to be a truther about who we are and go watch the film. And I know we won. Obviously, the goal each week is to go 1-0. We did that this week.”

Caleb Williams after the #Bears’ 59-37 win:

“This is going to be kind of our worst game. I know points don’t necessarily show that, but execution, the blocking, the penalties, all these different things.”

Not satisfied. pic.twitter.com/rLR5MwF0CW

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) September 13, 2026

Chicago will now set its sights in its Week 2 matchup and home opener versus the Minnesota Vikings. Two more games at Soldier Field follows against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets. Williams and Co. have the league’s toughest schedule but aims to surpass last season’s success. They won the NFC North with an 11-6 record and reached the Divisional Round.

Related reading:

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

Chicago Bears make Caleb Williams announcement outside NFL

D’Andre Swift’s two-word reaction to new Chicago Bears deal   

‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season

The post Caleb Williams makes bold declaration after Bears’ first win of the season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Aliyah Boston added another feather to her cap as Team USA captured its fifth straight FIBA World Cup on Sunday. The Indiana Fever star was a consistent contributor throughout the tournament. She reacted to the national team’s triumph via a post on X.

Boston finished the gold medal matchup against France with seven points, one rebound and one assist in 15:33 minutes. She shot 3-of-3 from the field and was a +16. The four-time WNBA All-Star also played good defense and made her presence felt, particularly inside the paint.

Breanna Stewart led Team USA’s attack with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds and four assists. Jackie Young and Kahleah Copper contributed 18 and 15 points, respectively. Caitlin Clark and Chelsea Gray added 12 each in the 97-79 win.

Aliyah Boston posts reaction to Team USA winning the FIBA World Cup

Boston shared how she felt after Team USA’s triumph. They went undefeated in the tournament with a 6-0 record and won five games in double digits. The 24-year-old’s latest social media activity has since been viewed almost 60,000 times.

“always blessed Feels great to bring home the gold!!!” Boston wrote.

always blessed Feels great to bring home the gold!!!

— Aliyah A. Boston (@aa_boston) September 13, 2026

She will have four days to rest and return to practice with Indiana before its next game. The team will visit the Toronto Tempo on Friday for the first of its four remaining matchups. Boston and Co. will then have a two-game homestand versus the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx. Their last assignment is against the Lynx on Sept. 24 at Target Center.

The Fever are 26-14 and currently fifth in the WNBA standings. They share the same record as the Atlanta Dream but don’t own the tiebreaker. Both teams are one game back of the Las Vegas Aces. All eight playoff berths have been clinched; however, the finals seedings will be determined in the final week of the regular season.

Related reading:

Caitlin Clark’s 4-word reaction to Team USA gold medal win

Fever star Sophie Cunningham goes viral with latest TikTok video

Angel Reese sends personal message to Atlanta Dream teammate

Sophie Cunningham makes request after career development  

The post Aliyah Boston reacts to gold medal victory with Team USA appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears are riding high after their Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. Seeing as it was a 59-37 victory, you’d think things went perfectly for Chicago on offense.

Looking solely at the box score, the Bears dominated with the ball in their hands. They gained 552 yards of total offense and scored six rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Caleb Williams had two of them, throwing another pair of TD passes.

But there were  still some speedbumps in the road. That is to be expected as it was Chicago’s first game of the season. The franchise is now focused on improving their mistakes and getting better in all three phases.

One of the Bears’ biggest mistakes came from head coach Ben Johnson himself. Although, Johnson is standing behind his peculiar decision.

Bears’ Ben Johnson takes bold fourth down gamble

Up 21-14 early in the second quarter, Chicago was faced with fourth-and-one on their own 21-yard line. Johnson decided to go for it with a Williams sneak. But the plan failed and the Panthers took over. They would score a touchdown three plays later.

Still, Johnson stands by his decision. Moving forward, he won’t be afraid to go for it on fourth down again, no matter how precarious. It’ll come down to the game and situation, via his postgame press conference.

” I feel pretty good about it,” Johnson said.

Ultimately, the Bears came out with a victory. Johnson can’t regret the decision too much. But it seems unlikely Chicago will average 59 points per game. The head coach will be strategic and poised if another tricky fourth down were to arise.

Furthermore, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Bears continue building out their fourth down plan scheme wise. A Williams QB sneak seems the most likely with a yard to gain. But opponents will be ready for it if that’s Chicago’s only option.

Johnson and the Bears are sure to pull out plenty of tricks in 2026. The head coach is expecting his team to covert more often than not.

The post Bears’ Ben Johnson stands by botched fatal 4th down call appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Last postseason, Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch made history by becoming the first player to hit two leadoff home runs in the same playoff series. He went deep in Games 1 and 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Division Series, finishing the postseason with four home runs overall as he homered once more against the Brewers had another long ball previously in the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.

At the time, that standout postseason performance perfectly encapsulated Busch’s 2025 season. The left-handed slugger belted 34 home runs, 25 doubles and 90 RBI while posting an impressive .866 OPS. Between that breakout regular season and his postseason heroics, expectations were understandably high heading into 2026.

Unfortunately for Busch, he hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations, particularly when it comes to power and run production. Through September 13, he has 19 home runs, 27 doubles and 76 RBI while posting a .742 OPS. His batting average has also dipped to .239 after hitting .261 a year ago. However, Busch has made up for some of that offensive decline by showing improved plate discipline, drawing 82 walks this season compared to just 56 in 2025.

That said, Busch has gotten off to a strong start in September, and rediscovering his power stroke at this point in the season could provide a major boost for the Cubs as they continue their push for the top Wild Card spot.

Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Michael Busch is off to a strong start in the month of September

Aside from May, when Busch posted a .300/.446/.510 slash line with four home runs, seven doubles and 24 RBI, he has struggled to produce a slugging percentage above .400 and match the offensive impact he provided a year ago. However, that narrative is beginning to change in September.

As of September 14, Busch owns a .463 slugging percentage through 12 games, with five extra-base hits and eight RBI. From September 8-12, he recorded at least one RBI in four consecutive games, including a three-RBI performance Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Already nearly matching his August RBI total of 10, Busch is on pace to put together his best month in quite some time.

A resurgence like that would be a welcome sight for the Cubs as the games carry more weight down the stretch. Furthermore, Busch has already shown that he can be a difference-maker when the lights are brightest, making a return to peak form especially valuable for the Cubs as they head toward the postseason.

The post Cubs’ 2025 postseason star showing signs of a September revival appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears are off to a strong start this year. They also made franchise history during the Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The 59-37 win not only gave Williams and Co. a 1-0 record but also set a new mark for most points in a season opener. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner delivered an impressive performance. He completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns and a 124.0 QBR. He also recorded 10 rushing attempts for 65 yards and two scores.

Chicago’s previous season-opener record was 45 points against the Green Bay Packers in 1948. Sunday’s 59 points was the most allowed by the Panthers since playing as an expansion team in 1995.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams discusses Bears’ offense

Williams spoke highly about the team during his postgame interview. He commended the defense and called Chicago’s offense as the best in the NFL.

“I think that’s our expectation each week is to come out here and do our part and execute the plays,” Williams said. “A part of that is being the best offense in the NFL. It starts with this (and) it starts with the first game. It starts with how we start and how we finish. Kudos to our defense. I think they came out with 24 in the first half, they did a great job kind of shutting them down at the end. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to have this many points. So we’re excited for this win, and we’re going to focus on this next week coming up.”

Will the Bears have the best offense in the NFL this season?@Kristina_Pink caught up with @CALEBcsw after Chicago went off for 59 points in the victory over the Panthers pic.twitter.com/Ml10jjKXUn

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026

The Bears will begin a three-game homestand in Week 2 versus the Minnesota Vikings. They will then host the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets a Soldier Field. Their next away game is in Week 5 when they face their rivals, the Packers, at Lambeau Field.

Related reading:

NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game

Chicago Bears make Caleb Williams announcement outside NFL

D’Andre Swift’s two-word reaction to new Chicago Bears deal   

‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season

The post Caleb Williams reacts to historic Chicago Bears development appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark played a key role in Team USA’s FIBA World Cup gold medal game on Sunday. The Indiana Fever superstar bounced back from a subpar performance to help the national team capture its fifth straight world championship. She addressed reporters after the matchup with France and had a strong reaction to a loaded Angel Reese question.

Clark finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, with three assists and two three-pointers in the 97-79 win. She was also a +11 and went 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. The 24-year-old complemented Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young, who finished with 22 and 18 points, respectively. Kahleah Copper added 15, while Chelsea Gray scored 12.

France, on the other hand, was led by Dominique Malonga’s 21 points and six rebounds. Gabby Williams contributed 20 points, three rebounds and seven assists. However, they were the team’s only two players to score in double digits.

Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark calls out reporter for Angel Reese question

Clark was not happy with a reporter who asked her if she is friends with Reese. She called him out before stepping away, but made sure she made her point across clearly by repeating her previous comments.

“We’ve always been friends (so) don’t try to do that,” Clark said.

A reporter asked Caitlin if she was friends with Angel

“We’ve always been friends don’t try to do that.”

Caitlin was so mad she doubled back to tell him not to do that again pic.twitter.com/sAKURlaAEd

— correlation (@nosyone4) September 13, 2026

Clark and Reese have been pitted against each other since their collegiate days. However, despite being rivals in the WNBA, they proved that they can thrive as teammates. The duo played key roles for Team USA and even assisted one another multiple times during the tournament.

The three-time All-Stars will rejoin the Fever and Atlanta Dream, who are battling for the No. 3 seed with the Las Vegas Aces. Both teams have 26-14 records but Reese and her teammates own the tiebreaker. Clark and Co. will face the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Friday. Meanwhile, Reese and the Dream will take on the Washington Mystics on Thursday at Wintrust Arena.

Related reading:

Caitlin Clark’s 4-word reaction to Team USA gold medal win

Fever star Sophie Cunningham goes viral with latest TikTok video

Angel Reese sends personal message to Atlanta Dream teammate

Sophie Cunningham makes request after career development   

The post Caitlin Clark’s strong reaction to loaded Angel Reese question appeared first on ChiCitySports.

#33G

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It has been a busy FIBA World Cup break for Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham. She has launched her new podcast and recently made another move away from basketball and the WNBA.

The veteran guard is amid a solid season. She is averaging 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists through 39 games. Cunningham began the campaign with the starting unit but has since been moved to the bench for her offensive firepower. She responded with solid contributions, helping Indiana to achieve a 26-14 record and currently sit fifth in the standings.

Cunningham’s production has led the franchise to strongly campaign for her for some WNBA awards. Her importance to the Fever is beyond what the stat sheets show. The 30-year-old provides them with toughness and a lot of hustle, along with timely baskets.

Indiana Fever: Sophie Cunningham attends NASCAR race

Cunningham took on a new role on Sunday. She served as a special guest pit reporter for NASCAR race through USA Network. The Missouri product interacted with fans, posed for pictures and also spent time with some racing personalities.

Welcome to the track, Sophie!

Sophie Cunningham takes us through her day at World Wide Technology Raceway. pic.twitter.com/LOB0VFTYOK

— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) September 13, 2026

She and Indiana will play the first of their four remaining games on Friday. They will visit the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum before a two-game homestand. Their final regular-season game is on Sept. 24 at Target Center against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.

Every win is crucial as the Fever are battling the Las Vegas Aces and Atlanta Dream for the No. 3 seed. Cunningham’s all-around game will continue to be relied upon heavily as her team has championship aspirations this year. While Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston lead the charge, role players like Cunningham are equally as important.

She embraces the role of the team’s enforcer, proving that she is not afraid of going toe-to-toe with the league’s biggest stars. The Fever have secured a playoff spot; however, the final seedings remain undetermined. They can finish as high as No. 2 or as low as No. 8.

Related reading:

DiJonai Carrington had no words for Chicago Sky’s message

Sophie Cunningham’s surprised reaction to Colin Cowherd personal question      

Caitlin Clark gets bad news amid FIBA World Cup

The truth behind Sophie Cunningham’s big career decision  

The post Fever star Sophie Cunningham makes move away from basketball  appeared first on ChiCitySports.

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The Chicago Bears offense put the league on notice by putting up 59 points in a 22-point win on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The Bears offense was expected to be good… but probably not that good. The 37 points Chicago surrendered didn’t come as too much of a surprise, especially given the number of possessions the Panthers had on Sunday.

The offense looks championship caliber. The defense looks like a liability.

The Bears outgained the Panthers in total yards 552-478. However, the Bears averaged 7.9 yards per play to Carolina’s 7.7 yards. Chicago took advantage of a 3-1 turnover margin to win the contest.

While the Bears lived on turnover margin last year, it’s not something they want to rely on. Chicago needs to get stops.

During his postgame news conference, Bears head coach Ben Johnson was asked what his approach would be to try and “problem solve” issues with the defense. Johnson said the Bears are in a “race” to improve all phases of the team, including the defense. He believes the defense will improve over the season.

Chicago Bears in a race to fix the defense

“Now we’re in a race to improve in all three phases and collectively as a team,” Johnson said. “That’s
what we’ve got to do. So, we’ll take a look at the tape, what can we get better at. It only gets harder
from here on out.

“And yet I told those guys, you’d like to think in a long season like this, we’re playing
our worst football early on and we continue to get better and better and better. And so that’s really the
message right there. All three phases, we all got to get better, each and every week.”

For Johnson, the goal is to find ways to win in the margins week-to-week in a league that promotes parity. A solid defense paired with his genius offensive mind would certainly help in that area.

The Bears will next host a Minnesota Vikings team that put up 22 points against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter to win 39-22 on Sunday.

Look for more fireworks next week.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Caleb Williams had himself a season opener to remember on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. The Chicago Bears star quarterback led his team to victory and recorded an impressive stat line. The NFL will also investigate a play in the third quarter involving him and a Panthers linebacker.

Williams dropped back on second-and-20 deep in Chicago territory. Derrick Brown hit him after he threw the football, leading to a roughing the passer call. The penalty gave the Bears 15 yards and an automatic first down, and the drive ended with a D’Andre Swift touchdown.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He added 10 rushing attempts for 65 yards and two scores in the 59-37 win.

Chicago Bears: NFL to review Caleb Williams incident after win over Panthers

The NFL will conduct a review of the incident. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 11 covers roughing the passer penalties to protect quarterbacks.

Good to see Caleb actually get a roughing the passer call pic.twitter.com/Gcyntmllnm

— Depressed Bears Fan (@DepBearsFan) September 13, 2026

The league could impose additional discipline on Brown for his hit on Williams. The NFL will classify a first-offense roughing-the-passer fine. It is listed at $17,911 and an official announcement is expected in the next few days.

Williams has started the season on a high note. He also gained momentum ahead of Chicago’s three-game homestand in Weeks 2, 3 and 4. The team will host the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets. However, Ben Johnson and his staff will have a lot to discuss, particularly on defense.

While the offense was fluid and almost scored at will, the Bears gave up five touchdowns. Last season, Williams’ unit compensated for the defense; however, Johnson likely doesn’t want it to be the case again this year. They will make adjustments, but the good news is several players shined on Sunday and could set the tone for what’s in store for the franchise.

Related reading:

‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season

Bears react to what Kyle Monangai did during practice

Chicago Bears react to Ben Johnson’s North Carolina comments   

Caleb Williams reacts to big Chicago Bears news

The post NFL to investigate Caleb Williams incident in Bears-Panthers game appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson wanted his offense to set records this season.

After his impressive 59-37 victory in Week 1, you could say he’s off to a good start.

Johnson watched his rushing attack gain 291 yards. This is just days after the team extended starting RB D’Andre Swift, who himself went for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns. A massive day for this Bears offense, which proved to itself that it will be one of the most prolific units in football this season.

Another key performer today was undrafted second-year wideout Jahdae Walker, who caught his third career NFL touchdown in the victory.

Walker, a former Texas A&M Aggie, has made a name for himself these past few seasons and has proven to be an asset as a blocker outside. Today, that skill was on full display, as he showed on multiple occasions why he is on this roster.

Jahdae Walker combined video. Block on special teams, block on offense, and touchdown catch.pic.twitter.com/7S24DcVoIQ

— ✶𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ✶ (@_MarcusD3_) September 13, 2026

Walker looked great in today’s victory and has gained plenty of attention on social media with his blocking ability. This, of course, is an addition to his impressive skill as a receiver, as he also caught a touchdown from Caleb Williams today.

The former Aggie also made some excellent plays on kickoff duty, providing a bone-crunching hit to Panthers returner Jimmy Horn Jr. Walker stepped up big today, and it was clear the Bears appreciated it, rewarding him with a late-game touchdown.

Head coach Ben Johnson spoke on Walker’s performance postgame.

“He practiced his tail off this week,” Johnson said. “One of our more consistent receivers. Thought he did a heck of a job. To see him get some benefit from it, I think, is a beautiful thing.”

He’s right. When you can get production from your depth receivers in multiple facets of the game, it’s a big win for any team.

Chicago Bears WR Jahdae Walker could be key to this high-powered offense, especially if Caleb Williams goes berserk

The Chicago Bears set all kinds of records during their Week 1 win in Carolina, as they tied the record for the second-most points scored by a team in Week 1 with 59.

All the more impressive on the road, against a worthy defense. The sky is truly the limit for this Bears offense, as coach Ben Johnson has repeatedly mentioned his ambition to make this a record-setting unit.

Will Jahdae Walker become a bigger part of this side of the ball? After today, I can’t see why it isn’t possible. Not only was he effective as a receiver, but he was equally effective on special teams and as a blocker. You can’t ask for much more out of your fourth-string WR, as the effort was apparent.

During the preseason, Walker was just as impressive, making some highlight-reel catches.

Jahdae Walker with one of the best preseason catches I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/c8fkWLVwFQ

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) August 23, 2026

Time will tell when it comes to how historic this Chicago Bears offense becomes. It’s a long season, and it’ll likely be filled with ups and downs.

However, if they continue to get elite production from these depth spots, I don’t see how they won’t continue to dominate.

The post WATCH: Chicago Bears WR Jahdae Walker is here to stay after eye-opening performance in Week 1 victory appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark and Team USA completed their mission in Berlin on Sunday. They won their fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup with an undefeated run in the tournament. The Indiana Fever star shared a four-word reaction on X after winning the gold medal game.

She finished the matchup with France with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Clark added one rebound, three assists and a was a +11 in the 97-79 victory.

Breanna Stewart led the way for the Americans with 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Jackie Young backed her with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Kahleah Copper added 15 points. Chelsea Gray was the other USA player to finish in double digits in scoring with 12.

Caitlin Clark posts hype reaction after Team USA’s FIBA World Cup success

Clark kept her X post simple and direct to the point. She highlighted the new entry she’ll have on her résumé for being part of this year’s Team USA roster. Her latest activity on the social media platform has since gone viral with over 300,000 views.

“WORLD CUP GOLD MEDALIST!!!!!!!!!!!!,” Clark wrote.

WORLD CUP GOLD MEDALIST!!!!!!!!!!!!

— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) September 13, 2026

The three-time WNBA All-Star will now turn her attention to the remainder of the Fever’s regular season. They have four games left and will return to action on Friday against the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Clark and Co. are currently fifth in the standings with a 26-14 record and battling the Las Vegas Aces and Atlanta Dream for the No. 3 seed. Indiana shares the same win-loss slate with Atlanta but don’t own the tiebreaker. Both teams are one game behind Las Vegas.

A two-game homestand follows for the Fever as they’ll host the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx. They will wrap up their regular-season campaign with a road matchup with the Lynx at Target Center on Sept. 24.

Related reading:

DiJonai Carrington had no words for Chicago Sky’s message

Sophie Cunningham’s surprised reaction to Colin Cowherd personal question      

Caitlin Clark gets bad news amid FIBA World Cup

The truth behind Sophie Cunningham’s big career decision  

The post Caitlin Clark’s 4-word reaction to Team USA gold medal win appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears opened up the 2026-27 season in style, with a massive 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Head coach Ben Johnson had big expectations for this offense, and he exceeded them in this first test. The Panthers’ defense was one of the toughest in the NFC last season, but the Bears made them look amateur during Week 1.

Even with multiple defenders out, they got the job done.

Dropping a whopping 59 points in the season opener? It almost feels fake if you’re a Bears fan.

The offense was great – especially against a solid defense on the road. But what about kicker Cairo Santos, who failed to reach the landing zone twice during today’s victory?

Bears fans weren’t happy about it, as they voiced their opinions online.

2 kicks from Cairo Santos today short of the landing zone. Just can't happen.

— Harrison Graham (@HGrahamNFL) September 13, 2026

Indefensible stuff here from Cairo Santos. Short of the landing zone. Second penalized kickoff for him today.

You just can’t have that. #DaBears

— Ryan Droste (@ryandroste) September 13, 2026

Second time today Cairo Santos has had a short kick for a penalty. #Bears

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) September 13, 2026

Santos has been one of the league’s most consistent field goal kickers for many years now. Last season, Santos was 25-for-30 on field goal attempts and proved to be a reliable kicker yet again for the Bears.

The Brazilian has been in the NFL since 2014 and with the Bears since 2020. He was named captain for the second year in a row earlier this offseason.

With that being said, Santos looked rough today during the kickoffs. He gave Carolina great field position multiple times during the victory. Luckily, this Chicago offense was elite enough, so it didn’t matter.

The Chicago Bears can’t give up on Cairo Santos yet, but his kickoff struggles are worth keeping an eye on

It wasn’t all bad for Santos in the Week 1 victory, as he hit his only field goal attempt, a 40-yarder.

He was also 8-for-8 on extra points, which is also huge when discussing today’s kickers in the NFL. You really don’t know how well you have it until you have a kicker who can’t consistently make extra points.

Cairo Santos will likely be the Chicago Bears’ kicker for the entire season, but the kickoff issue is one to definitely keep tabs on. When you give the opposing offense such good field position (40-yard line) to start the drive, it won’t always end well.

And it certainly didn’t for the Bears, as the defense still gave up 37 points.

Luckily, Caleb Williams and the rest of this Chicago offense looked lethal during this first week and proved that this unit will be a tough one. The run game was on points – and Williams had the passing attack looking as lethal as ever.

59 points in a season opener on the road? That’s something that all 32 teams in this league will take, regardless of how it looks on tape.

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With Ben Johnson as head coach, the Chicago Bears are always trying to be explosive on offense. Their Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers gave the franchise an opportunity to see how far they’ve grown. And Chicago responded by setting numerous records on offense.

The Bears took down the Carolina Panthers 59-37, starting their season 1-0. Chicago is now tied for second-most points scored by a team in Week 1, via Field Yates of ESPN.

“Ben Johnson has said he wants to set scoring records this year,” Yates wrote. “The Bears have scored 59 points today, tied for the 2nd most by any team in Week 1 in NFL history.”

Based on that, it’s probably not all surprising to see the Week 1 win stack up amongst the best in franchise history. Their 59 points scored are now the third-highest ever in a single game, via Erik Duerrwaechter of Windy City Gridiron.

“With that TD the Bears have scored their most points in a single game since dropping 61 on the Packers in 1980 and the 49ers in 1965,” Duerrwaechter wrote. “Franchise record is 73 against Washington in 1940.”

Overall, the Bears gained 552 yards of total offense. They scored six rushing touchdowns total as both D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Quarterback Caleb Williams ran in two, throwing another two passing touchdowns. He completed 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and no picks.

Chicago likely won’t be scoring 59 points every game. But the fact they did sent a message to the entire league. There may be some questions on defense, some big ones. But after Week 1, no one is doubting the offensive acumen of Johnson, Williams and the Bears at large.

Week 1 of the 2026 season won’t be forgotten anytime soon by Bears fans. Perhaps the only thing that could make it better is if the fireworks keeping raining down Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.

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Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears are all set to open their 2026 regular season on Sunday. The team announced news about the star quarterback outside of the NFL on Saturday.

Williams impressed in 2025 with strong performances. He proved to his doubters that he is the franchise’s long-term answer under center. The 24-year-old completed 330-of-568 passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added 77 rushing attempts for 388 yards and three scores.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner showcased his cool demeanor in high-pressure situations. He spearheaded Chicago’s attack in pulling off several come-from-behind victories. The team won the NFC North with an 11-6 record and reached the Divisional Round before losing 20-17 in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams.

Caleb Williams is part of “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story”

The team posted on Instagram that Williams will make a special guest appearance on “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story.” It is a holiday romance movie produced by Hallmark Media in partnership with the NFL and Skydance Sports.

“The latest addition to the star-studded Holiday Touchdown cast ,” the Bears wrote. “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story premieres Saturday, October 17 at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel, streaming next day on Hallmark Plus!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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Williams and Co. will face the Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 at Bank of America Stadium. They will then play their next three games at Soldier Field. The team will take on the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets in Weeks 2, 3 and 4. A pair of away games follows versus the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.

The Bears front office added some key veterans and rookies via free agency and the draft. They are now well-equipped to tackle the league’s toughest schedule and have surrounded Williams with more talent. Chicago addressed positional needs and head coach Ben Johnson and his staff have prepared the team well.

Related reading:

‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season

Bears react to what Kyle Monangai did during practice

Chicago Bears react to Ben Johnson’s North Carolina comments   

Caleb Williams reacts to big Chicago Bears news

The post Chicago Bears make Caleb Williams announcement outside NFL appeared first on ChiCitySports.

All offseason, who plays left tackle for the Chicago Bears was one of the biggest mysteries facing the franchise. Ultimately, Braxton Jones was named the starter heading into Week 1.

However, Jones hasn’t been on the field full time for Chicago. After leaving the game once already, the left tackle was forced to exit again after center Garrett Bradbury landed on him, via Adam Jahns of CHGO.

“Bears left tackle Braxton Jones remains down on the field. Center Garrett Bradbury did fall on him on the last play,” Jahns wrote.

The ailment Jones is dealing with has not yet been revealed. He was able to walk off the field under his own power which is a good sign. But the left tackle has been far from fully healthy in Week 1.

With Jones going down, he has been replaced by Theo Benedet. The same situation happened after the left tackle’s first exit. If Jones isn’t able to return, Benedet seems likely to take over at left tackle for at least the rest of Week 1.

Eventually, the Bears would like to have Ozzy Trapilo at left tackle. But he is still working his way back from a torn patellar tendon. If Jones were to miss serious time, left tackle would again become a mysterious revolving door.

For now though, the Bears are just trying to make it through Week 1 with or without Jones. Once the game is over the franchise will have more updates on his status.

The post Chicago Bears LT spot sees immediate change in Week 1 after injury appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears were on a roller coaster ride in the first half against the Carolina Bears. But when the dust settled, Chicago held a 31-24 lead heading into the break.

Head coach Ben Johnson is looking to orchestrate one of, if not the most explosive offense in the NFL. With 31 points in the first half, the franchise proved those hopes are legit. Chicago also tied a longstanding franchise record, via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.

“The 31 points for the Bears are tied for their most ever in the first half of a season opener. They also had 31 in 1948 vs Packers,” Dubow wrote.

For all their success on offense, the Bears hit numerous road blocks on defense. The Week 1 matchup is the fifth season opener in NFL history where both teams scored 24+ points, via Dubow.

“Bears and Panthers have 5th season opener with both teams scoring 24+ points in 1st half,” Dubow wrote. “Also:
2018: Bucs 31, Saints 24
1994: Chargers 27, Broncos 24
1971: Cowboys 28, Bills 24
1963: Colts 28, Giants 24”

Both the Bears and Panthers have been throwing punches all game. Who lands the knockout blow is yet to be seen. It certainly hasn’t been the cleanest game for both franchise. But Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams and company are looking to ride their scorching offense to a win.

The post Chicago Bears tie franchise record with insane first half against Carolina Panthers appeared first on ChiCitySports.

After a brutal first drive of their 2026 season, the Chicago Bears offense has found their footing in a big way. Quarterback Caleb Williams help extended the lead with a wild pass to tight end Cole Kmet.

The tight end did his part as well, hauling in an unreal catch. When Kmet’s knees touched the gridiron, the Bears took a 21-7 lead.

CALEB TO KMET FOR 6

CHIvsCAR on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/KedXXw4da5

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

Early in the half, Williams found Rome Odunze for a deep pass down the sideline. The wide receiver was able to ‘Moss’ his defender for the reception. Between Kmet and Odunze’s grabs, alongside running back D’Andre Swift’s work on the ground, the Bears have scored three-straight touchdowns.

ROOOOOOME ODUUUUUNZE

: FOX pic.twitter.com/upRsL6ndv8

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 13, 2026

The Panthers aren’t backing down and have closed the gap via a 51-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Jalen Coker and then a Young TD run. Tied at 21, Chicago will need to be at the top of his game on both sides of the ball to secure a victory.

After Colston Loveland’s rookie season, the tight has gotten plenty of hype entering Week 1. However, the Bears will run plenty of 12 and 13 personnel. Kmet, and rookie Sam Roush, should share the field with Loveland often. If it works as intended, Kmet will remain a key touchdown threat. He proved he has plenty of playmaking ability early against the Panthers.

The post WATCH: Caleb Williams delivers a dime to Cole Kmet for touchdown appeared first on ChiCitySports.

When the Chicago Cubs traded for Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins, the thought was that they’d be adding a powerhouse righty to their starting rotation, just as he was about to emerge as a real major league impact arm.

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen strikes back with noteworthy scoreless inning streak

That’s why they were willing to give up their no. 1 prospect Owen Caissie, their no. 11 prospect Cristian Hernandez, and young infield talent Edgardo De Leon.

But things certainly haven’t gone as planned.

The 28-year-old Cabrera has had two stints on the IL—hamstring and finger blister—which have limited him to just 15 starts on the year. And even when healthy, his numbers have been bad. Through those 15 games, he’s posted a 5.68 ERA over 76 innings.

Cabrera’s move to the bullpen

More News: Chicago Cubs will re-sign two free agent stars, let everyone else walk, analyst says

In this latest return from the injured list, Cabrera is being moved to the bullpen. The move is equal parts due to the need for a power arm in a struggling bullpen and the concern that his blister issues are coming from longer outings. In the meantime, while the Cubs figure things out, they want to see what impact he can have in relief.

Lots of people—at least outside the organization—have soured on Cabrera, though. Some have questioned his mental toughness, especially when it comes to his most recent blister, which they feel was more of a crutch to justify poor performance rather than actual injury.

Whatever the case, Cabrera will remain part of the team. He’ll also definitely get a serious gut check in the bullpen.

Baptism by fire

“It’s a hard thing, being a reliever, especially this time of the year,” said Clay Holmes, who was an All-Star closer for the New York Yankees before converting to a starter. “You do your job 40 times, and it’s just expected. And then when you’re not perfect a couple times, it’s easy to feel like the world’s spinning and hear a lot of voices, people telling you this and that.

“It’s really tough to keep believing what you’re doing in those moments. There’s going to be some rough patches. You got to believe that things will level out.”

Manager Craig Counsell is anticipating some pains growing into a reliever role, especially as the Cubs make their way to postseason play.

“When you get to this time of year, we have to accept some discomfort,” Counsell told The Athletic. “Clayton Kershaw closed out a playoff series. That’s how it works. You have to do things that you’re not used to doing if you want to do great things.”

For what it’s worth, Cabrera is saying all the right things ahead of his bullpen debut.

“This is all new to me, but I’ll be out there ready for any situation,” Cabrera said via interpreter. “Whenever they call my name, I’m going to be ready for anything…

“I see this as another opportunity. My mentality is 100 percent positive.”

How well Cabrera responds to this late-season gut check could determine what the rest of his Cubs run will look like. If he falls here and now, there may be no getting up in Chicago.

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Sophie Cunningham has never been shy to express herself on social media. The Indiana Fever star recently posted a TikTok video that has since gone viral.

She is active on her different platforms and has seen her following grow exponentially following the trade that landed her with the team. The Phoenix Mercury moved the veteran guard in January 2025 in a deal that involved the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Sun. Cunningham has been a key part of head coach Stephanie White’s rotation and continues to provide Indiana with strong contributions off the bench.

Cunningham and the Fever are amid the WNBA’s FIBA World Cup break. She is making the most of it with new endeavors and posting regular updates on X, Instagram and TikTok.

Indiana Fever: Sophie Cunningham’s TikTok video has gone viral

Cunningham’s dance video on Saturday has been viewed on 130,000 times. She wore her Fever shirt and shorts while vibing to “Sey Mami” by Cinco Suave inside the locker room.

@sophiecham♬ Sey Mami – Cinco Suave

Cunningham and Indiana are currently fifth in the standings with a 26-14 record. They have the same win-loss slate as the Atlanta Dream but don’t own the tiebreaker. The teams are in a tightly-contested race for the No. 3 seed with the Las Vegas Aces who lead by one game.

The Fever have four games remaining in their regular-season schedule. They will return to action on Friday against the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum. A two-game homestand follows at Gainbridge Fieldhouse versus the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx. Cunningham and Co.’s last matchup is with the Lynx at Target Center on Sept. 24.

Winning all four games will apply more pressure on Atlanta and Las Vegas to match their record for a top-three seed. Indiana has momentum on its side as it has won its last three games and seven of their last nine.

Related reading:

DiJonai Carrington had no words for Chicago Sky’s message

Sophie Cunningham’s surprised reaction to Colin Cowherd personal question      

Caitlin Clark gets bad news amid FIBA World Cup

The truth behind Sophie Cunningham’s big career decision  

The post Fever star Sophie Cunningham goes viral with latest TikTok video appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs are making their way to the postseason, but getting there hasn’t been as simple as previously expected.

More News: Chicago Cubs will re-sign two free agent stars, let everyone else walk, analyst says

The team is now one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the pursuit of the top National League Wild Card spot. They’re also 2.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres, who currently have the third Wild Card seed. With 13 games to go in the regular season, it’s safe to assume that the Cubs will land a spot somewhere in the playoffs—unless there’s some crazy collapse.

Very recently, it looked as though that crazy collapse was happening, courtesy of a bullpen that appeared to be in full-on collapse mode.

Panic was already setting in among the fans as nobody in the Cubs’ pen seemed to be able to close the doors. The struggles of co-closers Jacob Webb and Daniel Palencia were especially troubling as both seemed absolutely lost.

Cubs bullpen turnaround

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen hopes: 4 long-shot fixes ahead of playoffs

But these last few games have given everyone hope that things can turn around—and that they, indeed, may be turning around.

Over the last three games, the Cubs bullpen has delivered 10.1 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 walks sprinkled over that span.

Saturday’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates perfectly capped off this quality run.

The showing by Jacob Webb, who threw 1.1 scoreless, was an especially positive development.

The veteran righty had worked his way into becoming the team’s de facto closer after the injuries of Daniel Palencia, but posted a horrendous 17.34 ERA over his previous 6 outings and was making “I’m tired of letting the team down” statements to the media.

A high-stress Webb rebirth

The idea was to get Webb back into the mix and slowly boost his confidence ahead of the playoffs, but situations had forced manager Craig Counsell into using him in a high-stress moment in relief of Clay Holmes—with two outs in the sixth, the bases loaded, and the Pirates on the verge of breaking the game wide open.

Webb closed out the inning, however, and then went on to pitch a scoreless seventh.

“To be honest,” Counsell told reporters after the game, “it wasn’t the ideal situation I wanted to put him in for his next appearance. … I’m really happy for Jacob. He pitched great — earned it today.”

“What Webby did today was huge,” Holmes also said. “That was probably the game there. That gave us the chance to come back and win.”

After Webb, lefty Ryan Rolison pitched an inning and two-thirds and Ryan Zeferjahn closed things out with a third of an inning.

“The bullpen held it down,” Webb said. “That’s what we need to be doing every time. I know it doesn’t work like that, but I think we have a really good bullpen down there, and the guys are going to keep putting up zeros.”

All in all, Saturday was an example of how a healthy Cubs bullpen could look. Edward Cabrera joining the pen may or may not pan out, but the relief corps now has some forward momentum and is working with the confidence of having turned things around, at least for a few games.

The post Chicago Cubs bullpen strikes back with noteworthy scoreless inning streak appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears are set to kick off their season in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, and one key defensive player will not play on Sunday.

The Bears had a few key names to watch on the injury report this week. Wide receiver Rome Odunze was limited all week with a calf injury was listed as questionable to play Carolina. Left tackle Ozzy Trapilo was listed as questionable to play after being limited in practice Friday as he recovers from a knee injury.

Safety Xavier Woods, was added to the injury report on Thursday with a groin injury, was listed as questionable. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent was a non-participant all week and is questionable due to a back injury.

On Sunday, the Bears revealed their inactives for Week 1.

Chicago Bears lose Xavier Woods for Sunday

Woods, Bagent, Miller Moss, Trapilo, Jamree Kromah, Jordan McFadden, and Jayden Loving were listed as inactive. The good news here is that Bagent will serve as Chicago’s emergency option as quarterback, though it was a waste to elevate Moss from the practice squad on Saturday.

The bad news is that Woods will not play the Panthers. The Bears signed Woods as a reinforcement for the secondary when Coby Bryant suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for a few months. The Bears will start rookie safety Dillon Thieneman, and it remains to be seen if Chicago will start Skyler Thomas or Elijah Hicks alongside the newcomer from Oregon.

Another piece of good news is that Odunze is good to go on Sunday. The third-year receiver told reporters on Friday that he didn’t believe was really questionable to play, and would be on the field when the Bears play the Panthers.

The Bears will need the offense to carry them to a win in Week 1. Amid questions about the front seven and injuries in the secondary, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has a chance to get off to a hot start and prove he deserves a long term contract with the team that sent Chicago a fortune for the No. 1 pick in 2023.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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Angel Reese is currently in Berlin, competing in the FIBA World Cup with Team USA. However, she still took time to send a personal message to her Atlanta Dream teammate, DeWanna Bonner.

The 39-year-old joined the team on Aug. 27, just three days after she and the Phoenix Mecury agreed to a buyout. She is chasing her third WNBA championship in what could be her finals season as a pro. Bonner debuted for Atlanta on Aug. 30, recording seven points, four rebounds and two assists in the 89-81 win over the Minnesota Lynx.

Angel Reese reacts to DeWanna Bonner’s Instagram post

Bonner posted a carousel of photos and videos of herself, and Reese dropped a two-word reaction in the comments section. The veteran forward wore a sleeveless yellow knit mini dress featuring a high neckline and a fringed hemline along the bottom. She paired it with gold open-toe ankle-strap high-heeled sandals.

 

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A post shared by DeWanna Bonner (@dewannabonner)

“i loveeee,” Reese wrote.

The comment showed the chemistry the new teammates have already built. They will play key roles for the Dream as they look to secure a top-three seed. Atlanta is currently fourth in the standings with four games remaining. It has the same record as the Indiana Fever but own the tiebreaker. Both teams are trailing the Las Vegas Aces by one game.

Reese will learn from Bonner’s experience and basketball IQ, helping her take her game to the next level. The Dream will return to action on Thursday against the Connecticut Sun. It will be played at Gateway Center Arena, just four days after Team USA faces France in the World Cup gold medal game.

Another home game follows versus the Chicago Sky at State Farm Arena. Atlanta’s last two matchups are against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. The team is already secured of a playoff spot but continues to compete for a higher seed.

Related reading:

DiJonai Carrington had no words for Chicago Sky’s message

Sophie Cunningham’s surprised reaction to Colin Cowherd personal question      

Caitlin Clark gets bad news amid FIBA World Cup

The truth behind Sophie Cunningham’s big career decision  

The post Angel Reese sends personal message to Atlanta Dream teammate appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears are entering the 2026 season looking to prove they can be perennial playoff contenders. As are the Carolina Panthers.

Both teams won their respective divisions in 2025. However, that didn’t come without a bit of scrutiny. Carolina and Chicago still aren’t in the tier of teams considered true Super Bowl hopefuls; at least entering the season. In Week 1, at least one franchise will up their status and take their first step towards legitimization.

There will be plenty of hype for all teams entering Week 1. Each franchise wants to see where they stand, and after a long summer, real football will finally be played again. But only a select amount of matchups could be deemed best of the week.

As they try to defend their NFC North title, and facing off against the defending NFC South champions, the Bears now find themselves under the watchful eye of the NFL.

Chicago Bears want to get out of gate hot

Fans will get their first look at the 2026 versions of their favorite teams in Week 1. Steven Louis Goldstein of the Athletic thinks plenty will be watching Bears vs. Panthers, as he calls it the fifth-best game on the Week 1 Sunday slate.

“The Panthers return with reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan out wide, and added big-ticket linebackers Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips in free agency. The Bears are ready for Colston Loveland to take the next step at tight end, as Ben Johnson wants to design the “highest-scoring offense ever,'” Goldstein wrote.

If the Bears are able to execute their offense and come out on top, it’s clear they’re getting more comfortable under Johnson’s scheme. On the flip side, for all the flack Chicago’s defense has gotten, they can silence the doubters in a hurry.

The Bears have had plenty of question marks across their roster throughout the offseason. Their matchup against the Panthers gives the franchise its first chance to answer them.

The post Chicago Bears enter 2026 with top 5 Carolina Panthers matchup appeared first on ChiCitySports.

In September 2019, Mike Shirley was promoted to Director of Amateur Scouting for the Chicago White Sox. Before taking on the role, Shirley had steadily climbed the organization’s scouting ranks. He served as a cross-checker from 2010 to 2018 after spending six years as a full-time area scout in the Midwest from 2004 to 2009. His tenure with the organization began even earlier, as he worked as a part-time scout prior to the 2000 season and was an associate scout for the Minnesota Twins during the 1999 season.

After overseeing the White Sox’ last six MLB Amateur Drafts, including the selections of Garrett Crochet in 2020, Colson Montgomery in 2021, Hagen Smith in 2024 and Roch Cholowsky in 2026, Shirley’s tenure with the organization has come to an abrupt end. According to The Athletic, an investigation into allegations of verbal harassment ultimately led to Shirley’s resignation.

The White Sox have yet to comment publicly, but the organization reportedly launched an internal investigation following anonymous complaints about Shirley’s conduct at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, California in August. The Athletic also reported that several previous incidents involving Shirley’s behavior had been brought to the organization’s attention, though none had resulted in disciplinary action.

Mike Shirley resigns as Director of Amateur Scouting for the Chicago White Sox

Shirley’s resignation on Saturday, without the context of the allegations surrounding his departure, could initially have been seen as a move that would allow him to pursue another opportunity. However, the circumstances surrounding his exit make that scenario far less likely in the immediate future. The Athletic also reported that Shirley was believed to have signed a contract extension with the White Sox earlier this year before the investigation began.

With that in mind, Shirley’s 26 years of experience and track record within the White Sox organization will remain significant parts of his resume. However, the circumstances of his resignation are likely to make other organizations hesitant to bring him into another prominent scouting or front-office role, at least in the near term.

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D’Andre Swift and the Chicago Bears agreed to a three-year extension on Friday. The development will pay the veteran running back $75 million over the span and keep him with the franchise as one of its key pieces. He reacted to his new deal on his Instagram story.

Swift is coming off a strong 2025 season. He finished with 223 rushing attempts for a career-high 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns. His reliability gave Caleb Williams a weapon he maximized as Chicago won the NFC North and reached the Divisional Round. The team will continue to rely on the 27-year-old for his speed and route running as it aims to surpass last year’s achievements.

Chicago Bears: D’Andre Swift shares thoughts on extension

Swift posted two-words along with a photo of him signing his new deal. He expressed gratefulness for the trust he received from the front office, as he’s set to continue his career in Chicago.

 

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“ All God,” Swift wrote.

The Bears will open their 2026 regular season on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. They will take on Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers before a three-game homestand. The game will be shown live on FOX at 1 p.m. ET. The team will face the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets in Weeks 2, 3 and 4. A pair of away games follows, with clash with its rivals, the Green Bay Packers, and the Atlanta Falcons.

Chicago has the league’s toughest schedule, but Swift and Co. will face it head-on. They are aiming for a deeper postseason run and continue proving their doubters wrong. Swift has shown what he is capable of, and has his sights set on producing even better numbers. He will share the backfield with Kyle Monangai, who also played a key role in last year’s success.

Related reading:

‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season

Bears react to what Kyle Monangai did during practice

Chicago Bears react to Ben Johnson’s North Carolina comments   

Caleb Williams reacts to big Chicago Bears news

The post D’Andre Swift’s two-word reaction to new Chicago Bears deal appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The first episode of Sophie Cunningham’s new podcast, “No Hesitation,” was released on Thursday. The Indiana Fever star co-hosts it with renowned basketball trainer Drew Hanlen, and she made a request to fans on Saturday.

Cunningham is making the most of the WNBA’s FIBA World Cup break. She and the team will return to action on Friday to play the first of their remaining four regular-season games. Indiana is currently fifth in the standings with a 26-14 record and is battling the Las Vegas Aces and Atlanta Dream for a top-three seed.

The 30-year-old continues to be a key piece of Stephanie White’s rotation. She is averaging 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Cunningham’s contributions will be vital to the Fever’s chances of contending for the championship.

Sophie Cunningham posts request on her Instagram story

Cunningham uploaded a photo of her during an Indiana game on her Instagram story. She added a question for her fans, requesting them to tell her what topics they want to be discussed on the podcast.

“what’re things you’d like to hear me and Drew talk about on the pod?” Cunningham wrote.

“No Hesitation” is also under Volume and replaced her previous show, “Show Me Something,” which has gone dark since June. It reportedly was under talks to change the format for months, although Cunningham and the show did not release an official statement about it.

The veteran guard and her teammates will next face the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum. A two-game homestand follows at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as they’ll host the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx. Indiana will wrap up its regular season with a matchup with the Lynx at Target Center on Sept. 24. Winning all remaining games is important as the team shares the same record as Atlanta. However, Angel Reese and Co. own the tiebreaker. The Fever and Dreamt trail the Aces by one game.

Related reading:

DiJonai Carrington had no words for Chicago Sky’s message

Sophie Cunningham’s surprised reaction to Colin Cowherd personal question      

Caitlin Clark gets bad news amid FIBA World Cup

The truth behind Sophie Cunningham’s big career decision  

The post Sophie Cunningham makes request after career development appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs were favored to win the NL Central Division this season and there was plenty of reason to think that would happen.

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen hopes: 4 long-shot fixes ahead of playoffs

They had added three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman via free agency. They traded for emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera. They even rebuilt their bullpen, signing four veteran free agent relievers. They were also poised to get a full season from 24-year-old rotation phenom Cade Horton and benefit from the return of rehabbed ace Justin Steele.

Things, of course, didn’t go entirely as planned. Actually, of the above list of expected positives, only Bregman worked out.

As things currently stand, the Cubs are in a dogfight with the Philadelphia Phillies for the top NL Wild Card seed and are also fending off the advances of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card race.

Half the roster, gone?

More News: Chicago Cubs: A team of extremes with some pressing issues to address

Then, no matter what happens the rest of this season, they’ll have some major roster decisions to make as a good chunk of the team will be eligible for free agency. Of the current active roster, more than half of the team could be gone by the start of the 2027 season.

Of those possible losses, there are several key veteran components—such as Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Kevin Gausman, among others—that could be leaving.

Fielding a winning team will be tough with so many roster spots to fill, so it’s expected that the Chicago front office will try to re-sign at least a few of their potentially outbound assets.

Who will they keep?

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report is predicting that the Cubs will hold on to at least two of their stars—right fielder Seiya Suzuki and catcher Carson Kelly.

Per Reuter:

“The Cubs have some decisions to make with Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ both ticketed for free agency, along with catcher Carson Kelly’s mutual option. The safe bet right now is that they will retain one, but not both, of those outfielders, while also working out a new two-year pact to keep Kelly around.”

Finding two new every day corner outfielders on a team deep into “win now” mode would be tough. So, it’s widely expected that the Cubs will move to re-sign either Suzuki or Happ. But given that Suzuki is just far superior offensively—and that he’s become a spark plug for the team’s offense—the choice between the two outfielders should be fairly straightforward.

At catcher, the team is also facing the reality that they may not have a full-time replacement for Kelly at the moment. Miguel Amaya has shown himself to be capable and prospect Owen Ayers may be the next big thing in Cubs catching, but neither is an every day replacement for Kelly at this point.

The pitching decisions made by the front office will be even more interesting. There’s actually a case to be made for letting every free agent pitcher walk. After all, the team IS at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to pitching as a unit.

Clay Holmes would be the one guy the Cubs should try to lock in. The veteran has a $12 million player option for 2027, but is not expected to exercise it. He could command as much as $70-$93 million over 3 or 4 years—and that will be a significant risk taken on a 33-year-old. But Holmes’ groundball generation plays perfectly with the Cubs elite infield defense and offers a high possibility of success through his contract.

Targeting only Holmes would mean lots of new pitchers on the roster next season and, given the staff’s problems this year, that’s not a bad thing.

Whatever the case, interesting times are ahead.

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Cole Kmet and the Chicago Bears are one day away from starting their 2026 regular season. The team is hyped and raring to go, aiming to continue proving its critics wrong. The veteran tight end sent a strong message to Bears fans that would get them even more excited for the campaign.

Kmet appeared and started in 17 regular-season games last year. He amassed 30 receptions for 347 yards and two touchdowns. However, the emergence of Colston Loveland as an up-and-coming star led to Kmet’s role diminishing. He is set to enter this season as the team’s TE2.

The 27-year-old remains professional despite the demotion and ready to perform when his name is called. His leadership and skill set will be key to Chicago replicating or surpassing its 2025 achievements.

Cole Kmet hypes Bears fans with strong message

Kmet wants Bears fans to brace themselves for an exhilarating 2026 run. He expects to team have another strong run and potentially go deeper in the playoffs.

“I truly believe we’ve got something special in store for you guys this year,” Kmet said. “First off, let’s talk about Caleb (Williams). I honestly don’t think there’s a limit to how good he can be. He has the best arm I’ve ever seen. And now with Ben (Johnson) here running the show? I’m happy we were able to bring in such a great offensive mind in Ben. That those two get to work together. It honestly just makes me happy for my QB. And I think you’re gonna start to see some very special things happening in Year 2 of this offense.

“We’re all gonna look back on this time and be like, ‘That really was the beginning of something big.’ But, in any case: Buckle up, Chicago. Because winning the Super Bowl is the goal this season, plain and simple. No hedging. And I feel like I’ve been around this place long enough to say with some credibility that we have a team that could realistically do it. Obviously, it won’t be easy. We’re not sneaking up on anyone anymore. But even that in itself is exciting. I can’t wait for things to get rolling.”

 

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Kmet kept it simple and straight to the point. Nothing short of Super Bowl-winning run will satisfy him and his teammates. It all starts in Week 1 on Sunday when they take on the Carolina Panthers on the road. A three-game homestand follows before a two-game road trip in Weeks 5 and 6 against the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.

Related reading:

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Caleb Williams news emerges before NFL season

The post ‘Buckle up’: Cole Kmet sends message to Bears fans before NFL season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Cubs activated Edward Cabrera Saturday morning and placed reliever Trent Thornton on the IL due to left ankle soreness. Cabrera had been rehabbing after suffering more blister issues. He’s pitched in only one MLB game since June 23rd in what’s been a disappointing, injury-riddled season for the fireballing righty.

The Cubs are activating Edward Cabrera and adding him to their bullpen ahead of today’s game against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. In the corresponding roster move, Trent Thornton was placed on the injured list with left ankle soreness.

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) September 12, 2026

Cabrera is indeed heading to the bullpen, per The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. The Cubs are desperately trying to find bullpen solutions in these final two weeks, and Cabrera has the high-octane type of stuff many relievers on the team lack. Now it’s all about execution.

Can Cabrera succeed in the bullpen?

As mentioned before, Cabrera has a high-90s fastball, along with off-speed and breaking stuff. Yet, the results haven’t been there this year; he sports a 5.68 ERA, 5.21 FIP, 5.10 xERA, 7.9 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, and 1.5 WHIP in 76 innings pitched. Not to mention a Hard Hit% in the 17th percentile and xBA of .267.

Nothing within those numbers looks promising. It’s not like he has a high ERA, but better peripherals with consistent weak contact and/or high strikeout numbers. The whiff rate is in the 61st percentile, which isn’t bad, but it has not resulted in finishing guys off (35th percentile strikeout rate). His groundball rate isn’t awful either (54th percentile), but not much above average.

The question is, could pitching out of the pen with a different approach help him lock in? Could he better channel the stuff that’s working and execute more efficiently with fewer pitches per appearance? It’s not necessarily easy to bet on, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility either. Starters moving the pen and executing is nothing baseball fans have not seen before.

Cabrera will be eased into the role. Unless something wild happens in a game, don’t expect him to be a top closer candidate. In the end, pick your poison. Cabrera, Shelby Miller, who is walking guys left and right in Iowa, Jaxon Wiggins, who sports a 7.02 ERA in the Minors, or Justin Steele, who has not pitched in nearly two years and is throwing high-80s/low-90s in his rehab starts.

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The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen struggles have been well-documented, especially over the last batch of games where the relief corps seems to be in full-on collapse mode.

More News: Chicago Cubs: A team of extremes with some pressing issues to address

Jacob Webb and Daniel Palencia, who were thought to be a solid closer platoon heading into the late regular season and playoffs, have been horrible since the end of August and don’t appear to be anywhere near getting back on track.

Below the late-inning duo, the rest of the bullpen has looked inconsistent at best and painfully porous at worst.

According to analyst Mike Petriello, the Cubs rank dead last in FanGraphs’ bullpen Wins Above Replacement (WAR) assessment. They’re also posting a collective ERA close to 4.00. As we’ve seen over the last stretch of games, this is a recipe for disaster in high-pressure games against teams competing doggedly for a playoff spot.

And while there’s nothing resembling a guaranteed cavalry riding in to save the day, Chicago is not without hope when it comes to turning this mess of a pen around.

Hope springs internal

More News: Chicago Cubs may need unlikely bullpen crutch as playoff spot is threatened

Right now, Iowa holds all of the pieces to a Cubs bullpen rebound.

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib has focused on the rehabbing Shelby Miller and opining that the Cubs should bring him up and immediately install him as the team’s closer.

The 35-year-old Miller returned from his 2025 elbow surgery more quickly than anticipated and has already pitched in 12 games in the minors. Although his scary 9.35 ERA is a potential red flag, he’s struck out 17 batters in 9.2 total innings and would give the Cubs that swing-and-miss guy they need so desperately for the back-end of the bullpen.

Per Campbell:

“There’s no simple fix to what has plagued the Cubs’ bullpen this month. It’s reached the point where Craig Counsell should step out of his comfort zone, and that means immediately inserting Shelby Miller as the team’s closer, assuming he returns before the end of the regular season. He thrived as a closer for Arizona last season, and during his rehab assignment, he’s been missing bats frequently with a fastball in the upper-90s. No need to wait and see with Miller’s return, make him the closer.”

Another late-inning bat-misser is Gavin Hollowell, who’s also deep into a rehab assignment. The hard-throwing righty has looked sharp and, when his control is on-point, has closer-level stuff. This season with the big league Cubs, he’s posted a 2.51 ERA over 14.1 innings.

Steele, Cabrera

Then, there’s Justin Steele. The former rotation ace has made three rehab appearances in Iowa and has looked decent, considering that he hadn’t pitched competitively since early April of 2025 after elbow surgery and then a subsequent setback in his recovery this season.

Could a comeback-ready Steele slide into the bullpen and knock the chronically ineffective Caleb Thielbar off the roster as the team’s second lefty relief option? In an absolute best case scenario, that’s exactly what would happen—just in time for the playoffs.

And what about Edward Cabrera, whose disappointing 2026 as a starter could end in redemption if he can make a successful conversion to bullpen asset for the remainder of this season? Cabrera has the power stuff to make a big impact out of the pen, and the Cubs are working with him during his current Iowa rehab assignment. But two stints on the IL and widespread inconsistency when healthy cast some serious doubt.

So, the Cubs are not without bullpen turnaround options. Although, admittedly, those options are long shots at this point.

The post Chicago Cubs bullpen hopes: 4 long-shot fixes ahead of playoffs appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson acknowledged the narrative circulating the team before the preseason.

“Well, we’re the number one regression candidates, so I think we got plenty of motivation ourselves,” Johnson said in July. “We talked about Caleb in the past–he’s used to handling a lot of attention, so I’m not worried about that.”

Weeks later, the Bears are still upset about talking points in the national media about their team.

The obvious argument about the Bears is that they didn’t do enough to improve the defense, especially the pass rush, which has been a problem ever since general manager Ryan Poles entered in 2022 and traded away key pieces of the defensive line.

Without a strong front seven, the Bears will rely on luck to have a chance to recreate the interceptions and comebacks that fueled Chicago’s run to winning the NFC North and wild-card game last season.

A Bears source told Jonathan Jones of The Athletic that such a narrative is “lazy.” Chicago is using it for motivation.

“I think it’s lazy,” the Bears source told Jones. “You see interceptions and say, ‘You can’t do that again.’ Fourth-quarter comebacks and say, ‘They can’t come back.’ And you’re ignoring all the space in between that can be improved. We use it for fuel more than anything.”

The defense needs to have a chip on its shoulder, but reality could set in well before the trade deadline. The offense will need to carry this team.

Can Caleb Williams overcome Chicago Bears’ problems?

The Bears believe Caleb Williams is ready to make a leap in Year 3.

“If we can play quality football within structure in those moments, I think he’ll make a huge jump,” a Bears source told Jones.

Like Dabo Swinney did with Clemson this year, the Bears will go into the season with what they have despite being warned by pretty much everyone else that they have serious problems with roster construction.

Maybe Johnson can beat the odds, or maybe the Bears will get raked over the coals.

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Kyle Monangai impressed with his strong performances in his rookie season. He outplayed his draft status and delivered solid numbers for the Chicago Bears. The running back has also been impressive during practices, and the team reacted to what he did in a recent session.

The Bears used their No. 233 overall pick in the seventh round on Monangai. He enjoyed a successful five-year run at Rutgers, establishing himself as an intriguing prospect at his position. The New Jersey native earned first-team All-Big Ten in 2024.

Monangai recorded 169 rushing attempts for 783 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie campaign. He added 18 receptions for 164 yards. Analysts expect the 24-year-old to see more playing time this year and become of Caleb Williams’ favorite weapons. Monangai will share snaps with D’Andre Swift, who recently signed a three-year extension.

Bears post Kyle Monangai’s interaction during practice and added a reaction

Monangai shared a wholesome interaction with a young fan on Friday. He signed the football the kid brought and gave him his last pair of gloves. They then posed for a photo, and the fan’s happiness was visible. The Bears reacted to the exchange in the caption.

“These are the moments we live for! ,” the team wrote.

These are the moments we live for! pic.twitter.com/W8wjaW4eqC

— Chicago Bears (@BearsOutreach) September 11, 2026

Monangai and Chicago will commence their regular season on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. They will play at Bank of America Stadium in what is expected to be a sold-out venue. The Bears will next face the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field in the first of three consecutive home games.

They won the NFC North last year with an 11-6 record and reached the Divisional Round. Monangai was instrumental to the team’s success, and his consistent production will once again be key this year. The team looks to surpass its 2025 achievements despite facing the NFL’s toughest schedule. He is set to play in Week 1 despite missing some practices due to a hyperextended knee.

Related reading:

Caleb Williams reacts to big Chicago Bears news

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Ben Johnson addresses Caleb Williams trade before Bears-Panthers

Caleb Williams news emerges before NFL season

The post Bears react to what Kyle Monangai did during practice appeared first on ChiCitySports.