Before we talk Bears, there is something I need to get something out of my system.
In an attempt to placate my mother’s Force Ghost, I had pizza with mushrooms on it. Oh, the things I do at Pizza Club. OK, so I took some of the mushrooms off. And the buratta did a ton of the heavy lifting on the flavor and texture front. But it was fine. The Long Room has good pizza and a decent old fashioned. Tuesday night win.
Our countdown to Week 1 continues:
The No. 81 has been surprisingly productive throughout the course of Chicago Bears history. Pro Football Hall of Famer Doug Atkins wore it from 1955-66, a stretch in which he made eight Pro Bowls, had five second-team All-Pro nods, and one first-team All-Pro season. But let’s not forget Jeff Graham, who rocked the number during 1995 season in which he racked up 1,301 receiving yards to help fuel Erik Kramer’s single-season Bears passing record.
Dante Pettis is currently assigned the number. If he is going to wear it in the regular season, he’ll probably have to win a job as a down-the-depth-chart receiver and return specialist. That task is tougher today than it was yesterday after the team officially signed return ace and wide receiver DeAndre Carter.
More on the new guy from the Sun-Times and Pro Football Talk.
A quick look at the return specialist competition that will unfold at Bears camp:
This won’t be the sexiest competition, but I hope Carter, Pettis, Tyler Scott, and Velus Jones Jr. can put on a show by playing their way onto the active roster.
One receiver the Bears won’t be involved with this offseason is Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers and their standout wideout are at odds when it comes to contract negotiations. In case you’re curious, we’re at the pointed social media post stage of the receiver-extension negotiation arc. Even still … I’ll continue keeping tabs on the situation because an (eventual) extension will likely impact what DJ Moore’s next deal will look like. But as Josh Schrock (NBC Sports Chicago) points out, it *IS* refreshing that we’re not trying to drum up the Bears as a trade fit. It truly says a lot about where we’ve come as a fan base (and how much the receivers room has evolved).
Or, let’s put it this way: The aforementioned Dante Pettis arrived to Chicago in 2022 as a post-hype sleeper candidate. Two years later, Pettis enters the 2024 season battling for one of the final spots on the Bears roster.
A quote from Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan on former Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who is currently residing as the QB2 in Steel City:
“We really liked Justin coming out of college. He had an up-and-down situation in Chicago, and the opportunity was there to get him, and I’m excited. He’s really looked awesome. He’s a great individual, too. I didn’t know him personally until he got here. What a special person he is.”
I find it worth noting that Omar Khan was a Chicago Bears GM candidate in 2022.
Side Note: As I continue keeping an eye on the Fields-Russell Wilson situation in Pittsburgh, I’ll probably share anecdotes like this occasionally here in Bullets and save bigger nuggets for potential posts that deserve more depth and context. In other words, don’t expect me to go into an Obsessive Justin Fields Watch or anything like that this season. But I’m not going to ignore it. After all, getting a fourth-round pick from the Steelers because Fields played at least 51 percent of the offensive snaps would make for a sweet treat.
Kevin Fishbain (The Athletic) has a summer roster projection, which forecasts the Bears rolling with Tyson Bagent as their QB2. I asked Twitter/X users how confident they were in Bagent as their backup the other day. The reactions varied (as you might expect).
David Bakhtiari, who was a stud left tackle when healthy, is still looking to play in 2024:
In different year, I’d be banging the table for the Bears to kick the tires on Bakhtiari. Three-time Pro Bowl left tackles who have a pair of first-team All-Pro nods under their belt don’t grow on trees. But Bakhtiari, 32, hasn’t played a full season’s worth of games since 2019. Since the start of the 2021 season, Bakhtiari has been available for just 13 of 51 games. Braxton Jones might not be the NFL’s best left tackle, but he is younger and has been healthier more recently than Bakhtiari. But with that being said, injuries can change how I see the tackle situation. So perhaps Bakhtiari’s name is one to keep in mind in case of a rainy day.
The Associated Press is clarifying its voting criteria for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award. Last year, it was Joe Flacco winning the award even though his comeback story had more to do with coming off the couch and nothing to do with bouncing back from an injury. I imagine that had something to do with the AP addressing this issue. (PFT)
I’m glad the Bears shared this video in honor of Juneteenth:
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Pour one out for Willie Mays, the MLB legend who died on Tuesday afternoon at the age of 93.
From our friends at BN Blackhawks: Ivan Demidov, the potential No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, has arrived in Florida to meet with teams — including the Chicago Blackhawks.
Let the weirdness begin! The Chicago Bulls have already been linked to a new starting center. What does this mean for Vooch? (BN Bulls)
Waking up to news of a Chicago Cubs win is equal parts refreshing and surprising:
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