Jimbo, Jaylon, NFL Stadium Watch, Turf Beef, and Other Bears Bullets

Jun 26, 2024

It was a wonderful feeling to go to a place that I hadn’t been in 2+ years, have the pizza, and learn that it was still good. A random Tuesday highlight.

Our countdown to Chicago Bears kickoff continues. There are 74 days until the Bears get things going in the regular season in 2024. No one wore the No. 74 like Jimbo Covert, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Centennial Class of 2020. A two-time first-team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, Covert played in 111 games for the Bears from 1983-1990. Covert’s first four seasons were top-notch, earning those Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods while also missing just one game. A member of the All-1980s Team, Covert was an anchor for some of football’s best offensive lines and someone I wish the Bears could clone and drop in their trenches.

Also, mentioning Covert allows me to have an excuse to share this image:

Chicago Bears tackle Jimbo Covert (74) in action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa Stadium. F — © RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Any time I can drop a pic with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wearing their creamsicle jerseys, I’m going to do it. And if I ever pass on the opportunity to do so, please check on my well-being because it should be taken as a sign that something is wrong with me.

A far less popular Bears player to wear No. 74 was Germain Ifedi, an offensive lineman who spent two years in Chicago and was best known for chastising then-rookie Teven Jenkins for taking a penalty while protecting Justin Fields after a late hit. On the one hand, I get Ifedi being upset about a teammate taking a penalty. But on the other hand, SOMEBODY needed to step up for QB1. That it wasn’t a veteran like Ifedi bothered me (and others). Let’s move on before this thing gets off the rails.

We love seeing Jaylon Johnson getting some love from fellow corners in the league:

#Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. lists his top 5 NFL corners! 🔒 pic.twitter.com/X1Imqt9imP
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 25, 2024

Yes, I realize Joey Porter Jr. could’ve been with Jaylon Johnson in the Bears secondary had the team not traded their 2023 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Chase Claypool trade. Whoopsiedoodle. But there is no crying over spilled milk around here. Besides, Tyrique Stevenson held it down as a rookie and played his best ball down the stretch. I don’t know if I’m ready to do a 1-for-1 comp between JPJ and Tyrique just yet. But both are young, talented corners whose games I like.

On Monday, it was the Carolina Panthers ironing out a deal with Charlotte to keep the Panthers in town thanks in part to $650 million worth of tax dollars going toward upgrades to Bank of America Stadium. One day later, it was ESPN reporting the Jacksonville Jaguars getting approval from the Jacksonville City Council on a $1.4 billion renovation. Sheesh. When is it going to be the Bears’ turn?

The latest on the Bears stadium watch can be explained simply as: Arlington Heights remains hopeful that they can work out a deal with the Bears to be the next home of Chicago’s football team. However, the team’s focus (for now) is building in downtown Chicago along the lakefront.

I’m torn. There is a part of me that is sooooo over all of this and am vibing with the segment of Bears fans saying “just wake me up when a stadium goes up.” But I am also fascinated by the cat-and-mouse game. The tentacles that reach out here (Bears, NFL, local and regional ties, political motivations, unexpected plot twists) could make this an all-time great story to follow. However, this also has the potential to be such a drag. We’ll see where it goes.

An old friend is doing something cool with the Colts:

To understand maybe the most infamous move in American sports history, you have to start with the team that left.

This is the story of the rise & fall of the Baltimore Colts.

The Move | Episode 1: Baltimore ⬇️

🎧Apple: https://t.co/AOtQ5jVudH
🎧Spotify: https://t.co/QAp1vQZxir pic.twitter.com/46oQARNuNc— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) June 24, 2024

You might remember JJ Stankevitz as a Bears beat reporter for NBC Sports Chicago once upon a time. Since then, JJ has moved onto Indianapolis where he continues to do big things. Salute.

As someone who cares way too much about field surfaces (thanks in part to the Bears/Chicago Parks District’s ineptitude in that area), I’m bothered to read about AT&T Stadium getting mixed reviews regarding the grass field at Copa América. There has been ample pushback against NFL field surfaces in recent years and a request for more natural grass. This should be fun to follow from afar. (Pro Football Talk)

I can’t believe there is going to be a movie about a Kansas City Chiefs love story and it isn’t going to involve Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. But it’s happening. It’s officially official, via the Chiefs. On the one hand, I don’t know who asked for a Chiefs-Hallmark movie mashup. But on the other hand, no one loves a good love story like yours truly. Bonus points when the small town villainous ex-boyfriend gets their comeuppance.

What’s your beef? Better yet, where is your favorite beef? You should vote:

64 Italian beef places enter. Only 1 can leave as champion.🏆 https://t.co/808SCjtkjC pic.twitter.com/CqigvlUEJM
— Michael Piff (@Mike_PiFF03) June 25, 2024

THE BLEACHER NATION NEWSLETTER: Chicago sports | Straight to your inbox | Every weekday

Here’s a headline I wasn’t expecting to read: The Brewers Are Trading For Dallas Keuchel (BN Cubs)

BOOM! Former Chicago Blackhawks star Jeremy Roenick headlines the 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame induction class. (BN Blackhawks)

This is cool! Our friends at BN Bulls dropped this ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft:

🚨 24 HOURS UNTIL DRAFT TIME 🚨

I went ahead and ranked my top picks for the Chicago Bulls at No. 11. I shared some strengths and weaknesses for each selection.

First time doing this, so my goal was to keep it pretty concise. Hope you enjoy!https://t.co/WvEi70K3KL— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) June 26, 2024

written by

Luis C. Medina

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

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Jimbo, Jaylon, NFL Stadium Watch, Turf Beef, and Other Bears Bullets

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