After a Playoff Season, Kevin Warren Couldn't Fill the Room

Summary

---

Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast

Host: 312 Sports
Episode: After a Playoff Season, Kevin Warren Couldn't Fill the Room
Date: July 17, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the Chicago Bears’ current state off the field, focused particularly on Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren’s recent under-attended public event, ongoing stadium uncertainty, and extensive fan sentiment revealed by a new Athletic survey. Hosts Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola blend sharp critique and fan perspective as they review Warren’s effectiveness, dissect the Bears’ roster and stadium conundrum, and react to revealing statistics and opinions from the team's fanbase.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kevin Warren’s Underwhelming Event

[01:53–08:47]

• The hosts recap the "Talking Football with Kevin Warren" event attended by only about 75 people, even after tickets were discounted.
  • John Greenberg's review (via The Athletic) provided the source, noting the sparse turnout and Warren’s heavy focus on his personal background rather than actionable stadium news.
• Stadium Saga:
  • Little new clarity was offered by Warren regarding the Bears’ future home – be it Arlington Heights, Hammond (Indiana), or staying in Chicago.
  • Warren emphasized "due diligence" on Hammond and environmental studies but didn’t mention Arlington Heights in his answers.
  • There was no live Q&A; audience questions were pre-screened, with none directly addressing the stadium.
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Both Dan and Matt are sharply critical, questioning Warren's lack of substantive action and public engagement.
  • Memorable Moment:
    • Dan Bernstein [04:23]: “It’s not Warren’s job to stay positive. It’s Warren’s job to get a stadium built…to build a damn stadium.”
    • Matt Abbatacola [08:20]: “…you’re the president of the Chicago Bears and you're speaking to talk about leadership and your abilities and your experience, and 75 people show up to see you.”

---

2. Bears Stadium Uncertainty & Political Impasse

[07:32–08:47]

• The Bears’ ongoing stadium drama is framed as a standoff, with little visible progress since June 4.
• Warren and the Bears organization appear to be in a holding pattern, waiting on Illinois lawmakers to draft supportive legislation, but themselves not actively advancing the project.
• The hosts express frustration at the lack of leadership and direction, characterizing it as “twiddling their thumbs.”

---

3. Bears Roster Issues – Defensive Line Concerns

[10:32–13:38]

• Matt reads directly from an NFL.com article identifying the Bears’ “biggest remaining roster issue” as the interior defensive line.
  • The Bears’ run defense and quarterback pressure rate were both poor in 2025.
  • Personnel changes (e.g., Neville Gallimore replacing Andrew Billings) are seen as marginal, with little optimism about significant improvement.
• Discussion:
  • The hosts agree this could be a major weakness in an otherwise competitive division.
  • Matt Abbatacola [13:38]: “If you didn't add guys that are better fits to what your scheme … that's a significant problem.”

---

4. Fan Sentiment Deep-Dive: The Athletic’s Bears Survey

[14:05–35:32]

• Dan quizzes Matt on the results of the 7th Annual Bears Fan Survey, compiled by Kevin Fishbane, covering 3,500 responses.
• Key survey takeaways:
  • QB Optimism:
    • 83.3% of fans are confident Caleb Williams will be a top-10 QB by end of 2026 ([15:29]).
    • Most expect his accuracy to improve ([16:20] – 57.7%).
  • Head Coach Ben Johnson:
    • Overwhelming faith: 80% rate confidence in him at the highest level ([17:52]).
    • “How players responded to him” was the most impressive element of his first season ([18:43] – 63.8%).
  • Roster Moves:
    • 78% named Kobe Bryant the best veteran acquisition ([20:00]).
    • Drew Dalman is most-missed departing player ([20:17] – 45.3%).
  • Rookies & Draft Picks:
    • Dylan Thieman is the most-anticipated 2026 rookie ([20:55] – 69.3%).
    • Colson Loveland is the favorite 2025 sophomore ([21:23]).
  • Position Concerns:
    • Defensive end is the top concern (51.2%), followed by defensive tackle ([22:28]).
    • Tight end is of least concern ([22:49]).
• Stadium & Leadership Sentiment:
  • George McCaskey gets primarily a B or C ([23:17]); Kevin Warren is given an F by 38.8% – the most common response ([24:07]).
  • Most fans (71.6%) believe Arlington Heights is the Bears’ 2034 home, with only 14.7% saying Hammond ([24:50]).
  • If the Bears move to Indiana, 50.6% say it wouldn’t affect game attendance for them ([25:33]).
  • Frustration with the stadium situation is high: 45% rate their frustration at the maximum ([26:07]).
  • Most fans blame “everyone” (45.1%) or the Bears (38.8%) for the stadium impasse, not politicians ([28:28]).
• Iconic Bears—Fans’ Choices:
  • Walter Payton is the clear favorite Bear of all time ([31:24] – 45.2%).
  • Jay Cutler, despite statistical supremacy, lags far behind in “best QB” votes ([30:21]).
  • The hosts decry fans’ bias against Cutler due to personality/meme over performance:
    • Dan Bernstein [30:52]: “He’s the best quarterback to ever wear a Bears jersey. Come on.”
• 2026 Record Prediction:
  • 50.3% believe the Bears will win 10 games next season ([34:13]).

---

5. Show Wrap-Up & Looking Ahead to Training Camp

[36:05–37:09]

• The hosts reflect on the upcoming training camp and the anticipation for the new season.
• Plans for guest appearances from Bears insiders are teased for the next episode.
• The recent playoff loss is briefly relived, with lingering fan anxiety and excitement for the season.

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Warren’s lack of progress:
  • “He’s not doing anything here.”
    – Dan Bernstein [06:32]
• On Bears fan logic:
  • “If you like the Hammond deal, take it. Go build.”
    – Dan Bernstein [07:44]
  • “Please. I just – can’t do something.”
    – Matt Abbatacola [07:52]
• On fan survey results:
  • “I thought people might look at the hiring of Ben Johnson, have his involvement in that or…that's bad. I'm glad."
    – Matt Abbatacola, approving Kevin Warren's failing grade ([23:48])
  • “He’s the best quarterback to ever wear a Bears jersey. Come on.”
    – Dan Bernstein [30:52]
• On stadium frustration:
  • “There's still isn’t a shovel in the ground.”
    – Dan Bernstein [26:42]
  • “I’m entertained.”
    – Dan Bernstein [26:46] (regarding the unending stadium drama)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:53–08:47]: Dissection of Kevin Warren’s failed public event & stadium limbo
• [10:32–13:38]: Defensive line and overall roster concern discussion
• [14:05–35:32]: Bears fan survey deep-dive, with analysis of optimism, skepticism, and culture
• [36:05–37:33]: Wrap-up, training camp build-up, and closing thoughts

---

Overall Tone

Per usual, Dan and Matt combine dry humor, fan skepticism, and candid analysis. The episode is a blend of exasperation (with the organization’s stagnation) and optimism (about certain team directions and fan awareness), all delivered in a conversational, occasionally irreverent, style.

---

For further detail or specific talk segments, refer to the provided timestamps above.

Transcript

[Announcer]

Join me Genevieve on Saturday, July 18th from 11am to 1pm at the AT&T Skokie Store at 9410 Skokie Boulevard for fun giveaways and more. Plus, enter for your chance to win Ariana Grande concert tickets every half hour courtesy of WTMX FM. Don't miss it. Saturday, July 18 at the AT&T Store, 9410 Skokie Boulevard, while supplies last. For details, visit wtmx.comevents when you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there's no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place, so nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, Filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-granger click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking Forward Progress.

[Matt Abeticola]

Come on. Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on three one two Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

Forward Progress is yours here on three one two Sports as we talk Bears and NFL. And it happened yesterday. The event, the Talking Football with Kevin Warren and him talking about leadership and life in the Chicago Bears, was convened at the Gorton center in Lake Forest. John Greenberg of the Athletic indeed was there, and his lead is in retrospect, I should have gone to the Cubs reunion at the Chicago Theater on Thursday night.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, given the choice, yeah, that's a that's an obvious decision to make, he said.

[Dan Bernstein]

Instead, I drove up to Lake Forest and saw Talking Football with Kevin Warren at Gorton Center, a community arts venue five miles east of Hallis Hall. Warren's event had about 75 well mannered people, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, who was invited and sat in the front row. Oh boy, what's that goober there? Greenberg said. I've been to Gorton's Center's John and Nancy Hughes Theater several times over the years to see my daughter in various plays. Those performances drew much bigger crowds.

[Matt Abeticola]

Did he give an estimation?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, 75 is what he said.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

He said about 75 well mannered people. And he said I skipped living in the Cubs pass to see whether Warren had any clarity on the Bull's future home in Arlington Heights or Hammond.

[Matt Abeticola]

Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

He hasn't talked to reporters in a bit. What did I say? Bulls. Oh, Bears. And the Bears are.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's the story right there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Let's go.

[Matt Abeticola]

Whoa.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the Bears are waiting on Illinois politicians while seriously looking into moving the pride and joy of the state to Indiana. All Warren said was the Bears have spent the six weeks since their June 4 declaration focused on Hammond doing what he called due diligence and environmental studies. Arlington Heights was mentioned in the question. Warren did not mention them. He said it's been a challenge. They're all a challenge. US bank was a challenge. It's our job to continually stay positive, he said. I thought there might be a live Q and A, but instead ticket purchasers could write out questions and seven were reading. None that were picked were direct questions about the stadium process.

[Matt Abeticola]

You know, it's not Warren's job to stay positive. It's Warren's job to get a stadium built.

[Dan Bernstein]

To build a damn stadium. Said a good chunk of time was spent talking about Warren's background. He explained why he's obsessed with building things. He's talked adoringly about seeing cranes in the sky. He said it stemmed from his days growing up in Phoenix. He was a paper boy and he liked looking at the houses on his route. During college, he worked summers in construction, where he learned about preparation, teamwork, etc. He said US Bank Stadium came in under budget and that he's neurotic about numbers. Greenberg says good news if the Bears ever start building a stadium. And then Greenberg talks to some fans,

[Matt Abeticola]

is he running for office?

[Dan Bernstein]

Warren was asked what he's looking forward to this season. He says, I'd say I'm most excited about starting 0 and 0 and figuring out how to win again. When asked about general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson, Warren said he told them they remind him of songwriters Hal David and Burt Bacharach. Warren said polls and Johnson were understandably confused about the outdated reference. Warren said, I told them to keep putting out the hits. Wow. Okay. And that's all that was. 75 people and nothing. Absolutely nothing.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I don't know why Bailey was there in the front row he does.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Why is. What is Darren Bailey doing there? Yeah. Get that goober out of this. That what he claims to be, a hell hole. He thinks all of Chicago is a hellhole. You know where you stand in a hell hole. So if he doesn't like it here, leave. Go back downstate, go to your farm. Sit on your farm.

[Matt Abeticola]

I wonder, is he setting himself up for his next. His next move?

[Dan Bernstein]

Who, Warren? Yeah, I'm sure he already has because this isn't going well. Whatever he's doing here isn't working.

[Matt Abeticola]

He's not doing anything here.

[Dan Bernstein]

No. No, he's not. This isn't. He's not really doing anything here.

[Matt Abeticola]

So since June 4, he said they've been working on Hammond and environmental issues.

[Dan Bernstein]

They haven't done anything.

[Matt Abeticola]

They've done anything.

[Dan Bernstein]

The. The machines, soiled machines have been there since the winter.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

They haven't done anything.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. He hasn't done anything. No.

[Dan Bernstein]

And their. Their lawyers aren't doing anything. They haven't applied for permits. They're not doing anything. But he's speaking about when he was on his paper route as a young paper boy. He liked the looking at the houses, and that's why the Bears are going

[Matt Abeticola]

to have a stadium. It's unbelievable, man. Unbelievable.

[Dan Bernstein]

Who invited Darren Bailey? Yeah. What the hell would you want him there for? Unbelievable. Okay, well, that's.

[Matt Abeticola]

This whole thing just keeps getting worse and more bizarre, less productive. Nothing's moving closer. One direction or another.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope. And members of One Direction. No, I'm not. I just. I'm not sure really what anybody's waiting for. If you like the Hammond deal, take it. Go build.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, please. I just can't do something.

[Dan Bernstein]

Go ahead. But you know what they're waiting on? They're waiting on the Illinois legislature to put the bill together.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct.

[Announcer]

That's.

[Dan Bernstein]

That. That's what they're waiting on.

[Matt Abeticola]

Even though they've been told to put something together. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

They've been told, do the work.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do the work.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, actually.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then do the work of the politicking, the lobbying, the talking to the people who will vote on the bill.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, he's too busy doing these little things with 75 people. And how he loved building things and loves cranes and newspapers and. What a joke. What a waste. I mean, you're the president of the Chicago Bears and you're speaking to talk about leadership and your abilities and your experience, and 75 people show up to see you.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's after they cut the price.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's embarrassing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, well, I don't know what they're it just, they're just kind of twiddling their thumbs while they wait to see if other people can do their work for them. You know, I think it's really important to be smart about managing your finances, and that's why I believe Monarch is the app that can help you in doing so. Monarch's like having a financial advisor in in your pocket. It's a personal finance app and it tracks everything that can help you take care of your financial picture, accounts, investments, saving goals, and spending. Most apps only tell you what you've already spent. Monarch helps set goals, map out big purchases, and see if you're actually on track before it's too late to adjust. There's an AI weekly recap. It flags spending spikes, net worth shifts, and upcoming expenses. And you can ask the AI assistant anything about your finances. Finances how much did I spend on travel last summer? Can I afford this vacation without touching my savings? Write your own money story with Monarch. Use the code [e-mail] to get your first year of Monarch Core Half off. At just 50 bucks, that's 50% off your first year at monarch.com with the code DBU.

[Announcer]

You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you may not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over 900 on average. Paparazzi to progressive.com, answer some questions and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by. In fact, 99% of their auto customers earn at least one discount. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little cash back. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $946 by new customers surveyed who stayed with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, I have one thing I want to share with you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

This is from NFL.com okay, so just don't comment, don't react, just hang on. This is from Matt Okada. The biggest remaining roster issue for each NFC team. The Chicago Bears. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Can I take a guess?

[Matt Abeticola]

If you have to.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, here's my guess. The remaining roster issue is has to do with edge rushers and or the overall generation of the pass rush.

[Matt Abeticola]

The interior of the Bears defensive line. Headline in 2025 by Javon Dexter senior Grady Jarrett Andrew Billings was not good enough. Chicago struggled mightily against the run and logged the sixth lowest QB pressure rate. This spring they replaced Billings with the Equally average Neville Gallimore and added a few more depth pieces. In other words, zero improvement. As I see it, in a competitive division where weak trenches can be a death knell, this feels like a potentially major issue.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Finally someone says it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan. Yeah. It's about time. It's been this secret for so long. It's really been the, the unspoken elephant in the room, as it were.

[Matt Abeticola]

And now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, now it's out there.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. What I, what I didn't like though, was if any of the free agent signings and he names Neville Gallimore if he is not an improvement above Andrew Billings like that, that to me seems really hard to do.

[Announcer]

The.

[Dan Bernstein]

Andrew Billings was, was a holdover and a bad fit.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. And I mean he was, he was a, he was a negative to this defensive line. And if you didn't improve that at

[Dan Bernstein]

all,

[Matt Abeticola]

that, that's a great concern to me. I mean, they added. What do they add? Three or four?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Guys.

[Matt Abeticola]

Guys. I mean, right. Like, I understand that no one's going to be looking for MVP like defensive Player of the Year awards or we're not getting some kind of career breakout year, but if you didn't add anything that's even better than what you had last year in Andrew Billings, I hope he's wrong about that. I mean, that's what stood out to me the most.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why? Well, I'd like to know why he doesn't think that's an improvement for the way Dennis Allen wants to play the defense.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. I'd be curious to understand that There's

[Dan Bernstein]

a lot of places where Billings would be a good fit.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. And just with Dennis Allen, the Bears last year, that was not it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

And if you didn't add guys that are better fits to what your scheme and what you want to do and what you expect of them in the three or four guys you added, then that, that's a significant problem. But I mean, I can't see that not being at least somewhat of an upgrade. Come on, man, he could barely move.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but I love him. But still I give him the bit because they did it so fast too. Like that was one of the very first things they did was. Was replace him.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

So I hope that they got it right. I hope.

[Matt Abeticola]

I hope so.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now, I found this story too, and we are going to quiz you. You promised me that you haven't seen the survey, the fan survey from the Athletic. I have not seen about the Chicago Bears.

[Matt Abeticola]

And I made sure to stay away from it when you brought it up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, good I'm glad you did because I. This is, you know, you. You usually do this with me, and now I'm going to return the favor here. Okay? And this was compiled by Kevin Fishbane.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And this. These are the Results of the 7th Annual Bears Fan survey, which he said drew a record number of responses reflecting optimism about Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson, the team's projected record, where things like the same old Bears is when the stadium came up. So I'm going to ask the question, and then I'll ask you where you think the votes came in.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay?

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. How. This is nearly 3,500 responses. All right. How confident are you that Caleb Williams will be a top 10 NFL quarterback by the end of the 2026 season? Now, these responses were rated from 1 least confident to 5 most confident. What do you think had the plurality of responses? Five correct, but not by much. Okay, 5. 42.2%.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

4. 41.1%. So there is strong confidence in 83.3% of the respondents. Last summer, 30% of respondents selected three and that dropped to 13.7%. Okay. Now, more specifically, where do you expect to see the most growth from Caleb Williams? And the categories are accuracy, early game performance, deep ball or other.

[Matt Abeticola]

So the largest response to. I think people said accuracy.

[Dan Bernstein]

57.7% said accuracy.

[Announcer]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

So accuracy, by far.

[Announcer]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

What best describes your feelings about Caleb Williams being on the COVID of Madden NFL 27? The possible responses are it's awesome, don't care. It's too soon to anoint him, worry about the Madden curse or other.

[Matt Abeticola]

I will say 3,500 people. I'll say that. Don't care. Was the largest response.

[Dan Bernstein]

Close, but no, it's awesome. Had 38%, 35.1%, don't care.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I just assume the majority don't play.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sure. You're talking. See, that's the thing. If you know this audience, you're talking about athletic subscribers, which is a very different subset. These are people with enough money to pay for this coverage every month. Yeah, you're talking about a subset of people with, you know, who are big, big sports fans and also are willing to pay for really good journalism and analysis.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. I was close, though. It was a close pick.

[Dan Bernstein]

How confident are you in Ben Johnson as head coach? One is the least. Five is the most. Five, 80% fives.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. That's an easy one.

[Dan Bernstein]

Only 61 voters out of 3,500 selected anything but four or five.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Geez, he's popular.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now what impressed you Most about Ben Johnson's first season. These are the responses that are possible.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

How players responded to him, his play calling, his personality, game and clock management, his post game speeches. All of the above or other.

[Matt Abeticola]

The most answered was all of the above.

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. His personality.

[Dan Bernstein]

No. Wow. Okay, this surprised me. 63.8% said how players responded to him.

[Matt Abeticola]

Really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Only 17.6 said his play calling.

[Matt Abeticola]

So if I would have ranked that, that would have been my last one I would have picked.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I, I don't, I don't know if that's results based on, you know, what Fishbane writes is the viral nature of good, better, best. Maybe it matters in leading a football team. Maybe it's a reaction to the mat eber flu era.

[Matt Abeticola]

Interesting. Okay, okay, that one totally wrong.

[Dan Bernstein]

Who was gm? Ryan Poles, best off season veteran acquisition. Your choices are Devin Bush, Kobe Bryant, Garrett Bradbury and Khalif Raymond. Kobe Bryant by a mile. 78%. Okay. And he said kudos to the 63.8% in last year's survey who correctly identified Joe Tuney as the top impact newcomer. Now this is a different question. Which departing veteran will you miss most?

[Matt Abeticola]

Don't even give me the options. Kevin byard.

[Dan Bernstein]

He finished third.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. All right. Give me the options.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dolman.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, D.J.

[Dan Bernstein]

moore. Moore, Bayard, Brisker, Edmonds.

[Matt Abeticola]

D.J. moore.

[Dan Bernstein]

D.J. moore finished second. Drew Dahlman 40.45.3. Said Drew Dahlman. D.J. moore 30.4. Than buyer than Brisker, than Edmonds.

[Matt Abeticola]

So Dalman got almost half.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, yeah. I'm telling you, this is, this is an impressive response, I think. Which rookie are you most excited about? Is it Dylan Theman? Logan Jones, Xavian Thomas, Sam Roush, Jordan Vandenberg or Malik Muhammad?

[Matt Abeticola]

Let's say Xavion Thomas?

[Dan Bernstein]

Nah. Dylan Thieman. 69.3.

[Matt Abeticola]

I thought that was the obvious one, but yeah, Xavier, I was thinking, I was thinking Ben Johnson. Love.

[Dan Bernstein]

And Thomas was second 9.9 over Logan Jones. Oh, and they, they added Keyshawn Elliott in here. I didn't even see at the bottom there. So that was a domination by their first round pick. Now, which 2025 draft pick are you most excited about entering year two?

[Matt Abeticola]

Luther Burden.

[Dan Bernstein]

It. No.

[Matt Abeticola]

Colson Loveland.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct. Loveland at 56, 1. Burden at 39, then Mangai, then Shemar Turner.

[Matt Abeticola]

I saw some article where was it? An si. And it was about Luther Burden and they actually used the phrase nuclear season. Why? He's poised for like a nuclear season.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nuclear.

[Matt Abeticola]

Nuclear, Right. Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

That was pretty powerful description.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, well, I mean It's. I said the same thing yesterday when we were talking about breakout possibilities. What they do say here is had Ozzy Tripillo not torn his patellar tendon, this would have been a three horse race. Okay, ready now?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Which position concerns you most?

[Matt Abeticola]

All right. What are my choices? And I'll take a guess.

[Dan Bernstein]

Their Defensive end, defensive tackle, offensive line, linebacker, cornerback, quarterback, running back, wide receiver, safety, special teams or tight end.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, so all of them, I'm going to say they said defensive end or edge.

[Dan Bernstein]

However you used it, 51.2% said defensive end. 31.8 said defensive tackle.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. Well, again, it's the first time we're hearing that, so there you go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I've never. This is all brand new to me, obviously. Which position concerns you least?

[Matt Abeticola]

Quarterback.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tight end.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Quarterback is second. Tight end at 47. 9. Quarterback at 39.3. What letter grade would you give? Would you assign Bears chairman George McCaskey for the past year? A, B, C, D or F? C, B, C is a close second.

[Announcer]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

B was at 36. 8 and C was at 32. 1.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. So very close.

[Dan Bernstein]

Then D, then F, then A. Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

He should not get an A.

[Dan Bernstein]

What letter grade would you assign Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren for the past year? D. F. Okay. 38.8% gave him an F plurality.

[Matt Abeticola]

Good.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's good. I was hoping it would be F, but I thought people might look at the hiring of Ben Johnson, have his involvement in that or. Yeah, so that's bad. I'm glad.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's. I'm. I'm glad too. And d was at 28.4%.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm sorry, what. What percentage was f?

[Dan Bernstein]

F was 38.8. D was 28.4. C was 21.5. B was 9.4. A was non existent.

[Matt Abeticola]

So 67%. So 2/3 of your fan base say Dr. F. I love it. Yep. Yep. That's good. Where it should be enough.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where will the Bears be playing home games in 2034? You have three choices. Arlington Heights, Hammond or Chicago.

[Matt Abeticola]

Now, I don't know if they mean specifically Soldier Field, but I'll say that Chicago is the answer. No, people didn't say Hammond. Please don't tell me they said Hammond.

[Dan Bernstein]

Arlington Heights got 71.6% of the vote. Hammond 14.7. Chicago 13.7. Said. Despite the board of directors voting to advance stadium development in Hammond, most fans aren't bull buying it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Good. Well, good. I'm glad that they're smart.

[Dan Bernstein]

See this?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

This is. This is actually really impressive. There's more.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, no, no, I'm glad that it was 71%. I still think it's going to be Soldier Field, but go ahead.

[Dan Bernstein]

If the Bears moved to Indiana, how would it impact your attendance at home games? More likely to attend, less likely to attend. No change.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'll say. Majority of these 3,500 people said no change.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct. Over half, 50.6 said no change. Those who had a change, 40. 45.7 said less likely. Only 3.7 said more likely.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, well, there you go.

[Dan Bernstein]

How frustrated are you by the current stadium saga? One is least, five is most.

[Matt Abeticola]

Let's go with 4.

[Dan Bernstein]

5 it is.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

45.1%. 25.5. We're at 4. 15.8 at 3. 6.4. 2. 7.2 at 1.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I just. I wondered if people were the most. I was thinking five, but then I wanted to go with four because I was thinking maybe majority of people are just kind of like, hey, I don't go anyway.

[Dan Bernstein]

So it says those who chose five more than doubled. Another glaring example of how fans feel about the stadium. A lot has changed in a year from a posturing standpoint. Fans had to read open letters and statements and hear from politicians in the past 12 months, but there still isn't a shovel in the ground.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. And I'm not frustrated with it. I'm just. I'm. I'm kind of.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm entertained.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. It's just I'm not. Yeah. Frustrated is the wrong descriptor to use because I'm not frustrated because it doesn't impact where I go. Anyway.

[Dan Bernstein]

So now you and I have talked about this based on the responses that we have been getting or the responses one sees on social media. Right. Who do you blame most for the ongoing stadium situation? Your choices are everyone. The bears or the politicians. Don't let managing your money be scary. Don't let it be intimidating, because it's not. I think having intelligent control of your finances and your investments is really important. And I believe Monarch can help you in doing so. Monarch is an app that functions like a financial advisor in your pocket. And as you get older and more people are relying on you to do this right, Monarch helps you do it. It helps you hit savings goals or a net worth milestone. Helps you realize when a large percentage of your income is going somewhere unexpected. I love the fact that Monarch lets you compare your investments to the Benchmark S&P 500. Most apps are going to tell you what you've already spent. Monarch helps you set goals and map out big purchases and see if you're actually on track before it's too late to adjust so you can write your own money story with Monarch. Use the code [e-mail] to get your first year of Monarch Core half off at just $50. That's 50% off your first year at monarch.com with the code DBU.

[Matt Abeticola]

The Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Bears finished a close second to everyone. Okay, everyone is at 45.1%. The bears are at 38.8%. The politicians, a mere 16.1. Which it shows you how many bots are on social media and in like YouTube comments. How many.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, yeah, because the overwhelming majority is politicians.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Like that.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's. But it shows you that's probably, you know, Chinese or Russian bots that a lot of these. Illinois stupid.

[Announcer]

Those.

[Dan Bernstein]

Those woke politicians. It just. It.

[Matt Abeticola]

It.

[Dan Bernstein]

The less the lesson in this and. Or those are people who don't have subscribe to the athletic because they spend it on cigarettes. So the politicians only got 16.1%. And fish bane notes. The Bears might have to ramp up the PR machine. PR machine if only 16.1% of respondents blame politicians. Yeah.

[Announcer]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, so I find that encouraging. All right, few more here. Who is the b. The best Bears quarterback of all time? Sid Luckman, Caleb Williams, Jim McMahon, Jay Cutler or other. Oh, man.

[Matt Abeticola]

Best Bears quarterback of all time. I mean, I. Majority of people couldn't have said Caleb Williams already. These are smart. Jay Cutler.

[Dan Bernstein]

See, the answer objectively is Jake Hutler.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Jay Cutler is. There's. There's no debate. Jay Cutler's. Jay Cutler is the best Bears quarterback

[Matt Abeticola]

as of July 17, 2026. Jake Cutler is the best Bears quarterback ever.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's not. It is not close.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

But he only got 13.6% of the votes. Sid Luckman got 13 31.8. Caleb Williams 30.7. Jim McMahon 21.0. Cutler was last. Cutler was last. And then other. I don't know. Who did you pick behind Jim McMahon? Yeah, that's just.

[Matt Abeticola]

It's.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, look, I don't like Jay Cutler either, but come on now. Come on. He's the best quarterback.

[Matt Abeticola]

I don't dislike Jay Cutler, but come on, he was easily the best quarterback ever.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, by it. It isn't really, really close. But who is. Who is in other. Grossman.

[Matt Abeticola]

He took him to a Super Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hartman.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Josh McNown. Cade McCown.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wow. Well, I was really encouraged about this group until that question there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. I don't think I'm Going to give you the choices on this one. Who is your favorite Bear of all time?

[Matt Abeticola]

Walter Payton.

[Dan Bernstein]

45.2% said Walter Payton.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. Thank God.

[Dan Bernstein]

That also is the right answer.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Other got 13%. That was second.

[Matt Abeticola]

Really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abeticola]

Who else?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't. Other beat out the following other was at 13%, beating out Brian Erlacher at 9.3, Devin Hester at 8.5, Charles Tillman at 6.9, Dick Butkus at 6.6.

[Matt Abeticola]

That should be higher.

[Dan Bernstein]

Gail Sayers at 2.8, Matt Forte at 2.7.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wow.

[Dan Bernstein]

Caleb Williams at 2%, Mike Brown at 1.6.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wow.

[Dan Bernstein]

And Mike Singletary at 1.3. If most of that Other isn't Dan Hampton, you're probably doing this wrong.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Yeah. What was Devin hester's percentage, too?

[Dan Bernstein]

8.5.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wow. That's really high. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

For a kick returner.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. I mean, he. He might be. I mean, he's in the. He's in the group photo of the most exciting player to ever wear a Bears jersey, but, man, eight's pretty high.

[Dan Bernstein]

Her favorite. Yeah. That's your favorite. I. I get it that your favorite can be your favorite. I'm just.

[Matt Abeticola]

For sure. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Interest. I'm glad it was Walter Payton, at least. Good grief.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm just. I'm. I'm a little surprised that the only other 85 bear on this list is Singletary, not McMahon, not Hampton, not Wilbur Marshall or Otis Wilson or Gary Fencik or. And nobody had Buffone on it like. Patrick Manley doesn't get a vote, baby. Patrick Manley was one of the other.

[Matt Abeticola]

That quarterback question. That's. That's still going to get me, though. I'd love.

[Dan Bernstein]

I would love to see from their data, who were the other Bears that got, you know, Jerry Muckinsturm, Brian Cabral. Wow. Okay. How many games is the last question?

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

How many games will the 2026 Bears win? Your choices are 7 or fewer, 8, 9, 10, and 11 or more.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm having a hard time now with this group and their meatball level.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's. And youth, I think relative youth.

[Matt Abeticola]

7 or fewer, 8, 9, 10, 11 or more. Let's go with the majority said, fuck 11 or more.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope. 10.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

50.3. And it was a majority. The majority said 10.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Second was 11 or more at 29%.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. There we go. There's my people.

[Dan Bernstein]

Third was 9 at 17.1 and then 8 at 2.6 and then 7 or fewer at 1%. Oh, man. But. But, you know, 10 if you go 10 and 7, I think that's. That's. That's a little less irrationally exuberant than I thought.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I. It's. Well, that's it, man. To take a step back from last

[Dan Bernstein]

year, I think that's one less win that to me. 50%, half of. Of 3,500 people saying they'll go 10 and 7. I think is rational exuberance.

[Matt Abeticola]

I.

[Dan Bernstein]

In general, I would say good job. Respondents.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, no, that was. That was really good. Again, the. The biggest question for me that hit me the worst is the. The most. Is that quarterback question. That's just. That's unfortunate that we're gonna let old sideline memes and facial expressions and the guy's demeanor take away from what he did as a Chicago Bear quarterback.

[Announcer]

Yeah, that.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's. That's wrong.

[Matt Abeticola]

That.

[Dan Bernstein]

That you weren't paying attention then. No. Or you don't have a computer, or

[Matt Abeticola]

you do and you look at it too much. All the pictures of his, you know, his demeanor on the sideline or his face.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I didn't stupid off to begin with.

[Matt Abeticola]

I mean. Yeah. Yeah. Put all that aside. He's. He's the best quarterback to ever wear a Bears jersey. Come on. Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nice job. I thought that was good. I like that.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's good. That's fun stuff. Nice job. Kevin Fishbane. Way to go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Fishy, fishy business. Doing some serious fishy business out there. I love it. That's fun stuff.

[Matt Abeticola]

I love it. That's good stuff. And guess what? Yes. That'll do it for four.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. All right. I want to make sure. I didn't know if you were Nugget for me.

[Matt Abeticola]

Another. Another week in the books here, and we're that much closer to training camp beginning.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's. It's. It's. It's coming. It's coming home.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. It's a week. It's just a week and a day away, isn't it, opening up the 25th.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

We're almost there. I was last night when Jason and I were watching more Bulls, more Caleb Wilson highlights.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And, you know, we saw this. We saw some of the. We went back and watched some of the stuff. The next video that played was the end of the Bears packers playoff game.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, nice.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, right before, it was the drive with the end in the Johnny Walker touchdown after the onside kick, and.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, my God, that was amazing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I kept thinking they were gonna lose. Like, I can't. My anxiety spiked. I'm watching this game like, I can't I don't want to watch this. Put something put Family Guy back on.

[Matt Abeticola]

I can't wait. So we're yeah, this eight days away from camp opening up and then we get into it. I can't wait. We're gonna have a couple guests from coming from the Bears world coming up on Forward Progress this coming week. So we'll have some fun stuff as we get ready for Bears training camp to open. As always, you know, we do appreciate being part of the forward Progress and the 312 sports family. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And if you haven't gotten your swag, what are you waiting for? You got to go get your 312 sports stuff. There's DBU stuff. There's all kinds of things in the pro shop. So on the app [e-mail] get your Get your stuff for football season so you can wear it around. It's, it's, it's blue and orange. It all looks great. So grab what you can.

[Matt Abeticola]

And of course we'll always be be here for you live after every game. We're looking forward. I'm looking forward to post game shows coming up and just can't wait to start talking about the team once again. So thanks for being a part of it and we look forward to talking to you on Monday. Have a great weekend. From all of us here at 312Sports and forward progress, forward progress has stopped. Forward Progress a Chicago Bears podcast with

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.