Chicago Bears UDFA List and the latest Stadium News for Arlington Heights

Summary

Forward Progress – Chicago Bears UDFA List and Latest Stadium News

Podcast: Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abaticola (312 Sports)
Date: April 29, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers a brisk, thorough breakdown of the Chicago Bears’ undrafted free agent (UDFA) class, providing commentary on which new faces could become fan favorites or even stick to the 53-man roster. Dan and Matt also cover the political wrangling over the proposed Arlington Heights stadium, parsing recent updates from Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois legislature that will shape where—and if—the Bears’ grand new home becomes a reality. The show’s second half transitions into wider NFL topics, from notable UDFA signings around the league to tangled quarterback rooms and amusing sports anecdotes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stadium Legislation Updates: The Mega-Projects Bill

Time: 02:32–05:15

• Arlington Heights stadium negotiations: Dan breaks down recent progress on "the pilot bill," formally known as the Mega-Projects Bill, progressing through the Illinois House and now facing Senate adjustments.
  • Governor JB Pritzker’s public statements suggest the current version "is within the framework of a deal that the team would be willing to agree to." (03:20)
  • Senate may push for "some changes that the government governor wants for taxpayers and that the Bears want as well."
  • General optimism that a deal will be struck by end of May.

“Within the legislation that was passed was the deal that the Bears are willing to accept that's good for the taxpayers, which is what I want… There were also things that were added on top of that that I think are not great for the taxpayers and that we probably need to make some changes to. And most importantly, that won't work for the Bears… That deal, I think, is within the framework of what passed the House.”
— Dan Bernstein relaying Gov. JB Pritzker’s remarks (03:20)

• Media coverage & public impatience: Matt and Dan poke fun at how drawn out the process has become, referencing diner chats and local gripes in the Chicago area.

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2. Bears 2026 UDFA Class Breakdown

Time: 05:15–10:20

Matt and Dan go position-by-position on announced UDFA signings, sharing scouting takes, personal trivia, and some classic banter.

Confirmed Signings:

Names listed along with notable commentary and jokes from the hosts.

• QB Miller Moss (Louisville/USC)

  • Dan (05:59): “Miller Moss. Great. Louisville.”
  • Matt (06:03): “Louisville.”
  • Dan corrects: "He was USC and Louisville."

• TE Hayden Large

  • Matt (06:07): “No, not Hayden the large. Just Hayden Large.”
  • Dan riffs: "Large. And in charge. Living large." (06:19)

• WR Omari Kelly

  • Matt (06:22): “Omari Kelly.”
  • Dan (06:27): "Yeah. None of these names are probably going to do anything for me."

• OL Kaden Barnett (Wyoming)

• OL Josh Crutes

  • Dan (06:46): “I do know that name. That's a familiar name to me. That would be son of Olin.”
  • Matt: “He actually was invited to minicamp.”

• OL Mason Murphy

• DT Jaden Loving

  • Matt: “Who was at the combine.” (07:08)
  • Dan jokes—“Don’t sing Minnie Riperton.” (07:27)

• LB Wayne Matthews III

  • “Also invited to minicamp.”

• CB Devin Pringle

• S Skyler Thomas (Combine invitee)

• K Gabriel Placencia (Name clarification at 08:47)

• LS Bo Gardner

  • Dan: “They need a long snapper.” (08:15)

Ongoing riff about the abundance of players with names starting with “M” ensues.

Other Notables

• Luke Elkin listed as current depth chart long snapper—Bo Gardner is competition.
• Squirrel White:
  • Dan is excited about "a guy named Squirrel" (09:35), Matt updates: Yes, that's Marquarius Malik "Squirrel" White, WR, Florida State.
    • Dan finds his nickname origin:
      “White's great grandmother nicknamed him squirrel as an infant because in her garden, he imitated the movement of a squirrel.” (37:09)

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3. Wider NFL UDFA and Quarterback Storylines

Time: 11:23–16:59

Diego Pavia (QB, Baltimore Ravens)

• Matt highlights Baltimore’s unconventional three-year contract for UDFA QB Diego Pavia.
  • Discussion of a friendly bet—if Pavia plays an NFL snap, Dan owes Matt a steak dinner (12:03).
  • Jesse Minter (Baltimore’s new head coach) highly complimentary:

    "This guy was a force multiplier at Vanderbilt … one of the first in, last to leave … we'll let him come in with a clean slate." — Dan quoting Jesse Minter (12:14)

  • Both hosts poke fun at Pavia’s on- and off-field antics, referencing questionable decisions and social media mishaps.
    • Matt: “Yeah. Don't act like a penis. And everything should be fine.” (13:07)
    • Dan: "…stop taking photos of yourself at a club holding up ... saying 'fuck the Heisman voters'" (13:13)
  • They debate Pavia's NFL chances, citing his character more than his measurable, size, or arm.

Supplemental Draft & Brendan Sorsby

• Dan discusses Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby’s major gambling scandal—possible career-ending implications for Sorsby (17:08).
  • NCAA rules mean permanent loss of eligibility if student-athletes wager on own games or provide inside info.
  • Supplemental draft mechanics explained (blind bid process, rarely actually used).

Jets QB Room / Russell Wilson Rumors

Time: 22:12–24:20

• Matt and Dan run down a crowded but middling QB group in New York:
  • Geno Smith (starter), Cade Klubnik (rookie, Clemson), Brady Cook (undrafted), Bailey Zappe, possibly Russell Wilson.
  • Dan: “That's too many. That's too much bad quarterbacking in one room. Is Matt Nagy involved in this?” (23:12)
  • Matt recommends trimming the list: "You're not winning anything this year." (24:09)

Bo Nix Ankle Surgery Update (Denver Broncos)

Time: 27:19–28:32

• Matt shares that Denver’s new rookie Bo Nix is having a second operation on his ankle.
  • Jokes about Sean Payton being late to receive medical info (“Would have been nice to know that … ”)—ongoing humor about coaches and team comms on injuries.
  • Nix should be healthy for training camp.

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4. Memorable Quotes & Banter

• “Don't act like a penis. And everything should be fine.”
  —Matt Abaticola, on QB Diego Pavia’s NFL future (13:07)
• "When you're a person who does a lot of stupid things, you might be stupid."
  —Dan Bernstein, discussing character concerns (13:32)
• “That's too much bad quarterbacking in one room. Is Matt Nagy involved in this?”
  —Dan Bernstein, on Jets' QB depth chart (23:12)
• “He’s not five-two. Listen, his measurables—that won’t be the biggest obstacle in him having any type of success in the NFL.”
  —Matt, about Diego Pavia (14:35)
• Ongoing riff on “Tommy John survivors”:
  • Dan: “Operating rooms ... littered with bodies who didn’t survive Tommy John surgery.” (25:10)

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5. Fun Anecdotes & Side Conversations

Time: 28:32–39:08

• The hosts share stories about late-night baseball games in their youth, ill-advised snow cones, and their own kids’ tournament schedules. (30:37–35:43)
• Digressions on fast food breakfasts, Chicago youth baseball, and peculiar malapropisms in sports broadcasting.
• The "Squirrel White" nickname story leads to a playful riff on family nicknames and gardening mishaps (37:09–38:04).

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Key Timestamps

• 02:32–05:15 – Bears stadium bill political update
• 05:15–10:20 – Detailed UDFA announcements, with commentary
• 09:35/36:51–37:32 – Squirrel White’s nickname origin and backstory
• 11:23–16:59 – National UDFA storylines, Diego Pavia debate
• 17:06–21:56 – Brendan Sorsby gambling/eligibility controversy & supplemental draft
• 22:12–24:20 – Jets’ QB room and Russell Wilson rumor analysis
• 27:19–28:32 – Bo Nix ankle surgery update (Broncos)
• 30:37–35:43 – Personal stories about youth baseball, late games, snow cones, fake IDs
• 37:09–38:04 – “Squirrel White” nickname story and garden mishap humor

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Tone & Style

Dan and Matt’s rapport is both sharp and lighthearted. Expert analysis is handled with a wink ("long snappy," "living large"), while even the more technical segments include plenty of jokes and storytelling. Their authenticity, in both football insight and Chicago sports fandom, keeps the discussion engaging for hardcore and casual fans alike.

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Takeaways for Bears Fans

• The Arlington Heights stadium project is inching forward, but government negotiations continue with multiple stakeholders.
• Several UDFA names to watch in minicamp—especially “son of Olin” Josh Crutes and Squirrel White, whose nickname comes with a now-classic origin story.
• The Bears’ special teams battles—including the long snapper situation—will be worth tracking.
• Nationally, UDFA intrigue centers on Baltimore’s wild signing of Diego Pavia (with the hosts’ steak dinner bet on the line) and the ongoing quarterback carousel in places like New York and Denver.
• As always with Dan and Matt, Bears news is never just about the roster—expect plenty of laughs, some baseball nostalgia, and sharp takes on the larger NFL scene.

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For the full, unfiltered Chicago football vibe—right down to late-night snow cones and off-the-wall quarterback stories—catch the entire episode.

Transcript

[Dan Bernstein]

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[Dan Bernstein]

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

[Matt Abeticola]

Forward Progress A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 SP

[Dan Bernstein]

we give you forward progress here on 312 and there is a little bit of progress that we are now understanding is being made in the Bears attempts or the. The legislation of the General assembly of the state of Illinois's attempts to pass through the pilot bill, the mega Projects bill, as it's been referred to, to keep the bears here in Arlington Heights, which is the expected outcome and has always been the expected outcome. The latest quote from Governor JB Pritzker is that the legislation that passed the House is within the framework of a deal that the team would be willing to agree to. There obviously are going to be changes made in the Senate version of the bill. There are changes that the Senate wants, that the government governor wants for taxpayers and that the Bears want as well. Here's the full quote. Within the legislation that was passed was the deal that the Bears are willing to accept that's good for the taxpayers, which is what I want. That was Pritzker. There were also things that were added on top of that that I think are not great for the taxpayers and that we probably need to make some changes to. And most importantly, that won't work for the Bears. We want the Bears to stay in Illinois. So that deal, I think, is within the framework of what passed the House. We've got to see if the Senate is able to make the changes that are necessary while keeping some of the things the House wanted to have in that bill. If the governor is saying this with the full majority controls that they have, this means they're already well at work on it and that by the end of May, as the bears have moved their timetable, it looks like this is going to get worked out. So it's going to keep happening. We're going to keep reading stories about Hammond and you're going to keep hearing from people in the local diner near Wolf Lake. So they want the bears to come, like sometimes did, a big story like that. And of course, one of the quotes that they used was somebody saying, yeah, they're really dragging this out, aren't they? Yeah. Yes, they are. They're dragging it out until they can get their deal done. So I just thought we'd get caught up there. Those are the first extended words that we have heard from the governor about all of the background work and now the next level of Illinois politics that will go into the Senate version of the bill that ultimately will be reconciled with the House version that will then make it to the governor's desk to be signed into law and will allow the bears to eventually have their shovels in the ground that they've so desired.

[Matt Abeticola]

The Bears also have released, we have a full list here of their undrafted free Agent signings.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh boy. Or at least anyone like the team. So did remind me last year. I'm. I'm trying to remember when we first got that list that included Judai Walker on it was it wasn't he Undrafted free agent signing. Correct. Now is it worked his way onto the. Into a wide receiver prospect in line to get more opportunity so these names could make the team.

[Matt Abeticola]

So here we have QB Miller Moss. Miller Moss.

[Dan Bernstein]

Miller Moss. Great. Louisville.

[Matt Abeticola]

Louisville.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he was USC and Louisville.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. Tight end Hayden Large. No, not Hayden the large. Just Hayden Large. Really

[Dan Bernstein]

large. And in charge. Living large. All right. Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wide receiver Omari Kelly. Omari Kelly.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. None of these names are probably going to do anything for me.

[Matt Abeticola]

Offensive lineman. You may have heard or seen a story or two about Kaden Barnett from Wyoming. Kaden Barnett. Offensive lineman. I don't know if you know this name. Josh Crutes.

[Dan Bernstein]

I do know that name. That's a familiar name to me. That would be son of Olin.

[Matt Abeticola]

Son of Olin. That's how he actually. That's how he's referred to Son of Olin. And he actually was invited to minicamp. Josh Cruz. Offensive lineman. Mason Murphy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Defensive tackle.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's a Mason Moss and Mason Murphy.

[Matt Abeticola]

Miller Moss.

[Dan Bernstein]

Mason Murphy. Too many M's. One of them's gonna go.

[Matt Abeticola]

Defensive tackle. Who was at the combine? Jaden Loving. Loving you don't. Jaden Loving. Don't what?

[Dan Bernstein]

Don't sing? Minnie Riperton.

[Matt Abeticola]

Linebacker Wayne Matthews iii.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Also invited to minicamp.

[Dan Bernstein]

Good

[Matt Abeticola]

with a C. Cornerback Devin Pringle. Invited the minicamp. Devin Pringle.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's good at the chip block. What?

[Matt Abeticola]

Safety Skyler Thomas. Also at the combine. Skyler Thomas.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abeticola]

Kicker Gabriel Palencia.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. It's a non injured Palencia. We hope.

[Matt Abeticola]

And long snapper Bo Gardner.

[Dan Bernstein]

They need a long snapper. Correct.

[Matt Abeticola]

They do, don't they?

[Dan Bernstein]

I think so. Scott Daly isn't here. Patrick Scales is long gone.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I think Scott Daly's gone. Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think so too. And then they brought in another guy in the middle of last year who started a game for them.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. This is long snapper Bo Gardner. Sounds very long snappy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but my. That that's your guy right now because they're. They don't. The long snapper they have listed is Luke Elkin.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, Luke Elkin.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's the only guy that I on the depth chart. Luke Elkin is there. Is their guy. So we'll. We'll see if Bo Gardner can unseat him. Oh, and it's not Gabriel Palencia. It's Placencia.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, is it? Let me see.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, it's Gabriel Plusencia.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, yeah, Placencia.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or if he were correct, if he were in Madrid, it would be Placencia.

[Matt Abeticola]

I like that better anyway.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, Madrid screwed me up because they speak there. The Castilian Spanish is very.

[Matt Abeticola]

You went to Barcelona?

[Dan Bernstein]

I did. I did go to Barcelona.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, so those are. Those are the names of the undrafted free agents the Bears have invited to minicamp or are looking to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wait, wasn't there a guy named Squirrel? Where did I see a guy named Squirrel? Did you? I didn't see him. Squirrel?

[Matt Abeticola]

No, I didn't see anybody named Squirrel. Squirrel Johnson, who did you see?

[Dan Bernstein]

I thought they signed a guy named Squirrel White. Yes. Wide receiver, Florida State, 59178.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, well, yeah, I pulled this list this morning.

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't see there was undrafted free agent Squirrel White. Squirrel Squirrel.

[Matt Abeticola]

I don't know if it's.

[Dan Bernstein]

It doesn't say that that's his nickname. That somebody might. Did they name their kid? Oh, Marquarius Malik White. But he goes by Squirrel.

[Matt Abeticola]

Squirrel.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I know. I didn't have that on this list. I pulled this off Bears wire too, I think. Ooh.

[Dan Bernstein]

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[Matt Abeticola]

Squirrel Whites. All right, so that's the list of undrafted free agents. But not the most significant undrafted free agent signing of this NFL season though, because Dan, that of course belongs to the Baltimore Ravens and the signing to a three year deal of quarterback Diego Pavia.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's got a long way to go before. And let's recap the bet.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, the bet is that Diego Pavia will take at least one snap during an NFL regular season game. If he does that, you owe me a steak dinner. Boom.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now, okay, here's, here's the quote. This is Jesse Minter.

[Matt Abeticola]

This is a big quote, man. And this is what he needed. He needed a first year head coach.

[Dan Bernstein]

Jesse Minter says one thing I'd say about Diego and Clark Lee, the head coach at Vanderbilt is a really dear, close friend of mine.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, yes. Let's go.

[Dan Bernstein]

This guy was a force multiplier at Vanderbilt. He came there at a time when they needed to get it going. And Clark was building something and this guy made everybody in the building better. He was one of the first people in. He's one of the last to leave. He's a really hard worker. Now we'll certainly have some talks about maybe how to handle certain things a little bit better. But again, any rookie, undrafted free agent coming in work, let's see what you do on the field and by your actions, show who you really are. We'll let him come in with a little bit of a clean slate and just give him a platform along with rest of the guys coming in. Give him a platform to see what they can do. I think what that means is stop hanging out with your drunken stupid brothers.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Don't act like a penis. And everything should be fine. Because if you continue to work as hard as you did, and he worked

[Dan Bernstein]

incredibly hard and stop taking photos of yourself at a, at a club holding up as they're saying, saying fuck, the Heisman voters like to stop doing that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, he did lots of pretty stupid things. If you look at the timeline from the actual night of the Heisman voting to where we are today and when

[Dan Bernstein]

you, when you're a person who does a lot of stupid things, you might be stupid.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, there's the possibility that that's there. Now Tyler Huntley, of course, is the backup to Lamar Jackson.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's Bears beater Tyler Huntley to you.

[Matt Abeticola]

If he, if he can, you know, work hard and keep his, his, his head on straight and not do anything stupid or say any st. There's a possibility here, Dan, with a first year defensive head coach and a first time play caller and offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, who as we know likes to do things outside the box and unconventional things, there's an opportunity here for Diego Pavia to stick on this roster and have an opportunity for me to win this bet.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now I will say what, what unconventional things are you, are you splitting him out at wide receiver? Hey, what are you envisioning, Declan Doyle

[Matt Abeticola]

told us as a Bears member of the Bear staff last year they were doing unconventional things outside the box type things on the field with a guy

[Dan Bernstein]

who's five foot two.

[Matt Abeticola]

He's not five two. Listen, his measurables. That won't be the biggest obstacle in him having any type of success in the NFL.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it is, because you can measure the velocity of the ball out of your hand.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, no, it's going to be him and him acting like a penis. Listen, Doug Fluties made a Pro Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

Doug Flute could throw.

[Matt Abeticola]

This guy can throw. He can throw as well too. Dan, Dan, he. Listen, he's not doing the things he did in the SEC if he can't throw. Okay, you can keep saying that all you want.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay? Oh, I will.

[Matt Abeticola]

Here's what's going to be the biggest obstacle, besides his own behavior is another undrafted free agent that they brought in at quarterback from Connecticut, Joe Finano. I don't know, like 3, 500 yards last year, had 28 touchdowns, one interception. He's 64 and 225.

[Dan Bernstein]

So looks the part.

[Matt Abeticola]

He looks the parts. He looks the part. So he's brought in. He looks the part. It won't be his measurables that'll prevent him from moving forward. It'll be his behavior. If he can not act like a penis for a little while. Just a little.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's kind of a clean slate. He didn't say a fully clean.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, he said kind of a clean slate.

[Dan Bernstein]

Kind of a clean slate.

[Matt Abeticola]

Don't act like a penis. And you know, they don't need Joe Finano to be, you know, a guy that they take, takes the shine off of Diego Pavia. So he's there, he's got the opportunity. He got a three year deal. I know it doesn't mean a whole lot of things, but you don't have to sign a guy. You can just bring him in. You can invite him into minicamp.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. All right, well, we'll. We'll see where we're. How I don't really feel that the, the steak dinner is, is imminent of him playing a down of NFL football.

[Matt Abeticola]

Closer though. I'm one step closer to it. You have to admit that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Can you admit that? Yes, I will. I will admit you are a step closer to him playing a down of NFL football because they're going to do something unconventional. They're going to put his drunken brothers on. They come here come Yoel and Javier.

[Matt Abeticola]

He needs one. He needs one snap. I'm telling you, it's gonna surprise you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan, it certainly would.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's why I made the bet.

[Matt Abeticola]

See, all I need is one. That's all that I need.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's another quarterback in the news who, who may end up in the supplemental draft.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, who's this?

[Dan Bernstein]

And I wouldn't touch this dude. I wouldn't touch Brendan Sorsby. And it sounds like that the NFL is in agreement with me because if you miss this story, Brendan Sorsby was the quarterback of Texas Tech and he was headed into his red shirt senior season as a top QB 22 years old. One of the prizes of the transfer portal and apparently, according to an ESPN report, Brendan Sorsby made thousands of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app. It included wagers involving Indiana games during his freshman season as a Hoosier in 2022. Texas Tech on Monday announced Scoresby was stepping away from the program. He has since checked into a residential treatment program for gambling addiction and Mike Vrabel's wiener counseling. He's there. He's also there. I don't know if he also has to go to the airport gift shop and pick out pajamas for his bookie. I don't know if he has to do that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Not my bookie, but his bookie.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, his bookie. Different. Texas Tech is committed to supporting Brendan through his recovery process and to ensure his long term health and well being. The school said, great, I hope this works. I don't. I mean, if this is indeed a diagnosed problem for him or if he was just somebody who likes betting, I don't know where one begins and the other ends. I really don't. But the NCAA's rules say student athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This would apply to student athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.

[Matt Abeticola]

So he's done.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sounds like he is done in college.

[Matt Abeticola]

This isn't, this isn't a, this isn't a gray area. That's very, very clear. Black and white.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's. So the question. We haven't talked about the NFL supplemental draft for a while and he, we don't know. He would need to be approved to enter the supplemental draft, which is usually held in June or July, if there is one, because the NFL doesn't always have one. The NFL reviews the eligibility on a case by case basis and then players are selected via an auction process. It's a blind Bid round by round using your picks from next year's drafts. Like, okay, first round pick. Anybody want to spend a first round pick? They put in a blind bid. Nobody put a first round pick now. Anybody. And they go down. And if you get through all seven and that's it, that's it. And then he can just sign with anybody as a free agent if he goes completely unselected through every round. But there's some question as to whether or not he's even going to be eligible because he has to apply. And people close to all the teams in the NFL, they're getting a, an exec here and exec there to be like, not on our board. Not on our board. Well, what about other teams? I don't know, but it'd be pretty hard to put them on there as well. That nobody wants this headache, this aggravation, this press conference explanation. So my guess is he's not going to follow in the footsteps of guys like Dave Brown and Ahmad Brooks and Terrell Pryor and Josh Gordon and be a supplemental draft pick. I would bet that he's got a long, long, long road, if there even is one, to playing professional football in this country.

[Matt Abeticola]

I think perfect landing spot would be the ufl. And if any opportunity comes up to play football beyond his collegiate time, it would be ufl, maybe even cfl. But I can't envision a team spending a draft pick even if there is a supplemental draft. And I, and then if that doesn't happen, I'm not even sure there's any teams out there, given what he did in college, that would say, yeah, we'll, we'll take a, we'll take a spin on you, take a flyer on you. I just, I just don't see that I think he could play beyond this. But, you know, like I said, ufl, CFL might be an opportunity, but he certainly has done at the collegiate level. And I don't see anything happening in the NFL level at all.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't either. But this is, I get used to stories like this. He is probably not the first who's done this and he won't be the last. But you. We're calling Diego Pavia stupid to do, to do this when everything is traced and accounted for. There's digital evidence of all this stuff. You can't hide anything like this.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Especially now that you can. You make money playing college ball.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Yeah. Maybe it is evidence of a problem and maybe that'll. That'll. If he, if I hope that indeed he gets the most out of his treatment, his counseling and he ends up leading a productive professional life, doing something.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, speaking of problems in quarterbacks, the New York Jets, Dan, they, they think they answered their quarterback situation, at least for this year, with their starter in Geno Smith. Here are some other names though that are currently in the quarterbacks room for the New York Jets. Fourth round pick, Cade Clubnik from Clemson.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Brady Cook, an undrafted free agent from 2025. Bailey Zappy. And they are currently in conversations with Russell Wilson, possibly coming to the New York Jets.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why?

[Matt Abeticola]

So your quarterback room, before anything is, is decided and positions are moved and bodies are changed. Geno Smith, Kate Clubnik, Brady Cook, Bailey Zappy. And maybe Russell Wilson.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's too many. That's, that's too much bad quarterbacking in one room. Is, is Matt Nagy involved in this?

[Matt Abeticola]

Giants. He's Giants.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. I'm just, I just want to make sure that he's not somewhere. I just think that he's influencing the jets decision. I don't know. He just, he can just smell a room full of bad quarterbacks and he just sort of heads over there. What's that in the wind? Is that, is that bad quarterbacking? And then we just keep compiling more of them. I'm going to go over there.

[Matt Abeticola]

I think, I think you're good on Russell Wilson. I think you're probably good on Bailey Zappy as well. I would just. You got Geno Smith's your guy for this year. You've otherwise he wouldn't be there. You drafted, you know, Kate, Club Nick, let's see what he can learn. And, and then Brady Cook, another undrafted guy who hasn't failed yet in the NFL at least. Like, I think you're good. You don't need to add Russell Wilson. I don't think you need to keep Bailey Zappy around. You're not winning anything this year.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I, I don't know why you don't have enough throws for everybody. I mean, I know you need camp arms, you need people to actually throw passes, but why?

[Matt Abeticola]

What, why, why would you want Russ Wilson?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. Yeah, it's the Jets. I, I, I don't know. I don't know. The Sharks.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Our cylinders are clicking.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, no. My cylinders are rolling, Dan.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, that's right. Reggie Miller last night. The Magic are rolling on all cylinders. Okay, great. I think you've built your car wrong.

[Matt Abeticola]

I think your car doesn't run, Reggie.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I think you want to be firing on all cylinders and rolling on your tires. But you can do whatever you want. If you want to fire on all cylinders, you want to roll on your cylinders, that's cool too.

[Matt Abeticola]

This car doesn't have tire. Has cylinders only.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not my favorite malaprop of the evening though.

[Matt Abeticola]

Your favorite one was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Was. Was Boog describing Walker Bueller as a two time Tommy John survivor? Survivor. Yes. Yeah. I didn't know that. These operating rooms are just littered with bodies who didn't. Who didn't survive Tommy John surgery.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, you know those elbow surgeries are getting harder and harder.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like how many times poor Frank Jobe or Dr. Neil L. Atrache has to come out, he removes his little surgery magical cap. I'm sorry. We did everything we could.

[Matt Abeticola]

He didn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's dead. Yeah. No, another one. All right, so we told you there was at least a 60 possibility that he wouldn't make it through.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. Have no bringing this. Now I'm getting nervous. Have we seen Kate Horton?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, we haven't.

[Matt Abeticola]

Anyone had eyes on Kate Horton?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. We have to describe it as successful surgery. I think in this case. Well, I hope.

[Matt Abeticola]

Hope he survived it it.

[Dan Bernstein]

I do too. That because that was. That was the malaprop of the evening. I thought that was a good one. Like they got the support group for Tommy John survivors.

[Matt Abeticola]

Hi.

[Dan Bernstein]

We've made it through a lot. It's been harrowing. Made it. Made it twice through the two time survivors.

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[Dan Bernstein]

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[Matt Abeticola]

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[Dan Bernstein]

What is this, your first date?

[Matt Abeticola]

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[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

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[Matt Abeticola]

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[Matt Abeticola]

One other story on a current NFL quarterback, Bo Nix of your Denver Broncos. Dan apparently is having a second procedure done on his right Ankle. So this was the.

[Dan Bernstein]

Don't tell the coach.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, no, the coach knows. He.

[Dan Bernstein]

Are you sure he knows?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, he knows all about his. His previous medical procedures. He's willing to tell everyone in the media all about them.

[Dan Bernstein]

Boy, I sure would have liked to know that this guy's ankle was. Why didn't anybody tell me? In case you're just joining us, there was when people were talking about all the surgeries Beau Nix has had, I guess Sean Payton offhandedly mentioned like, yeah, would have been nice to know that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, that's what he said in December. So he has the procedure in January. Now, the general manager said he was ahead of schedule. So I'm not sure if anyone's let the general manager know that he's had a second ankle. Second procedure on the right ankle. Now the off season workout starts Monday for the Broncos, which, guess what, he will not be ready to participate in those. So I guess that ahead of schedule calendar, that timeline is now, now incorrect. He is not ahead of schedule having a second procedure on that right ankle, but he should be completely fine by training camp.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

As that story continues, I don't know

[Dan Bernstein]

why you gave me the Broncos. I don't know why you said, it's your Denver Broncos. I've got. Ever since they got. They got rid of my guy Vic Fangio, you know.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, I mean, I'm gonna. So Broncos, White Sox.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dealing with the Broncos. I did watch some White Sox last night. I did. I enjoyed watching a little White Sox baseball last night.

[Matt Abeticola]

I didn't. I was there. Was there recently a game, Dan, where that. The first pitch was after 10pm

[Dan Bernstein]

not that's going to involve me. Okay. I can tell you that you're not

[Matt Abeticola]

aware of that game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, that could be maybe if that's game seven of the World Series.

[Matt Abeticola]

Was there some kind of rain recently for the White Sox where their game

[Dan Bernstein]

started after 10pm Better be some kind of delay. Like 10pm Locally. Yeah, the game was here or the game was on the West Coast.

[Matt Abeticola]

There was a rate.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, no.

[Matt Abeticola]

There was a rain delay. The game was delayed for very long and they didn't have first pitch till after 10. And people stayed to watch.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is. That is the game where if I was. If I was 16 or 17 years old again, my friend Dave and I would have stayed for the entire game and gotten like four hours of sleep before, unless we had like an exam the next day or something, because that was when we used to go to a lot of games in high school. That would be a Perfect one for us. And we'd sit there and just. And just eat and drink the entire time. Was all we would do. Not interested in that horrible fake id. Oh my God, it was so bad. And this one woman would sell me little Kings, like down the right field line. And then we'd get the. The corned beef sandwiches and the, the parfait, like the thing with all the chemicals in it that would stain your face if you tried to dream of that one. Don't you remember? It was a. It was just an eye. It was a big parfait cup filled with ice. It was just crazy snow cone. But there were three different colors of goo that they would pour in there. Green and red and yellow. And it was like the Jamaican flag or something.

[Matt Abeticola]

Was it a snow cone or what was it? What was it?

[Dan Bernstein]

It was a snow cone. It was a snow cone. But if you would.

[Matt Abeticola]

Snow cone in a parfait cup, that would stain your face.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct. And if you sipped out of it, it would, it would, it would stain your face whatever color it happened to be.

[Matt Abeticola]

And you did that more than once?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, you had to and famously have to. I think it was. Was it Kenny Williams that told me this story? It's. Steve Lyons used to eat a lot during. During games, especially if he wasn't playing. And he loved those snow cones. And he did. He didn't realize at one point that his, his face was all green and they put him in and he went up to bat with his green.

[Matt Abeticola]

Like a green beard.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it gets like lips and. No, depending on how you drink it, it's more your nose and your upper lip. And he, He. Yeah, so. All right. Yeah, but that would have been. I would have stayed for that whole game.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I gotta check and see if

[Dan Bernstein]

that's accurate, if I heard that correctly.

[Matt Abeticola]

You know, speaking of late baseball games, my 13 year old has a game Friday night, first game of a tournament. Okay. Nine, ten, first pitch.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, no.

[Matt Abeticola]

Tell me how ridiculous that is. Where, where in Wheeling.

[Dan Bernstein]

At the Wheeling thing?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

By the way, in Wheeling have they put up coverings that keep you from getting bombed by foul balls?

[Matt Abeticola]

Like, so it's four diamonds, four home plates. Come in intersection. Yes, yes. And so then they, they have, there's. They look like, like sails from a ship.

[Dan Bernstein]

So they haven't changed it. They don't cover anything.

[Matt Abeticola]

So. No, it, it covers portions. It doesn't cover the entire thing. So if it's raining, you could. You could get soaked and while still being under this covering or get hit by A foul ball. Because they all intersect.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. We were at a tournament and we actually won that tournament because of a rain out. And we had this horrible inning that got erased.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because we did. They didn't complete the inning and like we gave up six runs or whatever. Like all of a sudden that inning didn't happen. And then it was like the end of Slap shot. They walked up and handed us the trophy because it was just. It was just hailing and they're like, get out of here ever. The kids are like, yay, go home. And the. Our coaches. 80 year old mother got hit by two foul balls that were coming over from like a college game, like a college men's league, like a really good men's league was playing there, hitting these sky high foul pops. And his mother got hit not once but twice in the same like, same seat.

[Matt Abeticola]

Did she move after the first hit or did.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

Two different siege got hit.

[Dan Bernstein]

Two.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wow.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abeticola]

Good for her.

[Dan Bernstein]

Same woman got. Got pelted. And these things were like big time foul balls. They weren't like little, little kids loopers.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Jackie had the same thing happen two years ago. His team we. The championship game got canceled because of rain. And so they just gave all the kids the rings and said, hey, you're both winners. Both teams are winners.

[Dan Bernstein]

So. Well, in this case, we were the. It was, it was fun. They were the winners and they got like this big home plate looking trophy thing. Like, all right, I guess we're winners. It was right after they had this bad inning that got rained out. Dude.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, it's. It's a. It's a great facility. And right down the street there's a place called Joe's Pizza that. I'll get a. I'll get a pizza while I'm there.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's a Popeyes right there too, you know.

[Matt Abeticola]

But yeah, Hank plays at 9.

[Dan Bernstein]

10.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, 10 first pitch on Friday night.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hockey? Yes. Baseball? No.

[Matt Abeticola]

I. I probably won't go to that because Jack has. Now this is the.

[Dan Bernstein]

This is, is. This is great.

[Matt Abeticola]

Jack has an 8am game in Crystal Lake on Saturday.

[Dan Bernstein]

I hate that drive. It's so much easier for you because from the city there's. No, no, it's not easy for me.

[Matt Abeticola]

And I'm all the way out here. It's not even easy for me.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've made that drive so many and it's actually pretty one if you get off at Roselle and take Algonquin Road.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, it's.

[Dan Bernstein]

You go through the horse country and

[Matt Abeticola]

it's not pretty though. At 6:30 in the morning.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it's fine. You're up early. Yeah, you get up early. You're not.

[Matt Abeticola]

I am up early, but I like to get coffee and sit on the couch and stare at the tv.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know.

[Matt Abeticola]

Hard drive around.

[Dan Bernstein]

So you go, you take him through McDonald's, you get him his McGriddle, you get him a cup of coffee and you and you enjoy the ride together.

[Matt Abeticola]

He doesn't need coffee. He's good. And he won't do McGriddle. He'll do the hotcakes. Hotcakes. Last. Last Saturday the breakfast was hotcakes and three hash browns.

[Dan Bernstein]

Jason used to do a McCafe latte and the sausage McGriddle and I like those.

[Matt Abeticola]

Those were. I thought, I haven't had one of those in years, but I thought they were.

[Dan Bernstein]

They were good because he started drinking coffee when he was nine and he. He'd roll up to these, these baseball games in the summer. It's like getting, getting out of the car in the back with his coffee and slugging it down. What is he drinking like?

[Matt Abeticola]

Don't. Have you ever had the, the sausage breakfast burritos there from McDonald's?

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Matt Abeticola]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

I do like their sausage.

[Matt Abeticola]

Very, very underrated.

[Dan Bernstein]

I do like McDonald's sausage. Fast food.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was always Dave Duerson's company. I, I don't know who the suppliers are now, but that was the, the late, great Chicago Bear. Dave Duerson owned one of the companies that supplied Chicago area. That really good peppery patty sausage.

[Matt Abeticola]

Really Good. Yeah. So 9, 10, Friday night, first pitch. 8am Saturday morning, first pitch in Crystal Lake. So. Yeah, I gotta check and see the whites. I'm pretty sure the White Sox had a game that started after 10pm this is really good.

[Dan Bernstein]

This is awesome. Bears and NFL talk, by the way.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, are we still recording? Oh, I thought we'd finished. I didn't play the clothes.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, we're still on.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, I thought we were just talking.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I would. I'm happy to. I got nothing. I got nowhere to be. Nobody cares where I am.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, I didn't know that. I thought.

[Dan Bernstein]

Whatever.

[Matt Abeticola]

Are you sure I didn't close it out?

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm pretty sure. You.

[Matt Abeticola]

We didn't say goodbye after Bo Nix.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then I have. I have more information on. On Chicago Bears wide receiver Squirrel White. Give it if you want it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And because I wanted to figure out why. Why Marquarius Malik White was nicknamed Squirrel.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm gonna say it's a family thing. Huh. He was Too small. He was small as a kid?

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, he got a lot of trouble. He was squirrely. No. Favorite animal.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, White's great grandmother nicknamed him squirrel as an infant because in her garden, he imitated the movement of a squirrel. He said, when she was holding me, there was a squirrel in her garden. It picked her tomato. And when the.

[Matt Abeticola]

Screw one tomato, it's a bad garden.

[Dan Bernstein]

And when the squirrel moved, I moved at the same time. So she started calling me squirrel.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because the squirrel picked her tomato.

[Dan Bernstein]

I get. Good thing it wasn't.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wait, is that. Is that like, picked her tomatoes?

[Dan Bernstein]

That's why I paused. That's why I paused. That's. That's why.

[Matt Abeticola]

And it wasn't an actual squirrel. It was a man in the neighborhood picked her tomato.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's his great grandmother. Take it easy.

[Matt Abeticola]

She could have been a looker.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. What is that? Is that a Gylf

[Matt Abeticola]

grandmother?

[Dan Bernstein]

Is that a great gulf? Is that what that is like? That's. That's legend there.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Yeah, I think you'd have to go with great Guilph.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think you wouldn't want to go Google. No. That's pushing it, though. I need photographic evidence on that one. I'm not. I'm not going to grant that even in your. Your. Your bizarre dreams.

[Matt Abeticola]

So her. Yeah, her garden had one tomato, one

[Dan Bernstein]

cucumber, and one squirrel. Every year. Every year. But it was great. Like, that tomato would be. Would be perfect. It'd be just that. Just that one. It was huge. It was like. It was one of Matt Bowen's pumpkins.

[Matt Abeticola]

Are you sure we didn't close the show out?

[Dan Bernstein]

I think we might have closed the show out. Are we still here?

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, I know we're still here. I just thought we were. I thought we were just hanging out and talking like we do.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I know, because I always thought that those would. Would make pretty good. Pretty good podcasts. I guess it happened.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, well, let's wrap this up, because I got to get to the airport.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where are you going?

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, Jackson's got a birthday this weekend. I need to get a gift.

[Dan Bernstein]

Pajamas. Yes, please do that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Where else do you go? Yeah, you gotta get a.

[Dan Bernstein]

And get a huge thing of Toblerone.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, Jackie turns 12 on Saturday, so I gotta get.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow. Wow. Yeah, get him. I have an idea. A Visa gift card that'll immediately. It'll immediately become video games. Games.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, I was gonna get him a book.

[Dan Bernstein]

A book. A book is good. I got you a book. There's a book here waiting Yeah, I know, I know.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'll. I'll be in next week and get it. No, he wants. He wants baseball cards, cards, trading cards. I mean, that's. Oh, the kids are all, all about them. But. But these boxes. So he sends me these boxes. He's like, dad, I like this one. I like this one. I like this one. They're like 400 for a box, but it's like, guaranteed. It's got like an autograph or like a patch in it. One of the. You pull something really good guaranteed out of these cards.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's sort of like the guy who was at Walmart buying the Pokemon cards and putting the Taco mix packet underneath and scanning the Taco mix packet.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, because then he was selling those, right? Yeah, he was getting the cards.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. 40 grand or whatever it was. All right. Happy upcoming birthday to him. And that, that I need to get the O' Hare real quick, that is. Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears and NFL podcast. 312 Sports progress is stopped. Thank God.

[Matt Abeticola]

Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Matabeticola on three 1, 2, Sport.

[Dan Bernstein]

Everybody talked about it since I first moved to Oregon. The big one. The earthquake that trashed the. The whole West Coast. Total destruction. Officially calling it the largest natural disaster in American history. I just didn't know what would help me next. So I took it all. Even the gun. It was time. Cello American Afterlife, presented by Pair of Thieves. The number one fiction and drama podcast in America. Listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts available now.