NFL wins against the NFLPA | Maxx Crosby trade | Good Will Lawing

Summary

Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode: NFL wins against the NFLPA | Maxx Crosby trade | Good Will Lawing
Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola

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Episode Overview

In this lively and insightful episode, Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola dig into emerging storylines both with the Chicago Bears and across the NFL landscape. They break down the Bears’ coaching vacancies (focusing on the passing game coordinator conundrum), review the latest NFL-NFLPA legal battle over player report cards, debate playoff turnaround trends and predictions, analyze the potential for a Maxx Crosby trade, and discuss the political controversy of recent presidential pardons for former NFL players. The pair balance humor and expertise, making this a must-listen for Bears fans and diligent NFL observers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chicago Bears Coaching Carousel & the Elusive Passing Game Coordinator

• [02:37 - 11:41]
  • The Bears' only remaining significant coaching vacancy is passing game coordinator, after Press Taylor’s promotion to OC and other staff changes.
  • Speculation swirls about potential candidates: Good Will Lawing (aka "Goodwill Long"—an inside joke about his name), a collegiate friend of new HC Ben Johnson, and Arizona Cardinals passing game specialist Connor Sanger.
  • The hosts jokingly riff on name-based nicknames for candidates, poking fun at the process and the Bears’ slow pace in making a final decision.
  • Notable Quote
    • “We’re no further to knowing the Bears next passing game coordinator, and somehow you’re going to have to make it through the next few days with that incomplete part of your life.”—Dan Bernstein (10:32)

2. NFL vs. NFLPA: The Player Report Card Grievance

• [11:41 - 16:54]
  • Discussion of the NFL’s successful grievance against the NFLPA over public "player report cards" grading teams’ working conditions.
  • The arbitrator found the NFLPA’s methodology unsound and banned them from publishing the report cards, citing “disparaging” of clubs and lack of scientific rigor.
  • Matt initially thinks the owners are overreacting, but Dan details the findings—leading to greater sympathy for the league’s position.
  • Notable Quote
    • “The benefit for them was to shame clubs ... tried to shame them into making themselves more like the teams that graded out well.”—Dan Bernstein (14:17)
  • The hosts debate whether the report cards actually influenced player decisions or simply provided media and fans with amusing content.

3. Predicting NFL Playoff Turnarounds for 2026

• [16:54 - 26:29]
  • Drawing from CBS Sports’ stats: since 1990, at least four non-playoff teams make the postseason each year.
  • The hosts list 2025’s non-playoff teams and make their picks for who’s most likely to rebound:
    • Dan’s Picks: Chiefs, Ravens, Buccaneers, Lions
    • Matt’s Picks: Ravens, Lions, Cowboys, Bengals
  • They also identify 2025’s most likely playoff teams to regress: Bears, Broncos, Steelers, Patriots, Eagles.
  • Notable Quote
    • “At some point the Cowboys will, just, because they probably should.”—Dan Bernstein (19:26)
  • Discussion of extraordinary parity and “the blob” in the league, where year-to-year swings have become the norm.

4. Caleb Williams vs. Drake Maye: Rookie QB Performance Deep Dive

• [26:29 - 31:13]
  • Matt breaks down Bears QB Caleb Williams and Patriots QB Drake Maye’s 2025 performances against playoff teams and above-.500 opponents:
    • Williams: Strong touchdown-to-interception ratios, several tough matchups.
    • Maye: Fewer games against quality opponents, slightly less impressive stats.
    • In the playoffs, both QBs posted mediocre numbers, especially Williams with a sub-53% completion percentage.
  • Discussion about context and the perils of judging QBs just from raw stats, especially with injuries in the postseason.

5. Maxx Crosby Trade Scenarios

• [31:13 - 34:53]
  • Citing Tyler Sullivan’s CBS Sports article, the hosts explore potential blockbuster trades for Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
  • Top suitors: Eagles, Patriots, Bills, Seahawks, 49ers.
  • Both agree they don’t want to see Crosby on the Eagles, Seahawks, Patriots, or 49ers; they’d settle for the Bills.
  • The hosts stress they do not want the Bears to part with high draft picks to land Crosby.
  • Notable Quote
    • “So just take that Max Crosby thing out of your brain. The Bills, I’d like to see that... but I don’t want the Bears to get involved in that.”—Matt Abbatacola (33:19)

6. Presidential Pardons for NFL Players: Sports Meets Politics

• [34:53 - 39:36]
  • President’s surprise pardon of five ex-NFL players (Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Billy Cannon).
  • Dan discusses the background of each case and weighs the principle of second chances against the optics of celebrity-focused pardons.
  • He expresses skepticism that such compassion would be extended to less famous individuals.
  • Notable Quote
    • “Part of me would be pleased to see, if I thought these same ideas applied to non-football players ... but I always look askance at some of these, like why this guy instead of other people who are less famous?”—Dan Bernstein (38:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joking About Candidate Name Puns

  • (On Good Will Lawing):
    • “Goodwill Long is kind of a roving mind. He just kind of helps out wherever needed.”—Dan Bernstein (11:09)
  • The hosts spiral into wordplay and inside jokes about decaf coffee, Sanka, and hockey players (07:12 – 08:14).

• On Report Card Grievance

  • “At the start of you reading this 32-second story, I was like, oh, the owners sound like a bunch of crybabies. And then... now that makes a little bit of sense.”—Matt Abbatacola (15:14)

• The State of the Bears

  • “And it would suck if the Bears are one of those teams.”—Dan Bernstein (25:24)

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Key Timestamps

• [02:37]: Bears’ passing game coordinator speculation begins
• [11:41]: NFL wins grievance against the NFLPA (player report cards)
• [16:54]: Four teams that missed the playoffs expected to make it
• [26:29]: Caleb Williams vs. Drake Maye rookie season statistical breakdown
• [31:13]: Maxx Crosby trade chatter
• [34:53]: Presidential pardons for NFL players
• [39:36]: Wrap-up and final banter

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Summary

In this episode, Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola journey through the Bears’ coaching search (especially the elusive passing game coordinator decision), provide a smart, nuanced take on the NFL’s battle with the NFLPA over player survey report cards, and forecast the NFL's next round of playoff risers and regressors. They deliver a sharp side-by-side analysis of Caleb Williams and Drake Maye’s rookie campaigns and navigate the intrigue around a Maxx Crosby blockbuster trade. The discussion closes with a critical, thought-provoking look at why certain former NFL stars received presidential pardons and the broader justice implications. Consistently mixing deep football insight with wry Chicago humor, the show offers both diehards and casual fans a perfect blend of substance and personality.

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Transcript

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[Dan Bernstein]

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[Matt Abeticola]

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

[Geico Commercial Auto Insurance Announcer]

10.

[Dan Bernstein]

219.

[Matt Abeticola]

219. Forward progress a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

Of course you're thinking Forward Progress. Why wouldn't you? You have Bears on the mind. The Bears are a part of your entire earthly existence and you're always thinking what is happening with your Chicago Bears and what is happening with Dan and Matt? Give me Forward progress, damn it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, now you have it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Hello. Hi.

[Matt Abeticola]

Hi.

[Dan Bernstein]

We're here. We have Forward Progress for you indeed. All about your Chicago Bears and everything that's going on in the NFL. Usually this is that time when the NFL is just kind of take a little break. And then this weekend is a bunch of NBA stuff that you're probably not going to watch.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

And we're not going to pretend that you're going to, because we don't have to or care. But there are really important questions being asked about your Chicago Bears and sometimes answered and I wondered this also I wondered what was going to happen because the Bears have some openings on the offensive side of the ball. One of their coaching openings now is passing game coordinator. Passing game coordinator, Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because they recently filled their offensive coordinator job and that is filled now by.

[Dan Bernstein]

Press Taylor for more options. Yes, Press Taylor is now the offensive coordinator and now he has left the passing game coordinator position open. So it is such a significant question that it has found its way into the mailbag of Brad Biggs. And he answers this question. What names are you hearing about the passing game coordinator position? And this is as much as you will ever want to know about what's going on here, he says. My suspicion is this is something Ben Johnson is still working through. What we know to this point, details at this point about the Bears passing game coordinator position remains sketchy. Is what we know is that Taylor has been promoted to replace Declan Doyle, who departed to become the offensive coordinator in Baltimore. And the Bears went outside to replace running backs coach Eric B. Enemy, who was hired as the chief society with former Bears assistant Eric Stoudsville. And in this space we did go through in fine detail the resume of one Eric Stoudsville. And we, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, Matty, but I believe we have declared him fit, competent and qualified to be the Bears running backs coach.

[Matt Abeticola]

We certainly have, and we still don't have a job title yet for the coach from Boston College. Then Johnson's friend, Will Long.

[Dan Bernstein]

John, just wait. Oh, wait till the next. You're jumping the gun here, young man.

[Matt Abeticola]

Did I really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Because the next paragraph, the next paragraph says the only opening right now is for a passing game coordinator. We don't know what title the team will give. Will Long. Goodwill Long.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. So we have Press Taylor for more options and Goodwill Long. Yes. Who the Bears reportedly hired last month. Report is not even official yet. After a stint at Boston College, Long was a wide receiver at North Carolina when Johnson was a backup quarterback there. He was the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at BC the last two seasons and served as tight ends coach for two seasons and offensive assistant for two seasons for the Houston Texans. Perhaps Long could be named passing game coordinator or see, we've got intrigue. Maybe Johnson will seek an external or even internal candidate to fill Taylor's old position. George McCaskey, Arizona Cardinals Passing game specialist Connor Sanger interviewed for the Bears OC job that went to Taylor. Maybe Sanger would be a candidate to become the passing game coordinator during the. Don't discount that possibility. Now, that's good advice. You go into this weekend, if any part of you is going into this weekend in any way, somehow even marginally discounting the possibility that Connor Sanger could be the Bears passing game coordinator.

[Matt Abeticola]

What.

[Dan Bernstein]

What is wrong with your life? Is that in that scenario, perhaps Long would be an offensive assistant. I'd say this is Biggs. We. We're in a wait and see mode that the Bears might not clear up until shortly before the scouting combine. Well, must you know more than that?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. We need to figure it out, though, quickly.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I don't know. I don't know what you're going to do. You're going to be on tenter hooks all weekend because you may have discounted the possibility that the Arizona Cardinals passing game specialist because of their whiz bang passing offense.

[Matt Abeticola]

Trying to think of a good. We need a good tagline for Corey Sanger. We have goodwill. Goodwill long.

[Dan Bernstein]

Goodwill long. Press Taylor.

[Matt Abeticola]

More options. Corey Sanger.

[Dan Bernstein]

Connor Sanger.

[Matt Abeticola]

Connor Sanger. Corey. Sorry, buddy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Connie. Connor Sanger.

[Matt Abeticola]

Not Connie.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not Connie. Connor Sanger. He didn't even know he's a hockey player because there's a rule that every hockey player has to be named Connor. I didn't know that, but it's apparently true. So Connor said, let me. Let me think about it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, think about it. Because I was trying to think.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, his. His last name. Anagrams to greens.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Connie Sanger. It kind of sounds like Sanka, the old coffee.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Nobody's gonna get us.

[Matt Abeticola]

No reference. No one will accept you and I. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Although that is still why the decaf coffee pot has orange plastic on it instead of brown. Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because it's Sanka.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is that because of the Sanka color on the can was orange?

[Matt Abeticola]

I believe so. That's what I always thought it was. Why it was orange.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's what I thought. I didn't think it was arbitrary or.

[Matt Abeticola]

Coincidental that it was some of the old Senka taglines. Everything you love about coffee, the coffee you can feel good about for people who love coffee but not caffeine.

[Dan Bernstein]

But that's when they thought caffeine was bad. There's a whole.

[Matt Abeticola]

Caffeine's not bad, but some people should avoid caffeine.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right? But that's. I don't know that I never got it, like, at somebody really. There was a while where they thought it was really bad.

[Matt Abeticola]

What do you think of this line? Remember this sank a line. It was, enjoy your coffee and enjoy yourself.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ooh. Not in public.

[Matt Abeticola]

Very naughty.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Am I allowed?

[Matt Abeticola]

I mean, if you're doing that with coffee, you're doing it wrong.

[Dan Bernstein]

Getting kicked out of here. I don't know, sir. Stop that. Stop enjoying yourself. It told me to.

[Matt Abeticola]

How about this one? A Sanka. One fiddler. You won't have to pay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't get it.

[Matt Abeticola]

A reference to not having to pay for the caffeine jitters. That's what it was.

[Dan Bernstein]

I like the caffeine jitters.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

When they thought eggs were bad.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Eggs are good for you. Coffee is good for you. But you should drink it black, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

Mm.

[Matt Abeticola]

Although the white socks. The white socks. If it's black or not, yes. Is this coffee black? No, no, no, it's not.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm sorry. Are you sure? Yeah, it's just not. It's not black.

[Matt Abeticola]

Should I hold it with my left hand or right hand? Well, you can do both. Well, technically, I can't actually.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sorry. I know you traded for me, but I'm really not able to do that. Well, you better learn.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Do you think he was getting nervous, like, I gotta be a switch hitter now?

[Dan Bernstein]

God damn it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Hey, honey. Want to talk to you about something.

[Dan Bernstein]

Coach, how does this look?

[Matt Abeticola]

Is this not good?

[Dan Bernstein]

Is this.

[Matt Abeticola]

Where am I?

[Dan Bernstein]

Is this all right, sweetie?

[Matt Abeticola]

He shows up and they're like, hey, hey, Coach, can I talk to you for a second? I know it's been said, but I'm.

[Dan Bernstein]

Really not a switch hitter. I can't go lefty. I also lot. I don't play baseball.

[Matt Abeticola]

And I'm wondering why there's a water fountain in the bathroom. Because I was drinking out of it earlier.

[Dan Bernstein]

Your toilet shaped water fountain's kind of weird.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Anywho. Well, that's a rough start for the season. You misspell a guy's name, you don't know what your other guy can do.

[Dan Bernstein]

And declare a guy not black. Yes, but. So we're no further to knowing the Bears next passing game coordinator, and somehow you're going to have to make it through the next few days with that. That incomplete part of your life.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, they don't resolve this issue by the start of the season. And we're like 30 weeks away now, 29 weeks away. I mean, I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

What are we going to do.

[Matt Abeticola]

And that'd be my bet. Might be wasted money.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, if they don't get the Arizona Cardinals passing in coordinator.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, if they don't get the passing and coordinator correct. You got to get it right.

[Dan Bernstein]

I. I would hope so.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm voting for Goodwill Long. I like that a lot.

[Dan Bernstein]

I like. I like. Goodwill Long is kind of a roving mind.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, he just kind of helps out wherever needed.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. You can just.

[Matt Abeticola]

He.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's. He's there to plug holes. He's there to just sort of be available as a. As a football oracle.

[Matt Abeticola]

But I don't think that speaks to his ability, though. He's not like a teacher's aide. He needs. He doesn't just roam the classroom looking for students to help.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. Maybe could though. I'm. I'm going to trust that Ben Johnson knows exactly what to do.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, that's my favorite nickname. I like Goodwill.

[Dan Bernstein]

Lying. Okay. I'm glad every once in a while I can come up with something. We have a little bit of football news that merits some attention right here. And I was a bit surprised when the NFL filed a grievance against the NFL pa. If you remember, one of the things that we do every year is read the report cards that come out. The NFL PA does interviews and then publishes the results as team report cards where they were going to say, here's what we like and don't like and how we've ranked various teams based on how the players are treated, the quality of the food, the quality of the arrangements for family, etc. For all of the various topics. And the owners have stopped it. The owner's grievance was. Was awarded. They won. An arbitrator has found that these player report cards violated the collective bargaining agreement by, quote, disparaging NFL clubs and individuals.

[Matt Abeticola]

So this is just by making them public. Right? Is the issue, or just doing them in general is the issue.

[Dan Bernstein]

They are banned from conducting and publishing these player report cards. The arbitrator found through hearings with the NFLPA's witness and counsel that the report cards were designed by the union to advance its interests under the guise of a scientific exercise. The NFLPA refused to produce data related to previous surveys. The union's witness and counsel admitted the union cherry picked topics and responses to include in the report cards. The memo also stated players had no role in the commentary included with the report cards, that it was written by union staffers, and the union chose which anonymous player quotes to use or exclude. The arbitrator also found the union applied the weight to each topic and directly impacted the final alphabetical grade for each team.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, so that. That makes a little more sense and sounds a little bit shady, but what. What was the purpose then for the NFL? Pa. What did they. What. What was the benefit for them to do this?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, the benefit for them was to shame clubs based on the ruling here. It was for them to say that the food in this. In this market sucks or this team's treatment of families on game day sucks, and they tried to shame them into making themselves more like the teams that graded out.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, okay, but then let me ask you this. Let's say you're a free agent and team X who got a really bad report guard report card is offering you substantially more to play there than another team who has a better report card grade. You're going to go where the money is generally.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sure.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I also think it would then be on the player when making that decision to ask those questions and for it to be in the interest of an individual player. If this isn't being presented scientifically, if it isn't being presented fairly, I can understand the grievance.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. No, so it's funny how at the start of you reading this 32nd story, I was like, oh, the owners sound like a bunch of crybabies. And then when you give the details out, it's like, oh, okay, well, now that makes a little bit of sense.

[Dan Bernstein]

Here's the statement from the NFL. Their spokesman, Brian McCarthy, says, We're pleased with the decision from the arbitrator upholding the party's collective bargaining agreement prohibiting the NFLPA from disparaging our clubs through report cards allegedly based on data and methodologies that is steadfastly refused to disclose. We remain committed to working in partnership with the NFLPA and an independent survey company to. To develop and administer a scientifically valid survey to solicit accurate and reliable player feedback, as the parties agreed in the cba.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Again, I still don't understand the benefit of it unless they're working together with the owners to improve things. Because really, the only benefit was us reading it, having fun with it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I don't know. We'd have to talk to players to know if it mattered to them and if, in fact, this new version of it will provide a fairer and more objective presentation of it. We always ask for transparency, and if I were an NFL team, I would want to know, but it doesn't mean I want to be dragged through the mud and made fun of on. In sports talk.

[Matt Abeticola]

I could I like that, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

I like it too. I would like to be involved in their collective bargaining. That makes our lives easier, better, more fun and interesting, and provides. Provides us with content as well. But that's not the goal of their agreement.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, it should be, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

There you have it. That they should keep us in mind.

[Matt Abeticola]

Absolutely. I saw a story on CBS Sports. This was from Garrett Podell, and this was interesting. He says, Since 1990, in the NFL, at least four teams that missed the playoffs make it the following year. Okay, so get that in your brain. At least four teams that missed the playoffs make it the following year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

So just taking a look at the teams this year that miss. I'll just read you this list real quick. You know who they are, but I'll give you the teams. Dolphins, Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Colts, Titans, Chiefs, Raiders, Cowboys, Commanders, Giants, Vikings, Lions, Bucks, Falcons, Saints, Cardinals. So with that in mind, of those teams who missed the playoffs, in theory, four of those teams should make the playoffs in 2026.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because since 1990, in the NFL, at least four teams that missed the playoffs make it the following year. So if you're looking at Those teams, those 18 teams. Dolphins, Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Colts, Titans, Chiefs, Raiders, Cowboys, Commanders, Giants, Vikings, Lions, Bucks, Falcons, Saints, Cardinals. Who would you, in your smart football brain, if there were four teams of that list, who would you pick that you think would make the playoffs in 2026?

[Dan Bernstein]

Chiefs.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ravens, Ravens, Bucks, Bucks. Now it gets one more. Now it gets tough. And I'm deciding between Lions, Bengals, Colts and Cowboys. I'm going to go with the Lions.

[Matt Abeticola]

Lions. Okay, so your four are the Ravens, the Lions, the Chiefs, and the Bucks.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abeticola]

I have the Ravens, the Lions, the Cowboys, and the Bengals.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. I mean, those were all the ones under. Under consideration.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

At some point the Cowboys will, just. Because they probably should. And the Bengals quarterback.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, they have a top quarterback. Yeah, for sure. But. But look, so then if that's the case, then we have to. So it was interesting in his article, he talks about teams that are most likely to take a step backwards that made the playoffs this year. So in 2025. Listen, these numbers. In 2025, there were five. Because we talk about the blob and parody in the NFL, but the big NFL blob. In 2025, there were five playoff teams that had 11 or more losses in 2024.

[Dan Bernstein]

Five.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's the most ever. There were four division winners in 2025 with five or fewer wins. In 2024, that's the most ever. And there were three worst to first division winners in 2025, which is also the most ever in one season.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Bears.

[Matt Abeticola]

I mean, okay, so he looks at five playoff teams that he thinks have the greatest possibility of taking a step backwards in 2026. And these are the five teams he has listed. The Bears, who went 5 and 12, then 11 and 6. The Broncos who were 10 and 7 and then 14 and 3 last year. And there's a lot of. We talk about the controversy and the issues swirling around that team after the playoffs ended up. The Steelers, who were 10 and 7 in 2024 and 10 and 7 in 2025. The Patriots who went 4 and 13, then 14 and 3, and then the Eagles, who were 14 and 3, won the Super bowl and then 11 and 6 in 2025. So those are the five teams most likely, according to his story, that he believes will take a step backwards. Now, of those two of those teams.

[Dan Bernstein]

There are those in any particular order or did you just say the Bears first because they were on there?

[Matt Abeticola]

I just said the Bears first because that's the order he had them in. Okay, so he had Bears, Broncos, Steelers, Patriots, Eagles. Now of those five teams, there are two that I think are definitely will take a step backward next year. I think the Steelers will, and I think it'll be what, the first time that they're. I think they'll be below.500 in what, 20 years.

[Dan Bernstein]

You don't like Mike McCarthy?

[Matt Abeticola]

I just, I just think it's just not going to happen. I actually don't mind Mike McCarthy. I just, I just think it's, it's time for something to happen where they finished below.500.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

I mean, that, that's a, I mean, they did 19 seasons in a row above.500, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Amazing.

[Matt Abeticola]

And then also, I don't know, I just think the, the stuff with the Eagles is going to be an issue too this year. There's just a lot of, a lot of non football stuff that I think permeates around that team. And I'm also looking at the Broncos as being an issue too, because I just don't like, you know. And yet you got to give credit to Sean Payton for what he's, what he's done with that team taking over, whether you like the guy or not. But I just think the issue with the quarterback and, and the head coach, that's, that's big stuff. That stuff that kind of permeates and lingers and lasts for an off season.

[Dan Bernstein]

You get a little bit of, a little bit of bad blood, a little Bit of bridges that need rebuilding, perhaps. Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

But wealth to see, though. And. Because I just, I like those. Those picks of the teams that. That didn't make it. That might make it again this year. Because that's, you know, really interesting. I mean, four teams since 19.

[Dan Bernstein]

I wish I would have known you had all those foot problems. I might not have drafted you.

[Empower Financial Services Announcer]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Would have been nice boy had all these surgeries before. I didn't know about all these surgeries that you're.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I wish you knew about the eight surgeries you've had since high school. Well, he doesn't know how many have I had. And yeah, it's interesting, you know, and then I look at that list and I try to think, like, who from like worst. Worst to first. And other teams that, you know, you could look at the bottom of their divisions, like Jets, Browns, Titans, Raiders, Giants, Saints, Cardinals, like, who stands out to you as maybe the. To me. And I think if they, if they get the quarterback thing right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Browns.

[Matt Abeticola]

The Browns, Yeah, for sure.

[Dan Bernstein]

Defense.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's already one side of the ball, although they've had some turmoil as well. The stuff that was going on with Jim Schwartz, you know, he's under contract. May remember that the architect of their defense under contract thought he had a shot at that job. Was disappointed after the fact, like, you bypassed me for Todd Monken and didn't.

[Matt Abeticola]

He walk away from the team? Isn't he out?

[Dan Bernstein]

But he can't work anywhere. Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because he's contract. Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. They'd have to make a deal. He can't just. But yeah, he basically is in limbo right now and just not reporting there. He's sort of announced a contingent retirement, which isn't obviously a real retirement, but I think had they hired somebody other than Todd Monkin, this might not be happening. But it just, it sounds like he didn't have a whole lot of respect for their new head coach.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct. And I wonder too, about the Titans with Robert. Robert Salah. Salah as the head coach. They have a quarterback in place and Cammore to be in his second year. You know, I just kind of wonder only because I look at that division, does that division do a whole lot for you? No.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. And I also just want to know who's. Which quarterbacks are healthy and which quarterbacks are not. But that's the way this league works. And everyone loves the fact that unless you are an outlier like what the Steelers have been, that you're, you're. It's year to year, there's a lot of all or nothing. And boy, it would suck if the Bears are one of those teams.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, it would.

[Dan Bernstein]

It would really suck. And it's possible.

[Matt Abeticola]

Of course. Of course. That's why it's disappointing that they're one of the 31 teams that failed in 2025. Like Ben Johnson said, the Saints are another team. I'll circle, too. Just looking at the nature of that division as well, of a possible first or worst or worst of first, I should say.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, they're not ready yet.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, we'll see.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not yet because they got a really.

[Matt Abeticola]

Good grade on their, their rookie class. You got a. Maybe identified a quarterback that can play for him? Yeah, we'll see. But I'm going to keep this sheet so we can take a look at it at the end of. Or towards the end of next season as well, too.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep, hang on to that. Hang on to that list and our picks right there. What I, I said Ravens, Lions, Chiefs and Bucks. And you had the Cowboys and the Bengals. So neither one of us took the Colts, correct? Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I had Ravens, Bengals, Lions, Cowboys. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. So yeah, neither one of us is a, is a fan then of what the Colts might be doing. Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right. And then I looked at two quarterbacks that had a lot of conversation during the 2025 season, our own Caleb Williams and then the Patriots at Drake May and a lot of talk about the path to the super bowl or the schedule that the Bears ended up with a lot of bum quarterbacks and bad teams. So I wanted to look at the regular seasons for both of Caleb Williams and Drake May and how they did against teams that eventually made the playoffs and against teams that were.500 or better. So looking at Caleb Williams against playoff teams, he had five regular season games against playoff teams, and in those games he threw nine touchdowns and three interceptions against teams that finished with a record of.500 or better. Caleb Williams played nine regular season games. So just over half of the 17 regular season games he played against nine times, teams that were over.500 at the end of the year. And he finished with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. So both really good, really good passing numbers, touchdowns and interceptions against playoff teams and against teams above.500. And of course, we saw over and over again this list of players that Drake May faced and the teams that he faced. Head coaches fired offensive coordinators fired bum quarterbacks that were there getting to play the jets twice, the Dolphins twice. So Drake May, against playoff teams in the regular season, had four games and he was, he had Four touchdowns, two interceptions. So again in the positive, but nothing spectacular. And against teams that were.500 or better, there were three games in the regular season and he had two touchdowns and two interceptions. So just looking at those numbers, I thought it was really interesting. And again we talked about this with the Bears. You can't judge a team based on the schedule they have. They don't pick the schedule, they don't make the schedule. It's just, it's what you get, you know, and going into it, it's the schedule looks one way going into a season. End of the season is really how.

[Dan Bernstein]

You evaluate it every year. Yep.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. Because the Bears ended up with. They were like a middle, I think maybe 15th or 16th strength of schedule at the end of 2025. Because that second half or maybe maybe the bottom third of that was a really tough way to finish the season. They might have had some cupcakes early on that they barely scraped out victories, but they finished the season pretty strong. And you saw how the performance even paired out too on that. Then I looked at both players and their playoff numbers. So obviously more playoff games for Drake May than than Caleb Williams. But neither one really looked good in the playoffs and the playoffs for complete percentage, Caleb Williams at 52%, four touchdowns, five interceptions, a rating of 65.9 in his two games. Drake may rating a little bit higher at just over 82. His completes percentage dropped down from the regular season. 58%, six touchdowns and four interceptions.

[Dan Bernstein]

And we expect that numbers in general are going to be suppressed when you have a better team that is game planning harder frankly as much as, as much as they say, well every game is the same. We know that the playoffs are different.

[Matt Abeticola]

And we also don't know, you know, Drake Mays health how healthy he was for all those playoff games. We know certainly in the super bowl he couldn't throw football. And Will Campbell was playing on one leg too. So that didn't help anything.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I don't know if you heard by the way on, on organizations win championships out of nowhere. And I forgot exactly what started the crash out. But Jason went off on Will Campbell.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh really?

[Dan Bernstein]

And just blamed that whole thing about the injury for only being after the fact and after he was bad. He said that had Will Campbell played well we wouldn't have heard about the fact that he was playing without a knee ligament. That it came off as just cheap excuse making from a guy who absolutely just sucked. And I said, I just, I just let it go. Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Interesting.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that, that he just said don't give me that. You know, if you want to talk about that at some point afterward, after you've been good, that's different. But after you've had one of the worst games we've seen a left tackle play ever in the super bowl. Maybe the, maybe the worst game anyone. Any left tackles ever played in the super bowl, probably and say, oh, well, I had a. I was. My knee ligament was torn. It's like he was, he was just not having any of it.

[Matt Abeticola]

I also saw this on CBS Sports from Tyler Sullivan. He talked about Max Crosby. Had a nice little article about Crosby.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, we've got possible trades and the ones that are doable. Trades aren't doable.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, yeah. So I just wanted to review this real quick because he looked at the. The basis for this. This article was the Cowboys trade of Micah Parsons. What the Cowboys receive, what the packers gave up. And just a refresher on that, a 2026 first round pick, a 2027 first round pick, and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. And so then that netted back the Packers Micah Parsons. So he listed five teams that could possibly make a similar trade to the Raiders to get Max Crosby. And here are the five teams he listed and what they could. What they would be able to give up in order to get Max Crosby. And the three teams I don't want to see get Max Crosby. Here we go. Number one, he has the Eagles giving up 2026 first round pick and a 2027 first round pick. I don't want Max Crosby on the Eagles.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Number two is my vote. No, actually number two, I don't want to see them get anything good. Either is. Number two is the Patriots. He says a 2026 first round pick and a 2026 second round pick and defensive tackle Christian Barmore. Okay, I don't want that just because I don't want anything good for the Patriots. Number three. This is the one I'm fine with. Number three, the Buffalo Bills. I would like to see Max Crosby if he's not in a Bears uniform in a Buffalo Bills jersey. Perfect 2026 and 2027 first round picks and wide receiver Keon Coleman, who no one knows if they drafted him or not. There are two more teams listed in his article that I do not want to see Max Crosby wear their jerseys.

[Dan Bernstein]

Are the Bears one of them?

[Matt Abeticola]

No. Number four are the Seahawks. Don't want that, don't need that. Don't want that. He says they would be able to give up 2026 first and second round picks. For Crosby?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, that they. Why would they do that?

[Matt Abeticola]

I don't know why would they do that? But I don't want to see it happen. I don't want Max Crosby. No, that's Seahawks jersey.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't understand why they did be incentivized to do that. I don't get it.

[Matt Abeticola]

And this one also, I don't want to see Max Crosby in a 49ers jersey where he talks about a 2026 first and 2026 second round pick. So no to the Eagles, no to the Seahawks, no to the Niners Patriots. I just don't want them to have anything good. Fine, if it's going to be one of these five teams. If it's not the Bears. And I don't even want that either, though. I don't want the Bears to give up first round picks, but. So just take that Max Crosby thing out of your brain. The Bills, I'd like to see that. I'd like to see Max Crosby, if he's not with the Raiders, to go to the Bills and then meet Caleb Williams and the Bears in the super bowl and then whoever the left tackle is and right tackle at that point, that can stop him and make him meaningless in the game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Last time we saw Max Crosby, it took a completely improbable Josh Blackwell field goal block to beat that team. Even though the Bears, I think, were the better team. They were. They. They hadn't found themselves quite yet at that point.

[Matt Abeticola]

And was that the game? That, Was that the game where Ozzie Trillo gets into the game? Castillo, Benedict moves over. Didn't Benedict start or do I have that?

[Dan Bernstein]

I think you're right. I. I think you're right. I think that's where they did make those two changes. I would have to reach across the desk here to find my notes.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, no, it's all good. But I think. And they, I thought they acquitted themselves pretty well too. And Tropillo played pretty well. Crosby made his plays. He's going to. But I thought they handled it pretty well. But yeah, I just, I don't want the Bears to get involved in that. We're not trading first round picks. We've talked about this this week enough, how important and valuable it is for the Bears to utilize these picks and rinse and repeat and do what they did with this, the class of 2025.

[Dan Bernstein]

There was one more NFL story I wanted to get to because I'm not. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I guess I'm in between or I'VE got conflicting feelings about the story and this kind of came out of nowhere. But the President of the United States yesterday pardoned five NFL players. Joe Cleo, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon. These were presidential pardons that were announced by Alice Marie Johnson, who is referred to as the pardon czar. She's just like the assistant coach in charge of issuing presidential pardons. So obviously these only apply to federal crimes. You can't pardon state convictions. So she wrote, as football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace and the courage to rise again. So is our nation. Okay? And said the Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones personally shared the news with Cam Newton, who won three Super Bowls with teams at the White House, did not return a request for comment on why these pardons were made. Joe Cleo pleaded guilty to perjury in 1993 after lying to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud. He became a Hall of Famer in 2023. Two time All Pro, four time Pro Bowler. Nate Newton pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge in 2002. And we remember this famously as authorities discovered $10,000 in his pickup truck as well as 175 pounds of marijuana in an accompanying car driven by another man.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's just a weekend man.

[Dan Bernstein]

What you talking about going to say? And Jamal Lewis pleaded guilty in a drug case in which he used a cell phone to try to set up a drug deal not long after he was the fifth pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Travis Henry pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine in 2009 for financing a drug ring that moved the drug between Colorado and Montana. And Billy Cannon admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke. The other pardon that we know of was when Trump pardoned former New York Mets great Darryl Strawberry of tax evasion and drug charges. And I believe he pardoned Brian Urlacher's brother Casey Urlacher, also because he was for bookmaking charges. I don't know. I'm all for second chances and I'm all for the erasure of some of these nonviolent crimes. I won't call them all victimless, but I feel very strongly that drug crimes in this country in large part have been over prosecuted and the laws have been written and enforced in a way that has filled the prisons with people of color disproportionately. So part of me would be pleased to see if, if I thought that these same ideas applied to non football players and applied in General to people. Just because we've had some bad laws on the books and we have some better understanding of how these things go now, I'd feel a lot better, but I just, I don't. There is no benefit of the doubt with this particular regime. And I think if these people weren't football players, this wouldn't receive this kind of attention. But I do believe in pardons. I do believe in second chances. I believe in, in rehabilitation possibilities. But I always look askance at some of these, like why this guy instead of other people who are less famous. And also for somebody who has gone out of their. His way to pardon actual violent criminals and everyone who participated in one of the greatest stains on this country's history, and that was January 6th. That I always will think about pardons without being wholeheartedly supportive. And that goes for any president who's done this, whether it was Bill Clinton pardoning some pretty gross criminals. I don't have the list of the specific names in front of me, but I always try to judge them on their merits.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, I mean, the good news for these five, was it four? How many are still alive? Five.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, four that are alive. Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

So the four that are still alive, there's a really good chance they could end up working for the government, maybe the Department of Justice. So congratulations to them on their pardons.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is true. Yeah. Now they would have a possibility to go to work.

[Matt Abeticola]

Second career. Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Mm.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I mean he hands up pardons like he eats, you know, Big Macs.

[Dan Bernstein]

So I was trying to be, trying to be fair. And if in fact I thought that this was an indication of a more graceful approach to prosecution and crime and the for profit prison system, etcetera, I would feel differently, but I, I don't think it's that. No, it's not. No. I know any who.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, hey, thank you for being a part of Ford Progress today.

[Dan Bernstein]

We. Well, it's my, it's my job. I.

[Matt Abeticola]

You. You. Them.

[Dan Bernstein]

You use. Oh, you use with the s. Use guys.

[Matt Abeticola]

Use guys that are end up going to the jewels after this.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. And we will be here Monday through Friday talking football, bears, NFL, anything that happens with the Bears, you know where to be and it's right here on Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast on 312 Sports for Progress has stopped.

[Matt Abeticola]

Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Burke Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.

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