The Bears should seriously consider any offers for Tyson Bagent

Summary

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Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode: "The Bears should seriously consider any offers for Tyson Bagent"

Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Date: February 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan and Matt break down the recent Chicago Bears coaching staff updates, discuss NFL player movement rumors, and dig into a particularly interesting story: whether the Bears should consider trading backup quarterback Tyson Bagent if teams like the Arizona Cardinals come calling. The hosts bring their trademark mix of sharp analysis and easy banter, mixing Bears-specific chatter with league-wide observations, personnel moves, and a few offbeat tangents.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bears Coaching Staff Updates (02:12–04:54)

• Recent coaching hires include Will Long as offensive analyst and Isaiah Ford as offensive quality control coach.
  • Matt jokes about the possible double meaning of “offensive analyst.”
• Press Taylor is officially named offensive coordinator, replacing Declan Doyle who’s joined Baltimore and made comments about unlocking Lamar Jackson’s “higher ceiling.”

Notable Quote

"He might be an Analyst who just offends everybody!"
— Dan Bernstein [02:31]

2. Former Bears Coaches Resurface (05:11–09:33)

• Zach Azani, former Bears WR coach, now holds the same position with the Raiders.
• Nostalgic debate about the infamous Kevin White situation and Azani’s unconventional approach to reviewing old college highlight tapes with players.

Notable Quote

"I just did not expect to see the name of former Bears wide receiver coach Zach Azani again today."
— Dan Bernstein [09:18]

3. Caleb Williams Podcast Rumors (09:33–10:44)

• Brief examination of a podcast where potential Bears draft target Caleb Williams chatted with a prospective teammate. Dan and Matt agree the pod was more a feel-good bromance than any meaningful recruitment effort.

Notable Quote

"So many player pods are just like, ‘Hey, you’re really good!’ ‘Yeah, you’re good, too!’"
— Dan Bernstein [10:30]

4. Tyson Bagent Trade Rumor – Main Segment (10:44–14:15)

• Reports link the Arizona Cardinals to interest in Tyson Bagent as a backup or potential lottery ticket.
• Both hosts immediately agree: be open to any reasonable offer.
• Dan: “Make me an offer.” [11:07]
• Strong consensus: A fourth-round pick for an undrafted backup would be a major win.
• Skepticism that the Cardinals (or anyone) have enough film or information on Bagent to make such a deal with confidence.

Notable Quotes

"If you can turn somebody undrafted into a fourth [round pick]… Yeah, that’s a massive win."
— Dan Bernstein [11:57]

"That's my first thought: 'Yeah, what's the offer? When do you need him at the airport?'"
— Matt Abbatacola [11:09]

Timestamps

• [10:44] – Rumor surfaces about Cardinals’ interest in Bagent.
• [11:07] – Dan: "Make me an offer."
• [11:31–12:48] – Debate on appropriate draft pick compensation and Bagent's value.

5. Player “Change of Scenery” List (14:15–21:32)

• Host Matt discusses Aaron Schatz’s off-season list: one player per NFL team who needs a new start.
• Bears’ pick: OL Kiran Amegadjie—met with shrugs; both agree he's underwhelmed.
• Picks from the NFC North:
  • Lions: David Montgomery (due to age/cap hit)
  • Packers: Quay Walker
  • Vikings: J.J. McCarthy (called “tough but maybe true”)

Timestamps

• [14:30] – Introduction of the offseason list.
• [15:01–16:52] – Guessing the Bears entry, segueing into OL discussion.
• [18:43–19:34] – Other NFC North names.

6. Intriguing NFL Talent Moves (21:32–27:29)

• Matt shares standouts from the change-of-scenery list relevant to Chicago:
  • Keon Coleman (WR, Buffalo): Young talent, potentially appealing.
  • Breece Hall (RB, open to tag), Nick Herbig (EDGE, PIT), Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, JAX), Jonathan Brooks (RB, CAR): An array of possible targets for teams needing “the next thing.”
  • Special focus on Nick Herbig’s high pass rush win-rate despite rotational role.

Notable Quote

"I loved him [Keon Coleman] out of college. I just think he’s fun… he’s talented as hell."
— Dan Bernstein [22:24]

7. Thoughts on Veteran Wide Outs and Bears WR Room (25:36–28:12)

• Brandon Aiyuk and Mike Evans mentioned as potential veteran additions; Dan firmly against old “patchwork” Bears moves.
• Hopes for development from in-house youth and recent draftees Luther Burden and Rome Odunze.

Notable Quote

"I just want more Luther Burden… between Loveland and Burden and what we’re still expecting Roma Dunes A to do, DJ Moore is here… That to me smacks of old Bears stuff."
— Dan Bernstein [27:16]

8. Roster Names & Bears-wide Tangents (28:12–32:19)

• Side conversations about Mahomes' contract restructuring and the Bears stadium saga—cautioning listeners against hyped political narratives.

Notable Quote

"Don’t believe half the hype that you’re hearing about… the Bears have been playing three-dimensional chess this entire time. No, they really haven’t."
— Dan Bernstein [31:11]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Zach Azani:
  "He was watching college film. He was being weird." — Dan Bernstein [39:59]

• On how fleeting NFL careers and evaluations can be:
  "Sometimes, because somebody really knows what they're doing, they can deploy somebody at the right times against the right matchups... there's a lot of bad free agent money that can be spent chasing some guys like that."
  — Dan Bernstein [23:38]

• On old Bears strategies for wide receivers:
  "That to me smacks of like old Bears stuff that they would do. Trying to just take some old, old guy."
  — Dan Bernstein [27:29]

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Useful Timestamps

• 02:12: Bears coaching/news updates: staff titles, coordinator moves
• 05:11: Nostalgic Azani/Kevin White/receiver room discussion
• 09:33: Caleb Williams “bro-love” podcast segment
• 10:44: Start of Tyson Bagent/Arizona trade rumors
• 14:30: Offseason “change of scenery” player list
• 21:32: League-wide player movement speculation
• 25:36: Veteran WRs and Bears’ current receiver group
• 28:12: Mahomes’ contract restructure/Bears stadium politics

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Tone & Language

Unfiltered, humorous, and rooted in long-standing Windy City sports knowledge. The hosts are irreverent, open to tangents, but always loop back to football and the Bears—never afraid to poke fun at themselves, their memories, or football’s many ironies.

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Summary Takeaways

• The Bears are making incremental but possibly important coaching staff changes.
• If real interest exists in Tyson Bagent, the Bears should absolutely listen—turning an undrafted free agent into a Day 3 pick is “a massive win.”
• League-wide, there are always players whose careers could be resurrected by fresh starts, but the Bears need to avoid falling into old habits—especially at wide receiver.
• The episode balances sharp football talk with breezy, entertaining sidebars; perfect for diehards or more casual Bears fans alike.

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Transcript

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[Matt Abaticola]

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[Dan Bernstein]

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[Dan Bernstein]

Or sleepnumber.com Record sales have not exactly been stellar.

[Matt Abaticola]

Look, I need this tour.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's the only place I feel like I can breathe again.

[Matt Abaticola]

Based on the incredible true story I'm Tim. I'm Mark's Warm up. It's my first tour this Friday. I just want write something that helps people. You will never understand what I'm going through.

[Dan Bernstein]

Imagine what God can do again. Whatever you're going through, you're never alone.

[Matt Abaticola]

God is in fire and it is beautiful.

[Dan Bernstein]

I can only imagine two Only in theaters Friday. Ready PG I mean if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking forward Progress. Come on. 10. 219 219.

[Matt Abaticola]

Forward Progress Chicago Bears Podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

You want forward progress awarded to you. You know you do and you have that here on 312 Sports. Dan Bernstein, Matt Abaticola. We follow all things related to your Chicago Bears. Even now, even now when there are little wisps of news and notes and things, we make sure that you don't miss anything that is happening with your Bears or anything that we find interesting around the NFL that you may as.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well yeah, there's some minor Bears news or notes to just mention and share and of course several things to go through in the NFL. But we'll start with we finally have a title for our guy. Will Long, we've been wondering what is lying going to do for your Chicago Bears?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, Goodwill Long, who is was a longtime friend of Ben Johnson. He is going to be, it says, an offensive analyst here on Pro Football Talk. And it's either he's going to be an offensive analyst or he's just going to be an offensive analyst. He might be an Analyst who just offends everybody. Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

He could like walk through the hallways and like critique people's clothing and be.

[Dan Bernstein]

Real offensive about it or just be offensive. You're fucking ugly. I'm analyzing your face. Thanks.

[Matt Abaticola]

That got really aggressive.

[Dan Bernstein]

Thank. Thanks, Will. Thanks. He's, you know, he is the offensive analyst.

[Matt Abaticola]

Going to the kitchen and criticize the chefs for the food they're making the team throw across the kitchen.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. This is third rate dog food. And he chucks it off the back wall. Well, you know, he, he is an offensive analyst. They've also hired an offensive quality control coach too.

[Matt Abaticola]

Offensive.

[Dan Bernstein]

Offensive, yes. Isaiah Ford, who I think is that if that's the same Isaiah Ford. He has been a fringe NFL wide receiver going back all the way to 2017. He was a seventh round pick of the Dolphins and he's been sort of one of these practice squad guys in various places and waived by teams and sticks with teams and goes to other teams and his. Whatever that career was finished out with The Bears in 2023. He was placed on injured where he was released in camp on September 6th.

[Matt Abaticola]

So Isaiah Ford, offensive quality control. Will lying goodwill, lying offensive analyst.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it is official also that press Taylor for more options has been named offensive coordinator. That is now official. So he'll replace Declan Doyle. And Declan Doyle making news. The former Bears offensive coordinator is now telling people that he has. He sees a higher ceiling to Lamar Jackson's game. Declan stepping out, earn any throws he can't make. He's armed, talented, a higher ceiling. Guy's MVP twice. He has room to grow and I feel very ready to do it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And despite being the youngest offensive play caller in the league at 29, he feels that his age is a great benefit. That he can relate better to the players than someone who might be 10, 15, 20 years older. He knows what life is like for a 29 year old. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I mean once you get to a certain age, we've all been. We've all been 29. There was another former Bears coach in the news. Apparently the Raiders are the place where everybody who has coached for the Bears will end up in some capacity. The Raiders remember this name. Do you remember Zach Azani who was the Bears wide receivers coach in. In 2017?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I don't see.

[Dan Bernstein]

I remember that name and now I can't remember why. There was a reason.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, he was the Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, but there was.

[Matt Abaticola]

Coach.

[Dan Bernstein]

You just said I. But I. The only reason I remember the name is I remember something specific.

[Matt Abaticola]

Where he do something bad. Did he do something good.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think we were making fun of him.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Because that was so. That was my first year not working in radio. So I didn't really follow just outside the games. I don't even. I didn't know. I had no idea. If you would have said to me, what did Zach Hassani ever do? I would have never known.

[Dan Bernstein]

I guarantee you there is somebody who is going to remember. And please email me at [e-mail] if you can remember why a decade ago I was making fun of Zach Azani. I know it was a quote. Or was it something about Kevin White? I think there was something regarding the questions about Kevin White's availability and whether or not he was hurt. Does that make sense? Hmm. Because remember he had the weird press conference and then there was weird stuff on Twitter when he was hurt, but he wasn't saying he was hurt.

[Matt Abaticola]

How do you spell his last name?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, wait, here it is. I found something. Got it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

This is from the Athletic because Kevin White had his best practice of training camp. This is a Kevin Fishbane thing from August of 2017. All seemed well until his press conference and he said, believe none of what you hear and half of what you see. People take a story and run with it. That's how I feel about some things. I would tell you a secret and by the time it got through everybody, it wouldn't be the same. That's really it. There was an anecdote from his wide receivers coach, Zach Azani, who told reporters about watching White's West Virginia highlight film because the third year receiver forgets about that sometimes, saying the Bears were trying to remind Kevin White he was once good at football. White said the highlight viewing was Kendall Wright's idea and involved White, Wright and Victor Cruz. We wanted to watch each other's college film reminiscing. And then White said on the scores, Bernstein and Goff show, Azani was in the back of the room scripting plays when Wright suggested watching White's college tape. What?

[Matt Abaticola]

Wow. He was just the coach there one year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Interesting. Okay. Well, that's. I knew there was something there.

[Matt Abaticola]

So what's he doing for the Raiders?

[Dan Bernstein]

He's wide receivers coach.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, he is a wide receivers coach?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is he watching college game film or is he going to watch NFL stuff?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know, but I don't. So we had Kevin White, apparently. Apparently I talked to Kevin White with Jason Goff at the time, trying to figure out what was going on.

[Matt Abaticola]

So, like, are the Raiders going to be in a team meeting, and it's like, hey, Coach, what do you got for us? He's like, well, I watched your game film from college seven years ago, and, yeah, things were. I guess that's a new strategy. I think he was also part of. Also part of developing Joe Montana.

[Dan Bernstein]

McCarthy. Anybody can just claim that now.

[Matt Abaticola]

Zach Assani and Mike McCarthy, Joe Montana, the man that he was, and that's.

[Dan Bernstein]

What got him the job. All right. I just. I did not expect to see the name of former Bears wide receiver coach Zach Azani again today. And I'm glad. Thank you. I'm glad. Kevin Fishbane, at the time documented In August of 2017 exactly what was going on.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's why he's a good man. And then you saw that Caleb Williams was with a potential new teammate and.

[Dan Bernstein]

His podcast, you know, I did see that, and I saw the podcast ran over an hour, and my expectation just sort of coming in this morning, knowing I didn't have an hour to listen to the whole thing, I'm like, look, if there's headlines there, we're going to know. Obviously, there's going to be anything explosive or anything along the lines of him luring him to say, hey, if you come and you make yourself available in a trade, and we can do this and we can do that. I don't know. But it sure sounds like nothing really happened on the pod.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's what it sounds like.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unless there's something.

[Matt Abaticola]

I haven't listened to the whole thing. No, I just. I saw some highlights. People put little portions of the podcast out for, you know, little tidbits, and lot of. A lot of bro love, and a lot of it sounds like a really good, strong bromance. So.

[Dan Bernstein]

So many player pods are just like.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hey, you're really good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you're good, too. You're awesome. No, you're. I want trade shirts. Yeah, here you go. I'll send. It's. If it's a lot of that, I'm good.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I think that's all it was, but maybe I. I'll give it a listen here this afternoon. I got some stuff to do that I can sit and listen to something good. And then you saw the story, and I don't know how legitimate it is coming out of Arizona that there. There could possibly be some intrigue or interest from the Arizona Cardinals for Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent.

[Dan Bernstein]

Make me an offer.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's the first thing I said without even getting deeper into the story to see if it's even legitimate, if it's really coming from the Cardinals or if this was a sports talk guy that said, hey, we need a change in our quarterback room. And that guy they got up there in Chicago is pretty good backup. My first thought was, yeah, what's the offer? What's the offer? And when do you need him at the airport?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I would like to. I'd like to know the offer before. I don't know that I would do it for a seventh.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, would you. Would you do it for a fourth round pick?

[Dan Bernstein]

Hmm, probably.

[Matt Abaticola]

I mean, this is an. He's an undrafted free agent that you like enough to give a decent contract for a backup quarterback.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but that's a massive win if you can turn somebody undrafted into a fourth. Yeah, yeah, I would. I mean, maybe if it's the Cardinals, who knows with. Because he's under contract. God, how would they know? How would a team even know? I've seen enough. You've got what, three games and.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, because I don't know plates. He played some in 23. He played for seven minutes last year in the Lions game when they got motorboated. He came in the final seven minutes. I don't know how you would know enough talk around league and guys know each other and I, I don't know. I don't know how you feel confident enough to say, yeah, we'll give you a fourth round pick for an undrafted.

[Dan Bernstein]

Quarterback who's played three games that you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like enough, that you've given a pretty decent contract to for a guy who's undrafted.

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe they just listened to Chris Collinsworth call that one game where it was just bizarre.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. But I'm curious.

[Dan Bernstein]

Needs to really watch this guy. He. They got to sit him down and show him how to play because this guy. Come on, man.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I'm curious to know, like, where, where this came from. If you know, if it's just a sports talk thing or a TV thing or if there generally is intrigue from the Arizona Cardinals about your backup quarterback.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. And I wouldn't know how they would know to say yes. Who would put their ass on the line in that regard to that extent for your quarterback. Like, how would somebody be able to say, I am going to attach my name to this move and bring him in as a starter. It's one thing, yeah, we want him as a backup or we want him to compete for a job. I don't know why you would give up a draft pick to have somebody as a backup.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. Because you can't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Weird.

[Matt Abaticola]

You can't follow the story and say, all Right. Maybe there's someone there who at the time when he was drafted was interested or wanted him with every team he was involved in taking him. The Bears took him first. Well, no one took him. So there was no interest anywhere because no one took him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or he would have offered him more money to sign. As there's, there's ways to. I, I know there's competition for undrafted free agents at times, but I don't know what there was for him. And I don't know if a guy's like, well, if I'm. Before I'm done in this league, I gotta have a look at this guy Tyson. You know, I, I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I don't know. I don't know either. But yeah, we'll keep an eye on it, see if anything, anything further develops from that because I would be interested in hearing what an offer would be. I saw an espn. Aaron Schatz had a. You know how much I love my off season lists.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know you do.

[Matt Abaticola]

I really do. And he put together A list of 32 players, one from each team. A player who needs a change of scenery for a myriad of reasons. Maybe they never developed. Maybe a new staff could unlock some full potential. Maybe a guy who just isn't getting the opportunity or playing time that maybe he could. He deserves.

[Dan Bernstein]

And this is in the interests of the player, not in the interests of the team.

[Matt Abaticola]

Interest of the player not in the team.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I just wanted to take a look and share some names with you. I wanted to start with the Bears and then the Bears division and then I went through all 32. And I want to throw out a.

[Dan Bernstein]

Few other players for you because I will tell you that that guy on the Bears last year was Terrell Smith. Like, that was the guy I picked. Absolutely. Looking at that and saying, because so many experts that said he could be starting elsewhere and they kept getting him on the field for certain series and of course he, he blew out his knee. I think it was. Yeah. Before the season even started. But that's, that was the kind of guy really. Look, they're deep at this position. This guy might not get his chance. I'm going to guess who. Who I. Yeah, do you have a.

[Matt Abaticola]

Guess who's, who's the, who's the Bears player? He identified as a guy that, that's never developed and maybe a new staff could unlock some potential for him.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think the guy's developed a little, but he has a bit of a checkered history. And this, I thought if this was going to Happen. It was going to happen last year because the first name I'm considering is Tyreek Stevenson is a guy who isn't necessarily scheme specific, who could go elsewhere and is believed to have the talent to develop into a reliable starting corner.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a very good guess. And one of the first names I thought of when I saw what his actual name was selection for the Bears. It was a bit underwhelming.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it? What was. What was the name of the kid they drafted out of Michigan State? Luke, the interior lineman. Newton.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is it Newton?

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is that him? Is that the right name?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't even know.

[Matt Abaticola]

But it's not him, though. But you're on the right. You're in the Newman. Newman. Yeah, you're right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Luke Newman.

[Matt Abaticola]

But it's not him. But you're in the right unit. You got the unit correct. You're good with units.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. Is it because of their final game? Is it the. The kid they started, what was his name? Jerome McFadden or Jordan? Jordan McFadden. It is not around. I know.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it's. It's a guy that I thought they would be done with and I'm surprised even still there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not Ryan Bates? Nope.

[Matt Abaticola]

See, he shouldn't even be there. You can't even think of him anymore. He shouldn't want to say he was a third round pick offensive lineman.

[Dan Bernstein]

A third round pick.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is he third or fourth?

[Dan Bernstein]

Who?

[Matt Abaticola]

Amagaji?

[Dan Bernstein]

Ooh. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was very underwhelming when I got to the name.

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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like I don't know who in the league would say, yeah, I want to take a swing at this guy, maybe make him a guard or something.

[Dan Bernstein]

And you know, Karen, I'm a guy J. I get it. Only because. But I don't. Were there other teams that would have taken him where the Bears did?

[Matt Abaticola]

I thought wrong too.

[Dan Bernstein]

I thought that was just like a.

[Matt Abaticola]

Polls because what was your third or third or fourth? I can't remember.

[Dan Bernstein]

Third, I think.

[Matt Abaticola]

Third?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Third round, I thought, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like I see this, you know, smart, technically gifted guy at Yale who might not overpower people or have ideal, you know, strength, speed, size to be a tackle.

[Matt Abaticola]

So let's try him as a guard and yeah, work out either.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

So yeah, I thought it was a little underwhelming, but staying, staying in the division he has and this is going to be hard just because I think of his age and his cap hit. But David Montgomery is the player he selected for the Lions just because he wasn't getting as much opportunity and that. Who is it? Sonic.

[Dan Bernstein]

And yeah, he's not as good as Jameer Gibbs. Right. He said that early, early, early. I think after the Bears game. I think it might have been game or it might have been the Bears game where I said they talk about their one, two punch. This is a one, one, one, one one punch. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's 28 and his cap hit for the 26 season is 8.8 million. So very similar to what.

[Dan Bernstein]

DeAndre Swift.

[Matt Abaticola]

DeAndre Swift is right. Wasn't he just over eight?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I don't, I don't know. I don't know who would, who would do that at that high. But at 28 years old, Green Bay packers player he picked was Quay Walker and for Minnesota. So a guy that needs a change of scenery. J.J. mcCarthy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ouch.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that's tough. That was a tough one.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. It's not necessarily wrong.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's not wrong. But here he is going into his third season. Missed his entire first season last year was not good. Showed some flashes. I just, I can't see them getting rid of him now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do you?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I think, I think he has one more year of opportunity and then that's it.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know, now that they fired the gm, I don't know, like there could be a power struggle up there based around just that call, you know. And I'm looking at Montgomery right here he is right at drop off time. If you look at he, he. If you look at seven years, yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

He could give a team a year of some good productivity, not as the main back or it could just drop off the cliff right now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, some guys right there you see the name and you're like that dude. Like I saw the name Amir Abdullah. Like is that the same Amir Abdullah? It's in the league still. And sometimes those guys are able to keep squeezing, especially if they're really responsible pass protectors and pass catchers and. Or special teams. Gu. But he this stage now with his workload, he's had 1477 attempts in his seven years. That's a lot.

[Matt Abaticola]

I still think if there's a team out there that feels they have a chance to win a Super bowl this year and you could have him in as your veteran guy because he is good on past assignments and blocking assignments as well. And if you're not expecting him to be the main guy, I think he would take a flyer at a team to win a. Win a championship.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, he'll have a chance if the.

[Matt Abaticola]

Lions don't want him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he'll definitely have a job. Hell, he could. He could probably just sit around and wait to the end of training camp for everybody to be hurt and then he'd. He'd increase his value relatively. But he. It looks. I mean, usually you get somebody who is at his age with his workload and his collegiate workload.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Which was, which was not light. I don't know. Some people defy it sometimes you get your Frank Gore types out there where it doesn't seem to matter. Your Otis Anderson's where it doesn't seem to matter, but generally it does. And you don't want to pay that kind of money.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, here's some other names that he had listed. And I wanted to look at wide receiver, running back Edge Guy, specifically about the Bears. All right, so one wide receiver you mentioned from Buffalo is Keon Coleman. We know the, the controversy and story about that second round guy, 22 years old.

[Dan Bernstein]

I love him.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a possibility.

[Dan Bernstein]

I loved him out of college. I don't know if he fits with the Bears. I just. I just think he's fun. I know he's flighty. He's not the most reliable, perhaps in some ways, but he's talented as hell.

[Matt Abaticola]

How about this running back? If he doesn't get the franchise tag, which I think he will end up getting, that is Breece hall, second round guy, 24 years old.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

If something were to happen with DeAndre Swift, this is an interesting name from Pittsburgh, Nick Herbig. So linebacker Edge Guy. So I didn't know this about Herbig. He led the league last year, dan, with a 26.3% pass rush win rate, had seven and a half sacks. And you know how many snaps he played last year? Because of course, he's behind T.J. watt and Alex Highsmith, 52% of the snaps.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because he's. They've got wadded Highsmith. They're using him as like that third? Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's a rotational guy. Yeah. Fourth round pick, 24 years old.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, mistakes have been made in years past when you take the percentage production of somebody like that and presume that given more time that that's going to translate. When Sometimes. And sometimes it's because of that. Sometimes because somebody really knows what they're Doing can deploy somebody at the right times against the right matchups in the right situations that that is what that player is and that's that there's a lot of bad free agent money that is. That can be spent on, on chasing some guys like that. But I don't know. I think you'd have to know about him. Your pro scouting people would have to know what kind of fit he's going to be and you've got to know whether or not the guys in front of him are likely to be hurt before you decide he's going to go.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right. Wide receiver from Jacksonville. I thought this was interesting. Brian Thomas Jr. First round guy, 23 years old, LSU given given some of the development of other wide receivers especially in the last half of the second half of the season last year for the Jaguars could maybe find Brian Thomas looking for a new team? Possibly. Here's a running back that I think isn't someone to keep an eye on too is running back Jonathan Brooks, second round pick, 22 years old. He is set to make 2.3 million.

[Dan Bernstein]

In 2026 and the Panthers had two guys ahead of him, right?

[Matt Abaticola]

They did.

[Dan Bernstein]

They had Shuba Hubbard and there was another guy ahead of him but they are. He was a Texas kid this interesting. He was a played seven games as a red shirt freshman behind B John Robinson and Roshan Johnson. Okay. I don't. I don't know much. He sounds like a guy is what he sounds like.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well he sounds like a guy that has some potential and at 22 years old at 2.3 million just to see what happens with him and then what about and this guy, you know John lynch already said he's not going to play another snap. His contract's been voided out. So Brandon Iuk as a wide receiver.

[Dan Bernstein]

Running back as well.

[Matt Abaticola]

Did they run him out of the backfield?

[Dan Bernstein]

I thought so. I thought he was one of these multi purpose guys. I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think yeah you're right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah you're right or maybe they had done that opportunities with in San Francisco when they were using everybody when it was like you know yeah, yeah Brandon Iuk they were just sort of. You didn't know where they were lining.

[Matt Abaticola]

Up but to think that that's where he's at right now given what he did like two years ago and I know he had a devastating knee injury but yeah it's just a guy to keep an eye on and then this other name to a guy I've always loved but this is a veteran guy I Don't know where he'll end up, but he is confirmed he's coming back for a 13th season. Is Mike Evans.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nah, nah.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think you know where I think he ends up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hall of Fame.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, besides that, I think he ends up playing a season with Buffalo and Josh Allen.

[Dan Bernstein]

And they'll lose Keon Coleman. Yeah, well, that it might make sense for a team like that. I don't know that it makes sense for the Bears at the moment. I just want more Luther Burden. I think between Loveland and Burden and what we are still expecting Roma Dunes A to do, DJ Moore is here. Yeah, I'm not. I don't know. That's. That to me smacks of like old Bears stuff that they would do. Trying to just take.

[Matt Abaticola]

Bring back that veteran guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Some old, old guy. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I would. I will. Yeah. And he was still a little productive. I want to see though, what happens with DJ Moore, because after that, after Luther and Rome and dj, whatever happens there, I want to see some change in that wide receiver room. And even if that means JJ Walker gets more opportunity and more time in the rotation. But you know, I want to see another guy in there outside of duvernay and Hands over there. What's his name?

[Dan Bernstein]

It was a guy that couldn't catch DuVernay and Hands. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

What the. Why can't I remember his name now?

[Dan Bernstein]

Because it's been too long.

[Matt Abaticola]

Number 14, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Talking about Olamide Zaki. Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oz.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oz, yes. Hands. You know that guy you bring in a Buddy Ryan over here? Oh, you know, we got 50 and 99. He's pretty good.

[Matt Abaticola]

Buddy.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know, these are all hall of Famers.

[Matt Abaticola]

You got Hands.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's my guy. Hands.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hands. Not Hans or Hams. Well, well, well. Hans.

[Matt Abaticola]

You see, the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes restructured his. His contract.

[Dan Bernstein]

I did see that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. So they converted. Well, I got the numbers here. 54.45 million of his 26 salary into a signing bonus bonus. So that lowers the cap hit to 34.65, creating almost 44 million in cap space. So they'd been 57 million over the cap with this.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ultimately, you got to pay for this too, right? You can't just do this for free and create it out of whole cloth like some of the Bears stadium plans.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, yeah, that's all going to be funded by ticket sales, so it's fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're just going to borrow against all the ticket sales the fans are going to pay for the stadium. Come on over.

[Matt Abaticola]

You mentioned that before, wasn't that the process that this guy developed? Wasn't it for like selling tickets to other things too, not just the Bears. Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was the whole sales event.

[Matt Abaticola]

Sales.

[Dan Bernstein]

There was some kind of Lou Weissbach gimmick that was like his thing that I don't know if it worked on a small scale or there were some people who liked it for certain things. But the idea of building an NFL stadium based on borrowing against what the fans themselves would spend I thought was a little.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it just sounded like a Ponzi scheme or something weird. I mean just didn't sound legit.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I, I, I think when all is said and done and this is a big week, I guess if we're talking about with the Bears in the stadium because as much as they're trying to sort of jawbone momentum into the talks so you notice these headlines like Bears have momentum. The Bears are they they did it. This gambit that they were. They said oh Indiana, they want us. And now you got to get into this. Arlington Heights held their pep. You know this is all pretty much the normal course of business. Don't believe half the hype that you're hearing about all of now. The Bears have momentum and the Bears have been playing three dimensional chess this entire time. No, they really haven't. This has all been slow walked in Springfield because they've been told it hasn't been a high priority. And even now they're at the committee level and it's reasonable to think that some discussions will pick up. But they were supposed to be shovels on the ground in 2025.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And if I checked. Yeah, I checked earlier today. It's February of 26.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't really hear anything about boy the Bears outsmarted the governor and all of the in Cam Buckner and these legislators that wanted to safeguard the taxpayer dollar. The Bears have them over a barrel now. They rolled Jim Hendry's old barrel on down the down the hallway as Jim's not using it anymore. That's you know, Jim loved to negotiate against himself and he'd put himself over the barrel. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

The barrels bourbon now though.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well he would, he would get himself over that barrier. He had a tube coming out of the barrel, the corner of his mouth. But there's old Jim rolling down the hall. That an exercise ball? Nope, that's his barrel. He negotiates against himself. We There goes Jim.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hey, I just saw this in the Olympics. Canada beats Chechia 4 to 3 in overtime in men's hockey.

[Dan Bernstein]

Overtime scare for Canada It's Czechia. Right, Czechia. Is that the former Czech Republic?

[Matt Abaticola]

So I thought it was. Yeah. Is it Czechia?

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it Chechya? Because it's not Chechnya.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, not Chechnya. Oh, it was Chechia.

[Dan Bernstein]

Speaking of which, I forgot to remind me.

[Matt Abaticola]

I gotta get back. Sidney Crosby got hurt and he left the game.

[Dan Bernstein]

How bad? I don't know. Ooh, thanks for letting me know. Can I ask one other thing real quick? Can I get a ruling on something? Did you see the skater? The woman from Georgia, from the country of Georgia, who did her routine last night, the short program to, like the Bollywood?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, yes, I saw it.

[Dan Bernstein]

She was wearing a bindi.

[Matt Abaticola]

She was.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's not right, is it?

[Matt Abaticola]

Do you think that's. Is that, like, offensive for the.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'd like to wear it as a costume. Yes. I think the cultural appropriation has certainly many gray areas. But I thought the bindi, which is part of, as I remember, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, representing that. The third eye chakra. I didn't think that was supposed to be used as part of costumes. I thought that was sort of sacrosanct.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I don't know. I can't give you a ruling. I don't know. But I did see it and it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, oh, look at me. I'm dancing in Hollywood. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

So. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then because I said something and, you know, Beth was saying, well, we don't know what her religion is. You know, it's possible she's. Or Buddhist or. But you know her. My guess is she isn't. But I don't know. I just. I'm really curious as to whether or not any of our listeners out there who might be.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, look at. Look it up here. I just wanted to react from yesterday's too.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yesterday's show here, Forward Progress, we kind of got off the. Off the rails a little bit at the end. And we had.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, more than a little.

[Matt Abaticola]

There was a commenter on our YouTube channel for forward Progress. Make sure you subscribe to that and like it. All that stuff he says. You guys are confusing. Cy Sperling, the Hair Club for Men guy, who is not only the president, he was also a client.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

With Si Sims.

[Dan Bernstein]

Si Sims from Sims, where I used.

[Matt Abaticola]

To buy my suits and where an educated customer is our best customer. Remember that?

[Dan Bernstein]

Not specifically, but kind of. And. And there was also a reminder that the local guy I was thinking of with the Steven Averos commercials, Paul Finnamar, was the Hairline Creations.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, he was Paul Finnimar, Cinemar Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

I remember that guy. He had, if I remember, he had like a Rick Patino vibe.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, he did.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

He did.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, he did look like Rick Patino, remember? Yes, I do. I'm trying to look up an answer here. If I give you a ruling.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm just. It's very hard for me to remember. Exactly.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. I wasn't really paying attention too much of the hairline creation commercials.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I never thought it was something that I was going to have to do. But I remember it was a younger Paul Finimar and there were some. There were all kinds of issues there. If I remember correctly, there was some sort of story where his name came up in some investigation or something. I don't know. I don't want to get too far out over my skis on this.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. So interesting, Dan, what you bring up there because there's a little article about appreciation versus appropriation. Context matters. Wearing it to traditional Indian events, wedding or festival is usually viewed as respectful as a way to fit in. Wearing one to a music festival or daily fashion accessory without, for example, wearing it in traditional attire is more likely to seem problematic now. I mean, she was. Yeah, I can't say that was traditional attire because it's a figure skating outfit but designed to look like traditional attire. I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know either.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a good question to ask maybe someone who is of that religion.

[Dan Bernstein]

My other question is, are they allowed if a. If a figure skater, if a woman figure skater, any figure skater wants to wear athletic attire, are they allowed or is it mandatory that you wear a tiny little dress?

[Matt Abaticola]

It is not. Because someone. We watched someone. And I don't remember what event it was, if it was a singles or a couple pairs event but a woman had pants on, could you.

[Dan Bernstein]

But could you wear like a speed skater skin tight suit?

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know. But there was one skater had pants on because Natalie highlighted, made a point of it. She was like, oh, she's wearing pants. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

So okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, you can.

[Dan Bernstein]

I was just curious about that if they. If you had to wear a dress.

[Matt Abaticola]

But I think something to do with the flowing of the. The bottom of it in the dance. Ice dancing kind of makes it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, well, ice dancing might be different, but in the actual figure skating part, I just wondered if it does make everything look better to the judges or if that's on the judges that they would have to adjust for that. If somebody wanted to wear the. The skin tight slip through the air speed skating suit to give you aerodynamically the opportunity to spin with less resistance. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think even in the figure skating, when they do the jumps and they spin, I mean, the skirt makes. I think, adds an element to it as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Maybe speed skaters should be able to wear dresses.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

I don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. I'm just. These are the questions I ask.

[Matt Abaticola]

Or nothing.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. Well, I was just enjoying the big air.

[Matt Abaticola]

I would. If I was a figure skater, like in a couple's event, I would wear like a robe.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like. Like Jeff Lebowski.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Come out like the Big Lebowski.

[Dan Bernstein]

Carrying an open container of half and half.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. Skate with that. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or actually a White Russian in your hand.

[Matt Abaticola]

That'd be even better.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's a beverage here. Yeah. That work?

[Matt Abaticola]

And I was watching some show the other day and there was a scene at a bar and a guy sits down and orders a Black Russian.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Wouldn't you rather have a Black Russian?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I just. God, heaven.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. That's just Kahlua and vodka without the cream, right? Correct.

[Matt Abaticola]

But I just. I haven't seen that since, God, the 90s at the racetrack. I ordered one. But that's like an old guy at the racetrack, like not a modern day TV show. No one's drinking.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but old drinks. Those drinks always come back.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like a Harvey Wallbanger.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Or a Tom Collins or what? The Moscow Mule came back. Mules got really popular.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, it's because of the copper cups, which you kind of.

[Dan Bernstein]

People get like a slow gin fizz, you know, Or a. A Gibson guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

I used to have a guy order a Rusty Nail at the track.

[Dan Bernstein]

A gimlet.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, vodka gimlet or gin gimlet?

[Dan Bernstein]

That's all you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yuck. Yucky.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, thank you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I'm good with my sparkling water.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, so we have a title for Goodwill Long. We have an official title.

[Matt Abaticola]

And a nickname.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, and a nickname And. And a title for our guy. Press Taylor for more options.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then your guy, Isaiah Ford is there. And then your other guy, Zach Asani is now with the Raiders.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I'm glad I. That I had to Google why I remembered Zach Asani and my own name came up.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, because that's why he lost his job after a year, because he was watching college films.

[Dan Bernstein]

He was being weird.

[Matt Abaticola]

I just watched the NFL film fella.

[Dan Bernstein]

And there was also part of the whole Kevin White thing. It's like, is he fine? He's fine. He's fine. He's.

[Matt Abaticola]

Coach. How did it.

[Dan Bernstein]

How did.

[Matt Abaticola]

How did my game look last week? Well, I don't know, but seven years ago in your junior year at lsu, I'll tell you what, man, you looked great.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you were. You were at West Virginia. Was it West Virginia?

[Matt Abaticola]

Sit down and watch that film. Yeah, West Virginia. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, that was. That was great. You sure you didn't know the whole route tree and now you got a broken leg. But yeah, before you broke your leg and we lied about it. You were awesome.

[Matt Abaticola]

You were.

[Dan Bernstein]

Remember that?

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, boy. Anyway, your guy, Zach Asani.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, it's got to be my guy now. I'll take him.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, he's yours. He's yours. Thanks to Fish for having that story there for you to find, right? Otherwise your brain would have been wrecked.

[Dan Bernstein]

I always find stuff. I. Do you know, how much do you know how many times I think of something where I'm. I gotta know this right now. And I pick up my phone to look it up.

[Matt Abaticola]

I say it's a lot.

[Dan Bernstein]

All day, all day. Like, I get curious about the dumbest things. It's part of the way my brain works, whether it's, where did I see that actor? Or what's that song? Or what's the lyric? And I'm constantly pulling over and, like, googling things and looking things up. And then I get AI responses that lead me astray because sometimes they're wrong. And then. And I. And then I pick up my phone. Like, I have to know this. And then I forget why I picked up my phone, because there's an email or a text from one of the kids. And then I'm a thing. And then I'm looking at a grocery list, and then I set my phone down, and then it's three hours later and I realized I haven't looked up the thing I wanted to look up again. That's my entire life.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't have that. But I. I'm constantly looking like, googling things because I'm. I'm curious. Like that as well, where I'm always looking something up. But I'm only like that because I have a supercomputer in my hand. If I didn't have a. Like, if I had like a flip phone, I would be less curious. I would just be like, but it's great work to look it up, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's great though. We've got the entirety of human intelligence in our hands all the time.

[Matt Abaticola]

All the time.

[Dan Bernstein]

So if you have a question. And sometimes it's something that I've look up previously. Like a lyrics, I'm like, what's that lyric? And why does it sound like this to me? And you're stopped at a, at a red light and, and you're like, all right, fine, I'll look it up right now.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then it'll, it'll come right there because you've looked it before, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, oh, yeah, I, now I remember because I had looked this up before.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then remember, just remember, stay away from racist Google.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, it's regular Google. Make sure you're on non racist Google. Yes, yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

More informative.

[Dan Bernstein]

Absolutely. Good advice. And that is today's Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears and NFL podcast here on 312 sports for progress has stopped.

[Matt Abaticola]

Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with dan Bernstein and Matabeticola on 312 Sports.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law, not available in all states.