The Chicago Bears aren't going to Hammond

Summary

Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode Title: The Chicago Bears aren't going to Hammond
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Date: April 7, 2026
Podcast Network: 312 Sports

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan and Matt bring sharp, Chicago-style candor and emotional insight to the latest Bears headlines. The main theme revolves around two timely and weighty subjects:

1. The sobering news regarding Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael’s CTE/ALS diagnosis and the broader issue of head trauma in the NFL.
2. In-depth discussion and inside reporting on the Bears’ stadium saga—dispelling rumors about a move to Hammond, Indiana, and breaking down why Arlington Heights remains the most likely new home.
   The hosts also touch on upcoming NFL draft prospects for the Bears and round out the episode with lively stories from their years covering the league.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Steve McMichael: CTE, ALS, and the Toll of Football

[01:51 – 11:44]

• Breaking News: Steve McMichael’s family revealed he suffered from Stage 3 CTE; he died of ALS, adding to a troubling trend among NFL veterans.
• Awareness & Advocacy:
  • Dan reads the statement from Misty McMichael about donating Steve’s brain to help medical research and public awareness:

    “We want to raise awareness of the clear connection between CTE and ALS...Too many NFL players are developing ALS during life and diagnosed with CTE after death…” – Dan Bernstein quoting Misty McMichael [02:12]

  • Both hosts emphasize the ongoing research limitations: current diagnoses are only possible after death; they urge players and families to weigh risks.
  • Reference to a 2021 study: NFL players are four times more likely to die from ALS than the general population. [04:01]
• Wider Context:
  • Matt and Dan recall other football figures like Dwight Clark, Steve Gleason, Tim Shaw, and Wally Hilgenberg—detailing how common and devastating the link between ALS and football trauma has become.
  • Unflinchingly, Dan notes how media once made light of certain players’ fearlessness, in retrospect connecting it to the damage those players suffered:

    “We used to make fun of Tim Shaw because he was always the wedge breaker, the guy who’d run through a wall… Not so funny, because we know what that’s doing. It was funny at the time.” – Dan Bernstein [06:37]

  • Dan uses the “egg yolk in the shell” analogy to describe sub-concussive trauma no equipment can prevent. [07:29]

Memorable Personal Stories

• Friendly, barroom tales about Steve “Mongo” McMichael highlight his larger-than-life personality and humanity, including a legendary night at the Doug Buffone roast.

  “He took that microphone and slayed… delivering barbs, but with a twinkle in his eye…” – Dan Bernstein [09:17]

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2. Stadium Drama: Hammond Is a Bluff, Arlington Heights Is the Plan

[19:14 – 26:56]

• Insider Update:
  • Dan brings new reporting from legislative sources and Rich Miller’s “Capitol Facts” about the Bears’ stadium negotiations. The hosts deconstruct the Bears’ supposed flirtation with an Indiana move.
  • Smokescreens & Leverage:
    • The Bears’ timeline for a decision is tailored to coincide with the Illinois legislative session, not Indiana negotiations.
    • The Indiana (Hammond) site is deemed unsuitable—“a toxic dump… you don’t want to build in a toxic swamp…” – Dan Bernstein [22:22]
    • Bears’ public overtures to Indiana are seen as leverage to pressure Illinois lawmakers, a strategy Dan calls out as familiar brinksmanship.
    • The NFL is reportedly tired of the Bears’ tactics (“the league urged the team to settle down and resolve this thing”).
    • Media outlets that swallowed the Indiana narrative are called “toadies” for the front office:

      “Some have fallen for everything Kevin Warren has done. Kevin Warren knows a mark when he sees one… toadies in the Chicago media…” – Dan Bernstein [23:07]

• Final Outlook: Everything points to Arlington Heights as the Bears’ real goal; legislative action in Illinois is expected within the session to make the move happen.
• Host Opinions:
  • Both would consider visiting the new Arlington Heights stadium if the Bears move there:

    “A new stadium in Arlington Heights would get me out there for one game.” – Matt Abbatacola [24:39]

  • The new legislative strategy involves bundling the Bears stadium incentive into a broader bill, making it more palatable to downstate legislators (with jobs/tax base arguments). [25:55]

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3. Bears Draft Prep & Mock Draft Mania

[26:56 – 35:07]

• Draft Names & Speculation:
  • Matt continues his deep dive into Bears mock drafts, highlighting new (and familiar) names at pick 25.
  • Peter Schrager’s ESPN mock has the Bears taking Alabama tackle Kaden Proctor at #25—a pick both hosts endorse:

    “I don’t mind that… If that were to happen, that would have to be your starting left tackle. Right now. That’s your guy.” – Dan Bernstein [27:49]

  • Discussion of Proctor’s combine metrics; hosts weigh his upside and readiness:

    “6.45. That’s pretty… that’s pretty fucking fast.” – Matt Abbatacola [29:33]

  • Zion Young’s draft slide is scrutinized—bull rush skills, lack of a ‘plan B’ move, run-ins with the law; Dan notes that rumors and disinformation muddy pre-draft narratives:

    “At least half or more than half is active disinformation…” – Dan Bernstein [33:59]

• Draft Strategy:
  • Speculation on how the Bears might maneuver their picks—will Polls trade up, trade down, or play it straight at 57 & 60?
  • Countdown to the draft: “16 days away from the first round” – Matt Abbatacola [35:04]

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4. NFL Chatter: Quarterbacks & The Raiders Question

[35:36 – 40:17]

• Radio Roundup:
  • Mike Tannenbaum’s ESPN comments caught Matt’s ear: he prefers veteran Kirk Cousins start for the Raiders, over rookie Mendoza. Both hosts question the wisdom of this given the state of the Raiders’ offensive line.

    “If this offensive line doesn’t get it together, you’re going to be off your plan real fast.” – Dan Bernstein [36:29]

• QB Comparison Talk:
  • Critical look at Mendoza’s NFL ceiling—good, solid, not “special:”

    “I think he’s got a very high floor… maybe a good starter. I don’t see special.” – Dan Bernstein [36:53]

  • Mendoza versus recent top picks (Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Bryce Young, Cam Ward), with Dan and Matt agreeing Mendoza isn’t at the same level as Williams or Daniels.
  • Goff is floated as a comp; Dan finds Mendoza more advanced in football IQ than Goff was at draft time, but notes game has changed.
• Closing Thoughts:
  • Even if Cousins starts, the Raiders aren’t likely to protect him well enough for sustained success, but it’s a bargain deal for them.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “We want to raise awareness of the clear connection between CTE and ALS…” – Misty McMichael (read by Dan Bernstein) [02:12]
• “Smashing your head into things is probably still not good for you.” – Dan Bernstein [05:35]
• “He took that microphone and slayed. Comic timing. Bang on… tone was just right.” – Dan Bernstein on McMichael at the Doug Buffone roast [09:17]
• “It’s a toxic dump. You don’t want to build in a toxic swamp.” – Dan Bernstein on the Hammond stadium site [22:22]
• “Some have fallen for everything Kevin Warren has done. Kevin Warren knows a mark when he sees one… toadies in the Chicago media…” – Dan Bernstein [23:07]
• “A new stadium in Arlington Heights would get me out there for one game.” – Matt Abbatacola [24:39]
• “Draft him there, you’ve got to be ready for him to be a day one starter.” – Dan Bernstein on Kaden Proctor [28:25]
• “This time of year at least half or more than half is active disinformation.” – Dan Bernstein on pre-draft rumor mill [33:59]
• “If this offensive line doesn’t get it together, you’re going to be off your plan real fast.” – Dan Bernstein on the Raiders [36:29]
• “I think he’s got a very high floor… maybe a good starter. I don’t see special.” – Dan Bernstein on Mendoza [36:53]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|---------------:| | Steve McMichael, CTE, and ALS | [01:51–11:44] | | Bears Stadium (Hammond rumors, Arlington Heights) | [19:14–26:56] | | Bears’ Mock Draft / Proctor and Young | [26:56–35:07] | | Raiders Quarterbacks/Mendoza vs. Cousins | [35:36–40:17] |

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Summary

This episode delivers a thoughtful mix of urgent NFL health talk, inside-baseball on Bears stadium intrigue, and passionate, well-sourced Bears analysis. Dan and Matt’s rapport combines humor, informed skepticism, and deep empathy—untangling the real from the drama (stadium) and examining the human side of gridiron legends (McMichael).
The show closes with rapid-fire yet nuanced takes on Bears draft possibilities and league-moving QB storylines—always prioritizing candid, insightful discussion over hype. This is Chicago Bears conversation at its finest.

Transcript

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[Matt Abaticola]

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[Dan Bernstein]

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[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, if you're a Bears fan,

[Matt Abaticola]

you're thinking Forward Progress. Come on. Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abaticola on 312 sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

We give you forward progress on 312 sports and we talk Chicago Bears and NFL get some news today that does not come as a surprise, but it's always dramatic when you see headlines about the condition of the brain of a former Chicago Bear hall of Famer. And Steve McMichael's family is reporting that he had McMichael did stage three CTE, or chronic traumatic Encephalopathy. He died last April at the age of 67. And Misty McMichael said by sharing Steve's diagnosis, We want to raise awareness of the clear connection between CTE and als. Too many NFL players are developing ALS during life and diagnosed with CTE after death. I donated Steve's brain to inspire new research into the link between them. I'm glad they did. And these headlines will allow people to make more informed decisions about playing football. And the problem that you have is that all of this knowledge is done on time delay. It's done in arrears. We know the likelihood of players from McMichael's generation to have CTE. We know that because these brains have been studied, because we have entire cohorts who reach different ages of life and then and into death. The problem is we don't know about the next cohort yet. We only know anecdotally there's nothing that can diagnose CTE in a living brain. We can only look at symptoms and talk to patients about what they're going through. But I'm glad that Misty McMichael did this. And it's unfortunate that this happens, but if people are told it's slamming your head into things over and over and over again can result in a higher likelihood of neurological diseases, it, at the very least makes a lot of sense.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep. A 2021 study identified 38 former NFL players who were diagnosed with ALS between 1960 and 2019, with 28 of those having died from the disease. The research indicates, Dan, that NFL players are four times more likely to die from ALS than the general population.

[Dan Bernstein]

And that is. This does go back. I think it's important to point out that ALS is known as Lou Gehrig's disease. And Lou Gehrig was not believed to have suffered from CTE based on behavior. But that's all retroactive. It's all forensic. They never examined him. He was obviously never tested for it. No one knew what it was, and nothing was preserved. But he did play fullback at Columbia and was known for a long history of brain injuries that included concussions and what is defined as there were multiple times in which he was actually knocked out cold while playing football. So it wouldn't be too much of a reach for this in the. In the early, earlier days of football for the fact that he was sort of the cardinal case of this for it to already have been football related when it began.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And then this study also, too many players with ALS were also found to have cte. So not all of them.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct. Yeah, correct. It is commonly correlated or comorbidity. But it would a lot of this because it's after the fact, because all of this is learned through autopsy. It takes an understanding of what is probably still happening. As much as people are going to tout the special helmets and the safe tackling and mouth guards and all that. It's just be very aware that smashing your head into things is probably still not good for you.

[Matt Abaticola]

I didn't maybe had forgotten or I didn't realize, or maybe I didn't even know Dwight Clark died from als.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I think we did know that. It was Steve Gleason and.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Steve Gleason, Tim Shaw, Kevin Turner, Steve McMichael, Dwight Clark, Tim Shaw, the former bear. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And we used to make fun of him.

[Matt Abaticola]

I didn't know that either.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, we used to make fun of

[Matt Abaticola]

Tim Shaw because he had als.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Because he was always the guy, the wedge breaker, the guy, you know, special teamer, the guy who'd run through a wall.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

You have been tackled by Tim Shaw. Feel my wrath. And we would make fun of him. And not so funny, because we know that that's going. I mean, it was funny at the time.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. I didn't know that about Dwight Clark.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. So I'm glad that they did that. And perhaps more, you know, with every sample, with every scientific data point, perhaps better things can happen. So I definitely appreciate Mr. McMichael doing that, sharing that. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Wally Hilgenberg, you know the name.

[Dan Bernstein]

Isn't that Jay's dad?

[Matt Abaticola]

Is that. Say. Are they related als?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I thought it was either dad or uncle.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

But I'm pretty sure there's a relationship there. Yeah. This is part of football more so than any other sport. And yes, there are concussions in cheerleading and basketball and baseball and everything else, but a lot of this is sub concussive, repetitive head trauma over time. In a sport where people are using the head and you can protect it all you want, but you can't slow down the sloshing of the yolk inside the egg. And that would be the brain. So just yet another lesson that when you're making decisions, make informed ones.

[Matt Abaticola]

Did you ever have any interaction with the Mongo here and there? Yeah, here and there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. My favorite was at the Doug Buffone roast.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was when he really just solidified himself to me as a performer when I watched him drinking highball glasses filled with Tito's Vodka. Like, to the. Not just little bits here and there, like whole highball glasses with a couple ice cubes in. And that roast dragged on and on and on, and we were losing the room. And I'm thinking, oh, boy, this is one of these nights, man. And you didn't have the host. And then they. And then they said. Then they said, well, McMichael's gonna speak. Yeah. And I went, oh God, there's no way he can talk. I thought, there is no way he can open his mouth. I couldn't believe he was conscious because of the guy probably. What is three of those highballs full of vodka? Is that most of a fifth?

[Matt Abaticola]

Close? Yeah, it's gotta be close.

[Dan Bernstein]

Gotta be close. And he took that microphone and slayed. Comic timing. Bang on. Knew exactly how to wait for the laughs to die. Knew how to surf the reaction of the crowd and timed everything up. And he was delivering barbs, but with a twinkle in his eye that made it. The tone was just right.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was right.

[Dan Bernstein]

He killed it. So I felt like. Like Abraham Lincoln talking about Ulysses S. Grant. Like whatever he's drinking, give it to the rest of the people on the dais and make them funny.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. One of the, the first interactions I had with him was at a golf outing that he was playing and I was actually. I was emceeing the. The dinner afterwards. And so I went down to the. There was a bar at the lower level and I went there to get a drink and I was. It's a big U shaped bar and you couldn't really see the other side of the bar the way it was set up. And I'm sitting at one end of the bar and I'm having. Having a drink and a dog is. Oh, the little walked in the. Misty's dog walking on top of the bar and walks all the way around the bar.

[Dan Bernstein]

Pomeranian or.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it was. I think so. Yeah, it sounds right. And it comes right up to me and I was just like, why, why is there a bar? Like, why is there a dog here in this bar? And then she came around and she was like, oh. And she grabbed her, grabbed her dog. And that's when I met her. And then I had a bunch of drinks with. With Mongo and it couldn't have been. And I was in. It was one of the few times in radio that I was. I was kind of starstruck.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

And. And he couldn't have been nicer. Couldn't have been a nicer guy. And it would have been near impossible. There have been many times in my radio days where keeping up drink for drink would have been hard.

[Dan Bernstein]

That.

[Matt Abaticola]

That was definitely one of them.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know they had a Chihuahua. It might have been a Chihuahua.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was all white. I don't know if Chihuahua is typically come white, do they? I don't. I don't even know. But it was, it was a yippie up dog. It was one of those little yippee up dogs. So whatever it was, I think it

[Dan Bernstein]

was, they had a Chihuahua. I know at one point.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. I just. Just sitting there for that little bit of time, I would have not been able to keep up with him. There was. Yeah, there was. There was two times that I can recall in radio. That was one of them.

[Dan Bernstein]

To keep up with.

[Matt Abaticola]

To go drink for drink. I could not do it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I gotta be on that leaderboard. And sue, just for that one night,

[Matt Abaticola]

that one night, I could have kept up with you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, you could have.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because it's just drinking light beer.

[Matt Abaticola]

Someone had to be an adult.

[Dan Bernstein]

Thank you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. If I didn't say it before, that was. No, you have. You've thanked me. Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Let me guess. Okay. Yes and no questions. The other person that you couldn't keep up with, drink for drinking. Is it a former Chicago athlete or current Chicago athlete?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, it's a former athlete. Yes. You mean by Chicago, like they're in Chicago or played for Chicago?

[Dan Bernstein]

No. Former pro athlete.

[Matt Abaticola]

Former pro athlete? Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Football?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

A former pro football player? A former Bear?

[Matt Abaticola]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

Played for multiple other NFL teams?

[Matt Abaticola]

At least two that I can think of.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

I can remember.

[Dan Bernstein]

Offensive player?

[Matt Abaticola]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

Defensive player?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

From Chicago. Like, grew up here. Has a connection to Chicago.

[Matt Abaticola]

Has a connection to Chicago.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is the connection media?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

So this person played for other teams, but has worked in Chicago media.

[Matt Abaticola]

Works.

[Dan Bernstein]

Works. Currently works in Chicago media?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Works in radio?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Full time?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Works for the score?

[Matt Abaticola]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

Works for 1000?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yurco?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

What? I realized what I was involved in. Knew better than to try.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where was this?

[Matt Abaticola]

It was the Miami trip.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, that's right. Not on the plane. Because he was hitting it hard on the plane.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was before the plane, I learned. I'm walking to the gate and I walk past a bar, and Harry and Yurko were at a bar. And so I said, you can't keep

[Dan Bernstein]

up with Harry either. Every time I would be, I'd see Harry drinking and I'd like in Miami, we were at the Bulls thing, and Harry walked up to her, like, how you doing? And he drops his beard and shatters everywhere, Right? So I'm like, harry, are you okay, man?

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

So then he comes up to me later in the night and he's like,

[Matt Abaticola]

hey, how you doing?

[Dan Bernstein]

And he drops his beer again and it shatters all over the place. I'm like, dude.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I walked in the bar to say hello, and before the words even came out of my mouth, Yurko Handed me a shot of Crown Royal.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's an interesting shot.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, it was. And it was not one of my particular favorites at the time.

[Dan Bernstein]

So then sort of rye whiskey for you.

[Matt Abaticola]

I put it down and it was tough. And before I could even put the glass on the bar top, there was a second one being handed to me. And so I had three of those there before then. I.

[Dan Bernstein]

High roller airport shots are like 30 bucks a piece.

[Matt Abaticola]

I bailed to the gate and then we drank on the plane, which was great. That was.

[Dan Bernstein]

When was it Rosner who was on that flight?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, no, no. So it was me, you, Terry, Mac, Yerko, Harry.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. And then. But one of the flight attendants.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was me. Terry and Yerko were in the galley in the back.

[Dan Bernstein]

Drink whatever you wanted.

[Matt Abaticola]

She said she was tired of serving us.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

We stood back there, she's like, just come back here.

[Matt Abaticola]

And it was at that time, that was the first time I ever hung out with Yurko. And I just knew. I knew from the bar, from even before the gate that he was a champion. I mean, that was a different level.

[Dan Bernstein]

He was wearing a wrestling champion belt.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. And then. And then in the galley, giant blue ribbon. Terry. Terry drank a lot on that plane. And. And so I, you know, I got to see. I got to witness Yurko firsthand. So it was like I would not try to keep up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

With that. That was. That was impressive. Now, Harry. I never really drank with Harry. We had those couple shots and then I saw him down in Bourbon A one time. You and I went. We went somewhere and.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. And had a big dinner. I know where it was. It was on that main road. When you come off the exit to Bourbon.

[Matt Abaticola]

A was Italian place.

[Dan Bernstein]

And you make a right. No, it was. It was. No, it was in the hotel like the Quality Inn or Comfort Inn. The hotel down. Not the hotel where we stayed. Yeah, it was a different hotel where they stayed. And there was a restaurant in there.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, because we went in and said hello. Yes. Or maybe we went there just to the bar and they were sitting there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

So we went over to say hello. He was at the head of the show.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dinner. Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he had a bunch of people. So. Yeah, I never really had a ton of interactions with her. And when I did, they were always. They were always positive and he was always a nice guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

But. Yeah, that. So I never saw him really drink. But Yurko, I saw that and I was like, I'm. I wouldn't even bother.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm not even gonna try yeah, Yurko. Once. Once. I don't. I haven't seen him, but once his hair turns white, he'll be like one of those guys we saw when Terry and I did our show from that Serbian place where we walk in and it was the middle of the day, and it was filled with enormous men, giant men with white hair, drinking shots of stuff of, like, Sleebovich and stuff. But this was, like, old country, man. This was serious.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was also on that plane ride to Miami that I learned that. That we're not assholes, because with the amount of alcohol consumed. And I kept walking Yerko up and down the aisle and introducing him as Mike Golick to people. And so he. Super. Because he didn't. He didn't physically hurt me, which he. I thought he was going to or could have.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hey, you know Mike Golick?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Yeah, I would.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is that when Terry was saying he was. Tom. Share.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Was he really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, he used to do that all the time.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Hey.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hey.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tom. Share.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Hi.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nice to meet you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hi. Yeah, I would. I was.

[Dan Bernstein]

My brother.

[Matt Abaticola]

People are in their seats, just trying to mind their own business on plane, and I'm like, hey, do you listen to ESPN radio? You know, Mike and Mike. This is Mike Golick. And he was like, all right, you got to stop. Which then, of course, you know, made me want to do it more.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, don't tell me I got to stop.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. You know who I am. So, yeah. So he and. And Mongo, two guys that I've experienced firsthand that would never, would never would have tried.

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[Matt Abaticola]

Wow.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

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[Matt Abaticola]

Mommy, look.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

I think your kid is walking up the slide. Kyle. Again?

[Dan Bernstein]

Really?

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

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[Dan Bernstein]

all right, let me give you the latest from what I'm sorry, what I'm hearing from Springfield insiders as far as the Bears push to have a new stadium. There's a couple things and there's a lot of good reporting coming from, I think, Illinois Capitol News from downstate. And I appreciate we've got a couple reporters in the field who are keen to help me out with some of this stuff. And there is a writer who goes by the name of Rich Miller. And Rich Miller does something called Capital Facts and it's a subscriber letter about Illinois politics. And he's got all the reporting in here. He's the guy you should really be following. And he is explaining what you heard me talk about last week. I think you might have been out when I was discussing the change in the Bears timeline. It must be done now. It must be done now. And they kept moving it. And now all of a sudden, oh,

[Matt Abaticola]

no, no, we talked about it. It coincides. Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then all of a sudden the Bears are like, oh, late spring, early summer. And I thought, gee, what coincides with late spring and early summer? Oh, the legislative session. So why, why would the Bears all of a sudden, when they're playing these two sides off each other and trying to do this brinksmanship, all of a sudden now they're singing Kumbaya and like, well, we just want a couple of deals that we can think about, man. You know, we just want to have a choice in the matter. And everything really changed. So I pointed that out and now we're starting to understand why that may be okay. And this is this goes through the words where George McCaskey said that the team is a legislative framework in Indiana. But the Hammond site has not yet been fully vetted. Hmm. Parking, transportation, etc. McCaskey said. In Illinois, the team has a site it knows will work, but they don't have a legislative framework in place so they know it works. They just haven't gotten the law passed that allows them to handle it financially in the way that they want and they get the tax breaks that they want. So what McCaskey said was there are prudent, wise, responsible public servants in Indiana working on it, and there are prudent, wise and responsible public servants in Illinois working on it. So that's a huge shift from the Bears bringing out the trumpets and the parades about the whole Hammond thing when they were leading gullible people by the nose and explaining, oh yeah, this is real, this is real, this is real. And people who've been through it before like, no, it's not. Stop doing this. Nobody believes you. I mean, some believe them, but what is written here is that theories abound as to what may be going on. Some suspect the Bears have found problems with the proposed Indiana site, except McCaskey says that isn't true. Everything they found so far has been positive, but they still have more research

[Matt Abaticola]

to do, a lot more to do.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's a toxic dump. You don't want to build in a toxic swamp. There's all kinds of stuff. If they keep doing their research, they're going to do their own research. Nothing they're going to find out about that site is good and that's sort of understood, says others speculate the team figured out their lobbyists were right about how bullying Illinois lawmakers into arbitrary deadlines was doing them more harm than good. Also, the NFL is growing tired of the Bears whipsawing. Urge the team to settle down and resolve this thing. The team's attempt to blatantly play one state against the other may be giving the rest of the league a bad rap. And that's why Roger Goodell said it's time for the Bears to figure this out. So instead of trying to create artificial divisive leverage, saying here mainly through their toadies in the local NFL sports media, so there are some people getting called out here, and that's up to you. As a consumer, I will say that if you have been listening since we started on August 25 to either DBU or Forward Progress, you know where I've stood in trying to give you the best possible information that I can get you on what's happening with the stadium. And there are some who've fallen for everything Kevin Warren has done and Kevin Warren knows a mark when he sees one, but that is what is referred to parenthetically here as the toadies in the Chicago media that the Bears have decided to be patient for the next eight weeks. Now, obviously, there's a lot of moving parts here, and I will tell you that the latest that I have heard from sources is that everything is proceeding properly, negotiations are cordial and ongoing, and everybody is optimistic. And that the Illinois General assembly is going to get everything moved in a fashion that now befits what the Bears say is their timeline. And they can put the whole Hammond boondoggle to bed and go where they've always wanted to go the entire time.

[Matt Abaticola]

Now, if the Bears. If they care. I'm not sure if they do, but if they do, because I know they listen. A new stadium in Arlington Heights would get me out there for one game.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think it'd be worth going to see.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. One time.

[Dan Bernstein]

So for an actual game or for something else?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, for an actual game. So if that. If that matters to the Chicago. Well, now, you and I would go. You and I would go to a game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, a 318. You know what we would go and do? We'd go to the game there, and then we'd somehow set up a post game or maybe even if. Even if they want to send us to a preseason game. Yeah, I. Absolutely.

[Matt Abaticola]

But I would even. I would even do that as a fan.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Go and check to check out the new stadium. One time I've seen Soldier Field. I'm good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I've seen it too many times.

[Matt Abaticola]

Been there, done that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you have. That was the office.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Last time I went to a game,

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't even enjoy it that much as a fan when I was a kid.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Last time it was preseason, I went to. The last time I went to it was a pre. As an adult. And I remember it was. It was hot. It was real hot. But, yeah, you're not going to catch me out there in December. January, not going to happen. So it's all going to work out. They're going to end up in Arlington Heights, I think. So they're going to get the tax certainty that they.

[Dan Bernstein]

The pilot thing will pass. And one thing that's kind of smart that Pritzker is doing there is they're adding other projects to this bill where the pilot bill is not going to be a Bears bill. It's going to be for other large projects in the state so other legislators can crow to their constituents of what they're doing for the tax Base what they're doing to create jobs, what they're doing for the lifestyles of their constituents. That there will be. It may be smarter for them to make this bigger rather than smaller and just say, all right, we're going to turn this into a huge building bill, development bill for everybody. Climb on. And then if you guys individually want to negotiate what your tax structure is, you guys can do that no matter what you're opening, as long as it's not one of these data centers that destroys the environment and drives everybody's water and power rates up.

[Matt Abaticola]

So you know how I look at all the mock drafts that come through.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's your job.

[Matt Abaticola]

I love the fact that I took it on because I'm looking for new names. I shared a couple new names yesterday.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, not really. You just give us Dylan Thienaman again.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, but for 57 and 60, those were two brand new names.

[Dan Bernstein]

Don't Give me Emmanuel McNeil Warren.

[Matt Abaticola]

I know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Don't give me that. You keep giving me that name. You give me Zion Young, you give me Emmanuel McNeil Warren and you give me Dylan Thieman. I want a new. Oh, and Peter woods is the other one.

[Matt Abaticola]

Clemson guy, defense tech. Okay, so now Peter Schrager from espn.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

He put on a new mock draft.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he based it on everything he said. He's talking to all the teams, front offices, personnel, and you have a new name. And I don't have a new name, but it's my favorite name. Okay, so Peter Schrager at 25 has the Bears taking Alabama tackle Kaden Proctor.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. Okay. I don't mind that.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a name I get into.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't mind.

[Matt Abaticola]

I would love to see that.

[Dan Bernstein]

If that were to happen, that would have to be your starting left tackle.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. Right now. That's your guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Your other guys are there for depth

[Dan Bernstein]

and to be cut and to be possibly cut. Right. Depth as in. And ideally, if your depth is really good, you don't have room for the guys who are in the bottom of that list.

[Matt Abaticola]

But yeah, so I love that. I love that. I hope that happens.

[Dan Bernstein]

It also gives Ben a toy.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's still my thing. Tackle. Still my thing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Once you declare your thing. Yeah. You draft him there. You've got to be ready for him to be a day one starter.

[Matt Abaticola]

You have to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did you look at his. What? That number that tells us your. Your secret NFL.com number, whatever that is.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. I'll pull it up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, we're looking for something around a six and a half right. Is that.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think 6.29 is as low as we want to go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Because a six and a half tells us could develop into a high level starter. What do we get?

[Matt Abaticola]

6.45.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ooh. All right. What does that say?

[Matt Abaticola]

We'll become good starter.

[Dan Bernstein]

When?

[Matt Abaticola]

Within two years.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't have two years.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, we don't. But that's what he's at.

[Dan Bernstein]

Can he be a mediocre starter immediately?

[Matt Abaticola]

So I think if he's a 6.45 is what they look at as his ceiling, then he's got to start out higher than these prospects.

[Dan Bernstein]

These might be at the higher end of that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. All right.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's what you get at 25 is 67352. I think he slimmed down a little bit.

[Dan Bernstein]

Good athlete.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I think he's a little slimmer than 352.

[Dan Bernstein]

Good athlete, but, you know, needs to sharpen his technique, the knee bend, the leverage and all of that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Total combine score was 79. Ran the 40 and 5 2. That's pretty fucking fast.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, for a 350 pound guy, that's really fast. Yeah, but, you know, his vertical was

[Matt Abaticola]

32 and a half. His broad jump was 9:1 at 350 pounds. That's a lot of weight.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ouch.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. So weaknesses indecisive, inefficient. When the defender isn't in front of him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's behind him. That's hard to defend anyone.

[Dan Bernstein]

I tried to get him. He somehow got behind me again.

[Matt Abaticola]

Starts out behind me.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's a problem. I think that's illegal. Are you allowed to line up there?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, you shouldn't be able to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you shouldn't be able to.

[Matt Abaticola]

But I like. I like that name. All right, here's another name, and you mentioned him too, earlier. This is a guy that, for some reason, Dan, he's falling in all the draft boards, and that's Zion Young.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

This was a guy that we consistently saw in first round mock drafts.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is he dropping for a reason, though?

[Matt Abaticola]

So here, here's. And so I. I've cultivated a bunch of the reasons that people have put together why he's dropping down. Okay. Why we're not seeing him in the first round. Now we're seeing him as a second round pick.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

And none of this has changed. So I don't know what the real reason is. So they talk about his bull rush being a plus and a positive for Zion Young. All the question marks have always been. The second thing after that is bull rush. Is good. What's his plan B move? He always lacked a plan B move. If he can't have that, then what's his plan B move? So that was always a negative on him. Negative on him too. Is that. You know how they always talk about defensive ends being able to bend? That ability to bend and move around?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, when they say bend, they mean being able to essentially run at full speed while on a 45 degree angle. It's like a, like imagine a hockey player cutting on his edges.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's. That's what a defensive end has to do.

[Matt Abaticola]

So that was always a question about him. This plan B move, that ability to bend and move around tackles, a criticism of him, his first step was a negative. The bend was a negative. Now I'm starting to see that the 2025 lack of 2025 sack production is a reason why he's dropping down. People knew that all.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean we've known that this is how it works.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he was still a first round pick. Now we're starting to see the DWI from 2025 and then some other incident that happened in 2023 as impacting again. Those. That was all known. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

You can find the stuff if you want.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he was still a first round pick. He was still a first round pick.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, that usually when somebody's dropping this close to the draft, I think there's value in there. I think sometimes that you get this group think or you get weird things in the. That's why I always said take the pot guy back when that was a big deal.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Whether it was Laramie, Tunsil or anybody else.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh yeah. First round guy, pot guy drops to

[Dan Bernstein]

the third or fourth round or always take that guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you put a whole team together of that guy, you win a Super Bowl. But there's. If there are reasons like that, obviously they should be vetted. But sometimes it's completely inexplicable. I have a name here from the Sirius XM NFL radio mock draft.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

T.J. parker at 25. The guy next to Peter woods, the Clemson edge going to the Bears.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that was one of the new names we mentioned yesterday.

[Dan Bernstein]

But I just. Parker.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, Seen that again.

[Dan Bernstein]

We got there and it has that. This draft has Kaden Proctor to the Steelers at 21, Dylan Thienaman of Oregon to the Eagles at 23.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. Zion Young, by the way, has. I don't know if he's gone to or you know, these are planned or some have already happened. But 10 visits with the Bears, the Chargers, the Falcons, the Buccaneers, the Dolphins, the Jets, the Pats, the Ravens, the Seahawks and the Titans. Okay, so I wonder like is he now? So again, all those features were, I mean all those things were known about him when he was still considered a first round guy, you know, and our guy Matt Miller loves him for the

[Dan Bernstein]

Bears, probably still does.

[Matt Abaticola]

So has this been, has he met with executives? Have people been around him? And then that's changing because now they start putting those things out again. Those were all known things already.

[Dan Bernstein]

So they get re amplified if there are other issues and you get teams coming up with re or it's all bullshit. That's the other thing to remember is this time of year at least half or more than half is active disinformation about teams trying to sleep a guy or putting stuff out there for, for self serving reasons.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I wonder if he, if he moves down in the second round. If the Bears get their pick at 25 and you can somehow get Zion Young, if he's a guy that they're eyeing in the second round. You know, they have 57 and 60. I'm, I'm a firm believer. The fact that I don't think they're picking at 57 and 60, I don't think they're going to have picks, you know, four apart. I just don't. So something's going to happen and maybe this is an opportunity to put those together to move up. Or is Ryan Poles going to use those picks to get more picks and move down? You know. So the good thing is we're 16 days away from the first round.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is that it?

[Matt Abaticola]

Today's the 7th, right? And it's the 23rd.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it's 16 days.

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[Matt Abaticola]

One other thing I heard, I heard this on the radio today. I like to listen to unsportsmanlike. It's the early show on ESPN before Captain J. Hood. Come on. They had Mike Tannenbaum on. You remember Mike Tannenbaum, Jets, Saints, Dolphins. I think he worked for one of the, one of the agencies as well too. He was talking about Kirk Cousins going to the Raiders and the question they asked of him, they said, do you want to see Mendoza or Kirk Cousin get more of the playing time this year? And he said, cousins, wow. And I was really surprised by that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I.

[Matt Abaticola]

Seeing as how they haven't. I know they, they, they got their center. They still need to fix their offensive line a bit. I mean, 65 sacks last year. Kirk Cousins, they may want that as their plan, but if this offensive line doesn't get it together, you're going to

[Dan Bernstein]

be off your plan real fast.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. That's not going to last.

[Dan Bernstein]

Also now, I'm not as high on Mendoza as a lot of people seem to be. I think, again, I think he's got a very high floor. I think he's absolutely going to be a capable NFL passer and maybe a good starter. I'm not, I don't see special. And he can make the throws you have to make and he seems like he's incredibly motivated and is going to work really hard. But there have been some number one overall quarterbacks before where you're talking about a list here where I just don't think he belongs.

[Matt Abaticola]

So you don't think he should be number one pick.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, this year maybe. I mean, maybe it's, I mean it's up.

[Matt Abaticola]

I mean the need for need and where the Raiders are at.

[Dan Bernstein]

And if, yeah, if the Raiders think that you want a really solid prospect at quarterback, I don't know that there's greatness there, but I could be wrong. It just, it's just my first blush feeling having watched him and voted for him for the Heisman, watch him a lot in college. There really wasn't even that like that moment where he makes the throw to the back of the end zone against Penn State and that was his big play.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

But I don't know. His athleticism's good.

[Matt Abaticola]

So solid, capable. Okay. Let's look at some previous like really high draft picks recently in comparison. So Caleb Williams. Not even close. No, not even close.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not even close.

[Matt Abaticola]

Jaden Daniels.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, depending on injury, depending on health. That was my big question about Daniels wasn't ability, it was frame and his just the nature of his style of play in college. Can he stay healthy? I think Jaden Daniels more talented, more special. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Cam Ward,

[Dan Bernstein]

similar level.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then who else recently? Oh, Bryce Young.

[Dan Bernstein]

High pick Bryce Young just too damn small. I still think he could, he could be all right, but I just worry about his stature.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it just may really benefit him this year being that the Raiders desperately need a quarterback and that they have the number one pick. Maybe. Yeah. Maybe he's not like a number one

[Dan Bernstein]

pick in caliber of talent now.

[Matt Abaticola]

Maybe he's but. But has the ability to be a very solid, productive NFL quarterback. That can help you win.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sure. One of the comps has been Jared Goff, who has also taken number one overall. And I will say that Mendoza has a much more advanced football IQ at this stage than golf did.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Coming out of the system and it's, you know, it's not a fully.

[Matt Abaticola]

Things are also different. It's also different.

[Dan Bernstein]

The game's changed. Absolutely. It has. The NFL has changed. College has changed. As it does fairly quickly. It evolves. But that, that's a fair comp at this point, depending on how good you think golf is and has been.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. I just thought it was interesting though that Mike Tannenbaum like wants to give it over to Cousins. I just don't know how long that lasts.

[Dan Bernstein]

How many hits can he take?

[Matt Abaticola]

Unless. Unless again, unless that offensive line goes from being one of the weakest in football to one of the a top five offensive line or you're using a two step drop. Something. Yeah. Or one no step drop. Yeah. Get it and throw.

[Dan Bernstein]

Get the ball out.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. Yeah. Because he, he's not.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's got ground. He wanted it out.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. He's not gonna go many games of getting hit. It's just not. Nope. Still a great, great decision for the Raiders. Great value. They're paying less than 2 million for them, so good move for them. But yeah, I was, I was surprised to hear that.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's going to do it for today's Forward Progress where we are always Talking Bears and NFL for you on 312 Sports for progress.

[Matt Abaticola]

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

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

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