Trust Tested: Ben Johnson Sounds Off on Kyler Gordon

Summary

Podcast Summary: Forward Progress – Trust Tested: Ben Johnson Sounds Off on Kyler Gordon

Podcast: Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast
Hosts: Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola
Episode Date: June 4, 2026

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Overview

This episode of Forward Progress sees Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola dive deeply into concerns surrounding two crucial Chicago Bears players: rookie receiver Rome Odunze’s injury update and defensive back Kyler Gordon’s ongoing availability—and the public trust issues voiced by head coach Ben Johnson. The conversation balances worry and analysis, not just for the players' futures, but for what these issues reveal about the Bears' direction, self-scouting, and the ruthless realities of NFL roster management under a demanding new regime. The hosts also touch briefly on NFL-wide news, offering their usual mix of biting candor, humor, and behind-the-scenes insight.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rome Odunze’s Stress Fracture: Reactions and Implications

[01:52 - 06:25]

• Odunze’s Admission: Rome Odunze described his recovery from a stress fracture, referring to his situation as his “new normal,” with ongoing adjustments due to calluses and shifting bone structures in his foot.

  • Bernstein’s immediate reaction was to recall Bears draft busts with injury histories, notably David Terrell and Kevin White:

    “Anybody else immediately think of David Terrell. Anybody else immediately think of Kevin White? … My mind went immediately.” (Dan Bernstein, 02:24)

  • Abbatacola felt Odunze’s comments suggested he'll never reclaim the top-10 draft pick promise, but might still be a contributor.

• Worries about Performance:

  • Both hosts express skepticism that a wide receiver with lingering foot issues can play at a star level:

    “He’s an NFL wide receiver and his foot’s messed up … Are you going to be as fast, all your whole livelihood [is] run[ning], right?” (Dan, 04:04)

  • Abbatacola stresses realistic evaluation:

    “He’s got something to prove now that he actually can make the plays. … Where are you? What is this new normal?” (Matt, 05:27)

  • Bernstein highlights the need for ruthless self-scouting from the team:

    “Scout your own player. Know what you have.” (Dan, 06:25)

2. Kyler Gordon and Ben Johnson’s Concern About Trust & Availability

[06:35 – 14:24]

• Ben Johnson’s Public Comments:

  • The hosts break down Coach Johnson’s challenge to Kyler Gordon, paraphrasing and interpreting his message:

    "We’re still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he’s a good player when he’s out there, but trust level is a huge thing for this team or this coaching staff … You can only develop that trust by being available." (Direct quote read by Matt, 07:18)

  • Bernstein decodes it:

    "Get your ass on the field. That’s what that [means] … Get your ass back on the field, mister. $40 million bucks." (Dan, 07:45)

  • Both agree Gordon currently has “zero trust” from Johnson.

    “Kyler Gordon has zero trust right now.” (Matt, 09:49)

• Pattern of Availability Frustration:

  • The discussion recalls similar issues last year with trust and opportunities for players like Luther Burden and how Johnson doesn’t mince words when scrutinizing player availability.
  • Bernstein focuses on reliability and communication—particularly in game-day readiness:

    “If you’re not truthful with me … I’m down a man going into an NFL game and a coach … that, that’s what burns a coach.” (Dan, 11:33)

• Medical Mysteries and Locker Room Dynamics:

  • Open questions about whether Gordon's issues stem from ongoing, unhealed injuries, new injuries, or possibly something else (“soft tissue”).
  • Bernstein wonders if the medical staff is reporting him as physically cleared while the player doesn’t feel ready—a situation that can ripple into locker room perceptions of toughness.

    “Soft tissue injuries are on that same continuum ... I’m starting to wonder, is he getting information from the trainers … says it’s all about the patient now. It’s all about symptoms. It’s all about pain level.” (Dan, 31:43)

  • The danger of becoming known as a “100 percenter”—a player unwilling to play unless fully healthy—is lightly mocked as damaging to credibility.

3. Self-Scouting and Ben Johnson’s Ruthless Approach

[13:00 – 14:48]

• Bernstein and Abbatacola predict a new standard under Ben Johnson: players won’t get opportunities based on draft pedigree if production isn’t there:

  “No matter where you were drafted, all he cares about is scoring and scoring enough points the next game. … If [Odunze]’s bad, start planning to move on.” (Dan, 13:40)

• The expectation is clear: the Bears will need to score plenty, and any player holding back the offense won’t be on the field long.

4. NFL News and Notes: Brief Takes

[18:49 – 29:46]

• Aaron Donald:
  • Rumors of a possible comeback are shut down by Donald’s wife’s social media comment:

    “Y’all are hilarious.” (Dan, 19:25)

• Micah Parsons:
  • Expected return is mid-October, dashing hopes for an earlier comeback.
• Russell Wilson:
  • Officially retires and joins CBS; both hosts agree he’s a “corny” and not compelling TV personality.
• Kyle Long:
  • Promoted to the main CBS desk; praised for bringing intelligence and humor to pregame panels.
• Brandon Aiyuk Warrant:
  • Aiyuk faces a misdemeanor charge for exhibition of speeding, caught via his own YouTube video.
• Jared Verse (Browns):
  • Praised for seeking his own role rather than aiming to “fill Garrett’s shoes.”
• Coaching Styles:
  • The hosts draw comparisons between Ben Johnson and other coordinators-turned-head-coaches (e.g., Todd Monken, Vic Fangio, Matt Eberflus), discussing who embraces all aspects of head coaching and who simply wants to design game plans.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Odunze’s Health:

  “A remodeled foot is bad news for the ninth overall pick.” (Dan Bernstein, 04:26)

• Direct on Gordon:

  “Get your ass back on the field, mister. Forty million bucks.” (Dan Bernstein, 07:45) “Zero trust … That was second person ‘you.’ Kyler Gordon can only develop that trust by being available. I don’t trust you was the message he just got.” (Dan Bernstein, 08:14)

• On Ben Johnson’s Mentality:

  “No matter where you were drafted, all he cares about is scoring and scoring enough points the next game.” (Dan Bernstein, 13:40)

• On Locker Room Perception:

  “You don’t want a reputation as 100 percenter … that’s an insult.” (Dan Bernstein, 34:49)

• Comic Relief:

  “Laundry injury … I would have had to miss my next start.” (Matt Abbatacola, 37:34)

• NFL News Quip:

  “If you love commercials and screaming, NFL pregame shows are for you.” (Dan Bernstein, 22:21)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:52 – Odunze’s injury updates and immediate fan reactions
• 03:16 – “New normal” and impact on draft expectations
• 06:10 – Transition to Kyler Gordon’s availability and trust
• 07:18 – 09:49 – Dissection of Ben Johnson’s pointed comments
• 10:27 – 13:40 – Deeper dive into league-wide player trust, medical challenges, and how Johnson’s standards contrast with past regimes
• 14:48 – Veteran advice on “remodeled” body parts
• 18:49 – NFL news: Aaron Donald, Micah Parsons, Russell Wilson, Kyle Long, Brandon Aiyuk
• 29:57 – Coaching management styles: head coaches vs. coordinators
• 34:38 – Cultural risks of becoming a “100 percenter” in the NFL
• 37:30 – Light-hearted injury stories as hosts reflect on athlete fragility vs. everyday clumsiness

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Tone and Style

The dialogue combines analytic sharpness with unfiltered emotion—a hallmark of Chicago sports talk. The hosts openly share skepticism, frustration, and even gallows humor regarding Bears injuries and the team’s need for accountability. The banter is candid, sometimes biting, with recurring jabs at past disappointments and the demands of Chicago fandom.

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Summary Takeaways

• The Bears’ new regime, led by Ben Johnson, will put winning and accountability before sentiment or draft status.
• Rome Odunze’s injury and “new normal” foot are cause for concern, with skepticism about long-term effects on speed and explosiveness.
• Kyler Gordon faces a crisis of trust with the new coaching staff; availability is paramount and will now define his future in Chicago.
• NFL player health, toughness, and candor remain thorny, high-stakes issues—both for team-building and locker room dynamics.
• Outside Chicago, familiar storylines (injury returns, retirements, coaching changes) prompt both amusement and broader reflection on what separates great teams from perpetual aspirants.

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Best quote capturing the episode’s mood:

“Kyler Gordon is definitely out of the circle of trust.” (Matt Abbatacola, 43:54)

Transcript

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[Dan Bernstein]

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

[Matt Abeticola]

Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on Three One Two Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

You are hereby awarded forward progress via Three One Two Sports. And we talk Bears and NFL big news yester out of OTAs. And there's a lot we have to it's going to be a meaty edition of Forward Progress. I was really dismayed to hear what Roma Dun said about his current physical condition. And it's to me, bears scar tissue that is that's just there. And I can't deny it that. I'll just read you what he said as he recovers from a stress fracture. This is my new normal, said Roma Dunze. And it's not from a standpoint that I'm always in pain, but the way my foot broke, there's calluses in there that create a different type of foot structure with those bones, different types of things that kind of shift things around. My new normal is kind of what I'm going into. Okay. Anybody else immediately think of David Terrell. Anybody else immediately think of Kevin White? It's unfair, but I'm just 100% honest. Where my mind went immediately.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I didn't go there. I just, you know, he also says, I don't think that's anything that's going to prohibit me from making plans, plays. But I feel like with the break, it's just like when you tear your a, your ac, it's never really back to normal. Okay. So I, I didn't think of specific players. I just thought of him in this moment and that he is not going to. This just what, what I heard was I'm not going to be the top 10 pick that, that the Bears made in me. Maybe that's, that's what I thought. I mean, and that's, that's where my, my brain went and I thought, well, that's disappointing. Doesn't mean he can't be productive, can't help the team win games, but he's not going to be the top 10 pick that they have. That's what I read with that. And maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I felt.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I, it's, it's his feet. He's an NFL wide receiver and his foot messed up like. And that's it. Your foot's messed up. Are you going to be as fast all you, your whole livelihood run right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Are you going to be able to make the cuts and the turns that are necessary?

[Dan Bernstein]

Come on, like, oh, it's fine. It's probably nothing. And maybe it's. Maybe it's nothing. But the question in sports at the highest level, what are you after your injury? What are you. Who are you after your injury? And I'm sorry, but, but my experience with David Terrell, my experience with Kevin White and a wide receiver, you can't tell me that a remodeled foot is no big deal. And that was the word that my orthopedist always used after my knee reconstruction, ongoing remodeling, and sometimes there's no rhyme or reason to it. And no two patients are the same, and no two people have their, their brain body connection respond in the same way. But a remodeled foot is bad news for the ninth overall pick.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. And we can't make any conclusions today, but it certainly doesn't sound good. I didn't, I didn't like reading what I read from what he said, but. So I'm willing to give the opportunity to see how it plays itself out on the field. And maybe it won't Be anything. And maybe that scar tissue that you're feeling, and you'll just have to push that aside and say, well, it's not the same, but he's got something to prove now that he actually can make the place. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna look back at last year after the injury and say, all right, this is what we have. I'm willing to say that's him dealing with it. He had an off season. Now to rehab and get healthy. Where are you? What is this new normal?

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, this is who I am.

[Matt Abeticola]

What is the new normal now?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. If the new normal is a potential Pro Bowler, I like the new normal.

[Matt Abeticola]

Fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

And if the new normal is just

[Matt Abeticola]

a guy, then that's. That's not the number nine pick. And that's not good enough.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope. And the Bears have to be honest with themselves. This is what matters now. What matters now is scout your own player. Know what you have.

[Matt Abeticola]

You know, it's funny you say that, because I thought the same thing. And my thought, going back to previous regimes, they wouldn't evaluate it properly. I'm not concerned about Ben Johnson because you asked the question, you know, what is a player's career after an injury? Who are you after an injury? And I think we're getting some insight on what Ben Johnson is thinking about another very important piece of the defense, which is injured and injured again and injured often. And we're talking about Kyler Gordon. And we saw what Ben Johnson said yesterday about Kyler Gordon. He was saying that he was hoping the off season would be a springboard to get us going in

[Dan Bernstein]

this. I'm struggling with this, too, man.

[Matt Abeticola]

He says, we're still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he's a good player when he's out there, but trust level is a huge thing for this team or this coaching staff, for the locker room. You can only develop that trust by being available.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, you want to run that through the coach speak translator? Here's what that is.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead. You go for it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Get your ass on the field. That's what that. The coach speak translator. Pull it out, and you unfurl the little piece of paper. Get your ass back on the field, mister. 40 million bucks.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Because as it stands right now, how much does Ben Johnson trust Kyler Gordon?

[Dan Bernstein]

You heard it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Zero.

[Dan Bernstein]

You heard it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

That we all, last year didn't see him. Get your ass back on the field is what that is. Let me read this in its entirety. We spoke last year, and neither One of us was really happy with how it went. Just from a perspective of being available to get to know each other. I think he only played in three games when I look back at it. And so, you know, this spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going in the right direction. We're still working through that. We're still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he's a good player when he's out there. Trust levels a huge thing for this team. This team that. That's saying for Ben Johnson, trust level is a huge thing. I don't trust you is what he's saying. I don't trust you. If yet for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room, you. When he says you, he was. He was saying one. He was using that to say one can. But that was. That was second person you. Kyler Gordon can only develop that trust by being available. I don't trust you was the message he just got.

[Matt Abeticola]

We saw that, we saw that play out last year too, Dan, with, with Luther Burden and with Colson Loveland about getting the opportunity. Remember there was a question asked of him about Cole Comet and then he turned it into the entire. The entire offense.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abeticola]

And then young rookies, right, he broadened it and he talked about the young rookies gaining trust to get more opportunities on the field. They need to gain his trust where? On the practice field, at Hallis hall, in the position rooms, in conversations, in work with the coaching staff. He's not gaining that trust. So they want opportunities. Gain that trust. Kyler Gordon has zero trust right now. But I want to know, Dan, is this is a guy that's been in your building for years now and they said the off season would be a springboard to get back on the field to build that trust.

[Dan Bernstein]

We.

[Matt Abeticola]

What went wrong in this offseason? Why wasn't he healthy and ready to participate fully?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, you know, we need to find out.

[Matt Abeticola]

Is this new injury?

[Dan Bernstein]

What is. Is it a new injury?

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, yeah. What. Whatever this.

[Dan Bernstein]

We need reason, we need the specifics on this because it may be he's just not better from the last injury. Did he hurt himself working out again? Did he get hurt in warm ups again? It was the way he got hurt. It wasn't just the injuries and it wasn't just not being trustworthy. As far as total availability, it's not being trustworthy. Can you go tomorrow? Because I got to set my. My 53 and then I got to set my game day. How are you? And if you're not truthful with me or if you're like, I'm in between. If you're. If, if you can't go tell me you can't go tell. Now don't tell me in warm ups because then we're down a man going into an NFL game and a coach

[Matt Abeticola]

two or three times.

[Dan Bernstein]

And. And that, that's what burns a coach because you screw now just give me a fair shot to do my job with. And you. I'm down a piece now I've got to go coach a game down a critical piece. That can't happen.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. So what's bothering me is if it's the same injury, why, how are we still. How are we still dealing with the same injury after an entire off season? If it's a new injury, what happened? What were you doing? Why is this guy prone to multiple soft tissue injuries?

[Dan Bernstein]

These are all great questions and these are the questions that he has. That is harsh stuff at this time of year. That is. That is harsh stuff to hear on June 2nd from a coach.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

When usually everything is all optimism and everything is fine. But yesterday was a very much not fine on field day. And you know what also sucks, truthfully, is the on field stuff. We need to distract from the stadium mishigas. There's just been this hilarious farcical disaster and we know that the guy running things over at the Bears is bumping into walls. Half the time the owners don't know what's going on. We all we had our salvation was the Bears are, are good and Kyler Gordon is going to be coming back and part of this. And

[Matt Abeticola]

yeah. That's why I'm not too concerned about the Roma dunes a thing. We talk about self scouting. What do you have? Who are you? I don't think they're gonna, they're gonna sugarcoat anything or put him in a position that it's gonna hurt the team if they don't feel like it's there.

[Dan Bernstein]

No. I think Ben Johnson will say, look, if Rome's bad now, we'll have somebody else do that job.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

You cannot then say, well, he was a first round pick and whatever we get from him is going to be better. That you've got to be ruthless. If he's bad, start planning to move on.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. And I think Ben Johnson is ruthless and I think if he realizes that this piece is hurting the overall production of the team, of the offense, it won't be there.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think you're right. I think you're right. You talk about trust. I I've seen enough and heard enough from Ben Johnson to know that no matter where you were drafted, all. All he cares about is scoring and scoring enough points the next game. Right?

[Matt Abeticola]

And given how they address the defensive line and pressuring opposing quarterbacks, they're going to need to score a lot of points. That's. That's the plan. Caleb Williams takes a next big step, the offense takes a next big step, and they score a lot of points. And if your number nine pick, the guy that was projected to be your number one ride receiver isn't that guy, he won't be in that position to have those opportunities.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct.

[Matt Abeticola]

So. And I'm. And I'm not saying that. That he's. He's not there and he can't do it. We need to see. We need to see. And this off season and preseason work will tell a lot of what the snaps will look like for Roommate, for Roma, Dunes A. The position that he's in, the trust that Ben Johnson has for him with this new normal of this new foot.

[Dan Bernstein]

And. And maybe Rome will come out of this and say, boy, I overshared. And this is something that every athlete goes through. Every athlete's like, oh, okay, my foot does this now. I'm. I'm still good. Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, all right.

[Dan Bernstein]

So that's just going to be. And maybe he's young and understanding that he doesn't have, like. And a veteran would just laugh at him that you. You find somebody. Maybe if, like, you know, Keenan Allen or one of these people were still around, they'd be like, first time, first. No, I'm not kidding.

[Matt Abeticola]

Like, like, yeah, no, you're right.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know, I mean, like, like, like a crusty veteran. Hey, hey. Would be like, hey, you never had a remodeled body part before. I got six remodeled body parts, right? And I'm still out there producing. Like, you want to be a pro? This is how it works, man. Figure out how your new foot works and, and get out there and catch passes, get open catch passes. Nobody's waiting for you. Team's not gonna wait for your coaching. Gonna wait for you.

[Matt Abeticola]

Go ahead.

[Dan Bernstein]

You want to ask me about my knee when I ask you about my ankle, how many surgeries I've had on this shoot? I'm not going to be the Bears meatball that invokes Dan Hampton because he's not really human. But, like, I always laugh. I always laugh, like, what would he say to what, Dan Hampton, State or guy? Right now? There isn't a piece of my body hasn't been operated on multiple times. Right. You know, I'm half titanium screws right now still you drag me off the field and I'm still beating people up out there. Now it's different for a wideout, different for a while. You lose that speed as a wide out, you're done.

[Matt Abeticola]

And while I appreciate Roma Dunes a talking as openly and transparently as he did, it's probably not, not best for him to have been that open. And maybe someone within the building should have said, hey, this is how we address this, or let's go over this. When you talk about it, here's what maybe you should say, or let's just, let's work through it first.

[Dan Bernstein]

And that's it. It's what I wonder that he might just be, he might be okay enough or he might think he's okay enough and the backlash is going to come after, you know, we share our concerns and other people share similar concerns. And he might just kind of be like, oh yeah, whoa, I'm still okay. I'm, I'm okay. Like I'm gonna be all right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. And maybe he gets out there in the field when it's, when it's real and, and he's not impacted and we don't see any difference at all.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's the hope.

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[Matt Abeticola]

I have a bunch of other NFL notes. I don't know if you saw. I have a bunch of things. If you saw this. I want to start with something we talked about yesterday. The possible return of Aaron Donald to the NFL from what nick Shea. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

McVeigh.

[Matt Abeticola]

McVeigh. McVeight. Jesus McVeigh had to say about. Yeah, hey, you know, we're open to the idea now that we have.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm not ruling anything out.

[Matt Abeticola]

Bring it back. Yeah, bring it back. So there was a response from Aaron Donald's wife on social media. It was just three words, and it was, y' all are hilarious.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, okay. So that's done.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's done. Yeah. Aaron Donald is not returning to the NFL. She said, y' all are hilarious.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, well, then I. I guess we can cross that out.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. So if you've got him in your game plan there. All right, Rams. I just take him out now because that's not happening.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. The Mrs. Says new.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

How about new?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Do you think Aaron Donald calls up the Rams, is like, hey, guys, it's Aaron Donald. I saw what you guys said. Yeah, it's. No. That's a no. That's a hard no.

[Dan Bernstein]

He wouldn't say, ah, hey, hi. I can't come back now today. So. Okay, bye.

[Matt Abeticola]

Y' all are hilarious. I love it. Great response. Micah Parsons. We saw that his timeline for return to NFL action is mid October.

[Dan Bernstein]

Good.

[Matt Abeticola]

Was some talk earlier in the. In the off season that maybe it's closer to the first week of the season, but that doesn't seem to be the case. So mid October, I'll take it. I'd even take late October. I would take November.

[Dan Bernstein]

I would.

[Matt Abeticola]

I would enjoy December, a December return of next year. Not even this season.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. Or you can go to Croatia with

[Matt Abeticola]

Cody and never come back.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. And just. And just stay. He. He and Cody can stay in Croatia

[Matt Abeticola]

in baseball prison together, and then they're

[Dan Bernstein]

together in baseball prison.

[Matt Abeticola]

We also did mention the official retirement of Russell Wilson. We talked about the possibility of him joining television, and it is confirmed that he's going to cbs. And as much as I enjoyed watching him play at various times of his college and professional Career. I'm not interested in seeing him on tv.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he's, he's too, he's just corny. I just, I just find him to be kind of cheesy and corny and not real. I don't buy a lot of his, his public forward facing stuff. Now the other part of that. Did you see who was promoted from CBS Sports Network to the big desk alongside him?

[Matt Abeticola]

This is very exciting news.

[Dan Bernstein]

Kyle Long. Yep. And he's got. We, we know that he's genetically got the chops to do it. His dad is one of the best who's ever done it. If you're into those kind of panel shows and

[Matt Abeticola]

you're funny, dude, I know you're not. So you had to throw that in there. If you're into those kind of pregame

[Dan Bernstein]

shows, the panel shows, they don't interest me.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I know, I know.

[Dan Bernstein]

They don't interest me. They're just commercials and screaming. They're nice suits and commercials. If you love commercials and screaming, NFL

[Matt Abeticola]

pregame shows are for you most all.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unless the pregame show. Unless it is like Charles Barkley and, or like the TNT version of that show. There are almost no pre game, halftime, post game shows that are worth watching instead of doing something else. They're just very, very few. You got to be a real couch potato to be like, like that. That is always a cue. What else can I do? What else can I do? You can, you can, you know, run outside and coil up the garden hose. You could. There's all kinds of things I can, I can put a load of laundry in. It's to me the moment that state that is an indication to you of do something better with your time. But I would much rather have smart people doing it than dumb people doing it. And I think that Kyle Long will. I think he is smart enough and good enough at this now that he will contribute to making football fans smarter and not dumber. And that's good.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. So congratulations to Kyle Long. That will be a nice addition to the CBS in studio panel. Dan. We go to Santa Clara, California.

[Dan Bernstein]

We do.

[Matt Abeticola]

Santa Clara county district attorney's office has issued a warrant for the arrest of 49ers wide receiver. No, it is not.

[Dan Bernstein]

Damn.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. It is not Cody Delmendo.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

It is Niners wide receiver Brandon Auk. Oh, no. On a misdemeanor of charge of exhibition of speeding.

[Dan Bernstein]

Exhibition of speeding. So it's not, it's not a regular season speeding. It doesn't really count.

[Matt Abeticola]

It's preseason speeding.

[Dan Bernstein]

But he was, he was exhibiting speeding. Why do they call it speeding?

[Matt Abeticola]

Because they didn't see him speeding. So the warrant is in reference to a video that I posted to YouTube in December in which he appears to tape himself from the driver's seat going well over the posted 40 mph speed limit on a road that run. Runs past Levi's stadium. The DA's office confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday, a few days after posting the video. Ayuk apologized for sharing the video of himself driving a Cadillac CT5V Blackwing on Tasman Drive just outside the Niners home.

[Dan Bernstein]

What is that?

[Matt Abeticola]

It's. I had to look it up because I didn't know it. I expected something very different than what I saw. It's a sporty sedan.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ooh. Doing donuts in an Altima.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, and it. It's. It said it starts at, like, 48 grand. So, yeah, I'm sure he can get, you know, jacked up quite a bit. But, yeah, so they. They see the video that he posts on Tick Tock of him going well over 40 miles an hour, and they're like, oh, can't do that.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's 40.

[Matt Abeticola]

The speed Lima is 40. And what he posted in the video. I didn't see the video. Was he was going well over that speed limit moment.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, well, in the video, I'm. I can't really say anything. Do you know what the actual speed limit on Lakeshore Drive is?

[Matt Abeticola]

Is it like, 30 or 35?

[Dan Bernstein]

40.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, 40. And what do you do? 80.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've never gotten to 80 on Lakeshore Drive.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, well, whatever you do, just do.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do.

[Matt Abeticola]

Do me a favor. Don't ever post yourself on Tick Tock, recording the speed you're going.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, yeah, that's really dumb.

[Matt Abeticola]

Like, if you're gonna, you know, run into a liquor store and hold it up with a gun and take the money out of the register, don't tape that either anymore.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, don't. Don't pull up your ski mask and be like, hello,

[Matt Abeticola]

it's me.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're wearing a name to.

[Matt Abeticola]

Hello, my name is.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. It should. Yeah, that's right.

[Matt Abeticola]

You're wearing your DBU312T shirt.

[Dan Bernstein]

You can get them. You can get them. By the way, it's not just 312 stuff. There's DBU. You could have a DBU shirt. They look really cool. Go to 312Sports.com or go to the 312Sports app. Click on Pro Shop. Get your stuff. It's available.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, but we're working on T shirts with your Face.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is. That is not bright, Brandon.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm sorry, it's not good. I'm sure he'll be fine through that, but not very good. I love this too. From our guys team, the Cleveland Browns. Your guy, Todd Monkin, new Browns edge rusher Jared Verse. Did you see what he said? I'm not here to fill Garrett's shoes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

He said this after his first practice with the Browns. I'm here to bring my own. I'm here to work.

[Dan Bernstein]

To bring your own shoes? Yes.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. Like if he was showing up expecting to provide shoes.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm bringing my own shoes and I'll be here.

[Matt Abeticola]

He says I'm here to be the best version of me Good. The best version of me good. Going to be the best defensive player in the league. And the best defensive player in the league is going to play for the best defense in the league. Now I don't know if the Browns plan on trading him, but those are some pretty big expectations then though.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

Todd Monkin.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I'm very interested to watch my guy Todd Monkin learn how to do this on the fly and then I'll. Then we'll find out whether or not he cares. Because I kind of view Monkin through the same lens that I viewed Vic Fangio. You know what I mean? Like just a long time coordinator guy who was very comfortable doing what he did, who almost seemed annoyed by everything else he had to do as a head coach. You know, the vibe. Yeah, yeah, I guess I gotta go do this now. Where all he wanted to do was a little bit like maybe Tom Thibodeau, like all he wants to do is watch film. All he wants to do is make design plays and watch film and game plan and all that. And sometimes you get a coordinator who just doesn't want to do the head coaching stuff. So that's what I want to see is does Todd Monkin embrace that aspect? That's what's cool about Ben Johnson, is that Ben Johnson loves all of the wonky game planning stuff. He loves the head coaching stuff.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. But you know, I don't even think you have to go back to like look at Vic Fangre. You could just look in the Bears in Hallis hall right now. There's a guy that I don't think liked doing all the head coaching stuff and preferred just being the coordinator. Da. Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he was bad at it. I don't know if he was bad at it because he didn't like it or he was bad at it because he was bad at it. So I don't know. Sometimes there's no good way to know. I mean, where the boundaries are with that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Like those. Those Thursday sessions with the media. He doesn't seem to enjoy those at all.

[Dan Bernstein]

No. And he loves that they're on Thursdays because then. Well, I'm on to the next thing.

[Matt Abeticola]

I've already forgotten about that loss.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why did you give up 42 points, man?

[Matt Abeticola]

I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Whatever.

[Matt Abeticola]

We're.

[Dan Bernstein]

We're on to the next one.

[Matt Abeticola]

Forget that.

[Dan Bernstein]

We're not. I'm not taking any questions about the last game.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Do you think they went to him and they're like, hey, we're going to move your media time to Mondays. Nope. Not going to happen Thursday.

[Dan Bernstein]

Move your media time to two hours before the next game. I got kickoff coming. I can't even be here to talk. I gotta go.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm busy on Mondays. It's not going to work for me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Gotta go. Can't do it. Sorry. Fix that. I'm not gonna be there, buddy. Have mis. Fix my thing.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, that's all the NFL news and notes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. But it's. It's the Kyler Gordon thing is. Is intense. That's serious. Yes, it is.

[Matt Abeticola]

Coming down.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I thought I'd get. I didn't. Like he says, I didn't get to know him.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

The availability, not. He's not talking about him as a player. Like, he's talking about him as a man, baby. Like, he's. When he says. We spoke last year, neither one of us were happy with how it went from a perspective of being able to get to know each other.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

You could have played backgammon with him.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Dan, I'm. I'm just really curious about what. What happened medically through this offseason. Like, why. If. Like, if it's the same injury, why are we still dealing with it? If it's a new injury? What happened? What's. What's going on with it? There's too much. I mean, that is. You know, I'm not sure. Like, I felt really uncomfortable reading the Rome stuff, but I felt really bad for the player and Kyler Gordon from hearing what Ben Johnson had to say.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I. I'm still going to hold out some hope that maybe this is the kind of kick in the ass that he needs. And if there isn't, you know what the. Let me. I don't want to presume too much here. I don't want to presume too much, but I've been in situations where I'VE been around a team where the coach goes to the medical people and the coach says, what's this guy's deal?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I know where you're going

[Dan Bernstein]

upper. Because in the NFL, up or down, up or down. And eventually the coach is like, come on, man. But he's not talking directly to the player because he doesn't want to impugn the player's toughness. Especially in football. This all gets weird because you don't. You don't want to call a guy soft, but it sounds to me like maybe with all the soft tissue injuries and every coach is like this, even though they try to be sensitive about it, if they don't see a knife sticking out of your leg, if they don't see a velociraptor chewing on your foot, it's hard for them to. And this is part of the problem with. With mental health in sports, which is another piece altogether. Right. But soft tissue injuries are on that same continuum of broken leg, get the cart bleeding on his nose, all this stuff to, is he okay? Why isn't he playing? And what I'm starting to wonder is, is he getting information from the trainers, from the strength and conditioning staff, and from the doctors who say, the imaging says that it's. It's all about the patient now. It's all about symptoms. It's all about pain level. Yeah. And that. And that happens. Or they. Or they say, we're like, what happened with Derrick Rose? We're at the point in the rehab where it's go time. We got to learn to trust it. And that's something that Roma Dunes is going to learn, too. Like, this is. This is. It's remodeled now. You gotta. You gotta play. You got it. Is time to play.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. It could be at a point where medical is saying, yeah, you're good to go. Give it a. Give it a try. And the player is like, I just don't feel it yet. I just don't feel. I'm not there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Or.

[Matt Abeticola]

Or.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or it's. He just. It still hurts. It still hurts. It's not right. I'm not 100%. I don't feel the right way. That.

[Matt Abeticola]

That.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I'm not accusing anybody of anything. I want to be really careful about that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

But this is starting to work into that territory where a coach is behaving in a way to challenge the player that intensely. That sometimes comes from information from medical and conditioning and athletic training where they're like, yeah, we. We love for him to be out

[Matt Abeticola]

there, and we've seen Ben Johnson not shy away from challenging players or, or position groups publicly as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

But you understand why I'm careful about it. I'm.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, no, no, I get it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, for sure. No. And I mean, I think that's a, it's a good, it's a good, a good, good jump to take. But it also. There's another branch that too, though, Dan, that if it's not, hey, I'm not 100. How does that sit in the locker room full of guys who are not 100 who are out there giving their best? It's like, how does that sit?

[Dan Bernstein]

What are they talking in baseball? 75 and Sonny, some of these pitchers had get a reputation. 70. It's got to be. Everything's got to be just right. Yeah. Everything has to be sort of perfect for me. Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because that's not going to fly with some veteran guy in the locker room that, oh, I hear you're not at 100. You can't go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Pat Mantle, he always talked about the 100 centers.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Guess what? I'm. I haven't been in years.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's an. Yeah. Calling somebody 100er is an insult. Yeah. And I can say this as an old dude too, not a football player, that when you're, when you're 56, you wake up every day and something hurts. It's just a matter of how it hurts, when it hurts. And, and usually you say like, you know, I'll walk around, that'll, I'll be fine by the day and then tomorrow something else will hurt. Or if it hurts for a second day, you start thinking, maybe that's a thing. Should I take some ibuprofen? But something always hurts on these guys and you don't want a reputation as 100 percenter.

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[Matt Abeticola]

God, you know what I did yesterday? You're gonna appreciate this. So I, my left knees has bothered me for a couple years and I've gone therapy and done things and have had it checked out.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sure.

[Matt Abeticola]

And so, you know, there's different stretches to do. Whatever. So I'm doing laundry yesterday and I got, it's like a front loading dryer.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ooh, laundry injury.

[Matt Abeticola]

So the dryer door was open and so my washer and dryer next to each other and I needed to go around the open dryer door to get stuff into the dryer and I didn't go quite around far enough and so my kneecap kind of lodged against the dryer door and as I went to move it pushed my kneecap from the dryer door and it like I dropped down to my right knee. It hurts so bad.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ow. That's a good one. Yeah. Oh, no, no. And you notice I'm not really laughing. No, that's, that's dryer door injury. Oh, I get it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Luckily I'm not a professional athlete because I would have had to missed my next start and.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, we're not gonna.

[Matt Abeticola]

What was the injury? Oh, it was a dryer door injury,

[Dan Bernstein]

but we used to do dumb injuries. But like, old injuries are a different Friday fung from dumb injuries and we've never done old injuries before because I don't know that I've had enough to offer. But there's. Oh, dude. Dude. There's all kinds of things. And that's why, I mean, geez, when in, in the, when I've been out fishing and the things I'm trying to climb over and what I'm asking my body to try to do, to jump over fences and under pieces of concrete to get to some of these fishing spots and, and I'm all covered. Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's one thing though. You're doing like Indiana Jones type stuff just so you can catch fish in Chicago. I'm doing laundry in my basement.

[Dan Bernstein]

Doesn't matter, man. These are things that happen. I, I, I thought I hurt myself putting my seatbelt on the other day reaching across my body too fast.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, you got to be careful with that stuff. I've done that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Opening the car door, getting out of the car, and I've pulled, like, my. My lower back.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

Last time I had an issue with that. Had to go to the chiropractor. He's like, what happened? I'm like, oh, I got out of the car. What? Had, like, someone hit you? What happened? You got out of the car. Did you fall? Oh, no, no, I just stood up out of the car and everything else was fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

And that. Yeah, I'm not. I get it. Yeah, I get it. That's fine. Like, do you know how much I have to stretch before I play golf?

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, that's a problem.

[Dan Bernstein]

But it's like, I can't just, like, walk out. Out of the first tee.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wait, are you doing, like, you're not doing, like, those weirdo guy stretches you do in the studio? Are you like, you're not doing those?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, no, no. That's not stretching. That's a work. The. The Bulgarian split squats.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. The stuff that you do in studio when I'm there, for some reason, I

[Dan Bernstein]

do it all the time, because. Why not? That's a. That's a perfect height of that window ledge for my Bulgarian split squats. Yep. And when I do them at home on. On actual leg day, I have £25 in each hand. But that's actually on arm day, when I do the ones without weights.

[Matt Abeticola]

Terry and I would bust your balls so bad all the time. Arm day and leg day.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, we'd go. We were in Tucson. We were staying at that. That. That big, weird resort place.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, yeah. What was that?

[Dan Bernstein]

I forgot. It was nice. Nice.

[Matt Abeticola]

It was very nice.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's what everyone. Terry did that warning. He's like, I couldn't sleep last night. Why? Because where was an owl? I do damn owl. And I knew it wasn't an owl. Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

That was the resort that had like those 10 person golf carts. You know, you're in a nice. Oh, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's huge. The huge.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

That take you everywhere. But it wasn't an owl. It was a mourning dove. Yeah. So if you. If you look up what a mourning dove sounds like, you hear them all the time. They're all over the place. And I would know it was an owl. No, Terry, when he would.

[Matt Abeticola]

When he would get stuck in a rut of something.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh.

[Matt Abeticola]

And I was giving out. Getting him out.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. That was like when the bears. I said the bears would win the super bowl or be in the Super bowl in 2007. But Terry, it's the 06 season. Nope, it's January of 07. Yep. Nope, I said it. I, I said that. I said they'd be in the ocean that time. No, no, no, I, I got. That's what I said. Like.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, buddy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Fine. Okay, fine. You know, I couldn't sleep because of the owl, I think.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, I think he said somebody named Al. The guy named Al in his room kept him up all night.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do you remember where they, they have in. When. In my cousin Vinnie when he goes to the, the prosecutor's cabin to stay in the woods and the owls can be Came up and he just goes outside, just starts shooting his pistol randomly. Yeah, and I didn't even know if that was the right sound effect for whatever owl they showed. I don't think it was. I think, but, but just picture terror there trying to shoot the damn thing. Get out of here.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Terry's gun's empty, though. That's the problem.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's a dry firing. Yes, just click. God damn it. I, I told Peach that I needed another magazine in this thing, and now I, I, I don't know where it is. Where's the magazine for my Glock? Okay. I didn't, I didn't know it was a Glock. I just thought it was a.45. I don't know.

[Matt Abeticola]

Little Admiral Akbar in him there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, maybe a little Jerry Kraus in there too. I don't know. Something.

[Matt Abeticola]

Jerry Kraus and Admiral Akbar had a baby. It was Dave Miska.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, that's not nice.

[Matt Abeticola]

It's not nice. I love Dave.

[Dan Bernstein]

Jerry Kraus is in my dream a couple of nights ago.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, it wasn't a sex dream, was it?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it wasn't.

[Matt Abeticola]

You and Jerry and Stan Gundy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, now we're talking. No, he, he was, it was Jerry Curse was mad at me about something, and I, and I in the dream, and I forgot why, but he, but he, like, pulled these out of it. He is like. You're wrong.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm sure it had something to do with what you said.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unusual stuff that Jerry would get mad at me for. Dickie Simpkins is never gonna play in the cba. Oh, really? Jerry? Would you like to bet? I bet he will. You know why? Because he's bad.

[Matt Abeticola]

He's not good. Not an NBA basketball. I've seen the NBA.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not good. Wasn't good in the CBA either. And he, and let the record show, he did play there, despite the argument that we had. But I could always. No Matter what with Jerry, if you change the subject of fishing because you're good to go. Different guy. Okay. He would turn into a different guy. His eyes would light up is all he would talk about. And like, I saw him when we were staying in Miami at the Turnberry and, and. And Jerry's. Why. Why are you walking fast? Where are you going? I thought he had to make a trade. He's like, you. You gotta go to 17. And I said, what? He goes, you gotta see the size of those sunfish. I said, oh, red ear sunfish. The shell cracker. He's like, yeah. They call him brim. I gotta get. I gotta go fish. Like, that's my man right there.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, there you go.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's my man.

[Matt Abeticola]

All righty then. That'll. That's good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Roma Dunes hurt. Kyler Gordon is falling out of favor with the coaching staff because he's probably hurt maybe again.

[Matt Abeticola]

And definitely out of the circle of trust.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. And somehow Phil fucking Maton is back in it. God.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, hey, give him an opportunity tonight to pitch and we'll see what happens.

[Dan Bernstein]

This day has gone full circle. We come in at 8:30 and we do off the Ivy, and I'm talking about Shingo Maton and his selection of spinning Frisbees like he's throwing him to a golden retriever. And now I have to end our recording day thinking about Shingo Maton.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yep. So Meitan's in the circle of trust. Kyler Gordon out of the circle of trust.

[Dan Bernstein]

That'll do it. For Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears and NFL podcast on 312 Sports. Progress is stopped.

[Matt Abeticola]

Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 31 2. Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know what's missing. Real talk about what black men go through mentally and emotionally. Man, listen. Mental health conversations for men of color. We're diving into the real stuff. The pressure, the struggles, the healing. No filters, just brothers sharing their truth about navigating life and finding purpose. Whether you're living it, supporting someone who is, or just want to understand, this is for you. I'm Mark McCray and I'm ready to have these conversations. Find us by searching. Man, listen Mental. Wherever you get your podcast,

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