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Dan Bernstein
I mean, if you're a Bears fan,
Matt Abaticola
you're thinking Forward progress. Come on. 10219 219Forward progress a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 sports.
Dan Bernstein
You have forward progr and it's brought to you by Giordano's Back to School means back to busy between practices, homework and everything in between. Give yourself a break with Giordano's. Treat the kids and yourself to Chicago Style Pizza. Everyone can agree on make tonight a giordano's night@giordano's.com or visit your local Giordano's restaurant today. Giordano's the one for Chicago Style Pizza. Everybody's talking. We heard the Bears yesterday was kind of happening as we were recording and seeing all the newsy stuff. But what what was your impressions or any takeaways from the the the two highest ranking football people in the organization having their their turn at the lectern on the podium?
Matt Abaticola
Well, we've talked about this guy a lot this off season. It's Kyler Gordon and I think the comments from Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson said a lot about Kyler Gordon. I think we can probably start there. The message from Ben Johnson was asked to Kyler Gordon. He just said get healthy, get healthy. That's it. And then when you hear from more detail from Ryan polls and hearing that Kyler Gordon was there all off season, he was training, he was getting himself right. And then he says we had a delay in that. We know of course there's another calf injury he's dealing with, which has put a halt to getting healthy from last season, is not allowing him to be fully healthy and start this training camp on the field. We know he's on the PUP list. All hands are on deck. I think what was most telling for me from Ryan Poles, he said this. When he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go. That, to me, doesn't sound like a guy that they're planning to have anytime in the near future or are even thinking about their plans for defense.
Dan Bernstein
Let me take it a step further. This, to me, sounds like a team putting pressure on a guy that they don't think is tough enough. That's what it sounds like to me. And you don't come out and say it. You don't call somebody what you want to call them. But when the organization says things like this, we've all experienced it. When you know, why isn't this guy healthy? Why isn't this guy healthy? And you get the whispers, well, I mean, talk to him. Talk to him where the trainers, the doctors, they look over the imaging, they look over everything. And they say, as far as we're concerned, he should be practicing. This is when. This is when the reporting comes in. This is when I'd like to know, what does Kyler Gordon say? What does he say about the fact that the team, they. They. They pulled his card yesterday like that.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, they did.
Dan Bernstein
That's. That's putting him out there. So the impression that I get is that the chatter internally is, I don't know. I don't know what his deal is. This guy's glass, or they think he's soft. They think he's soft. And in football, you got to dance around it.
Matt Abaticola
And when Ben Johnson says, you know, get healthy and then get back and stay. Stay here, get on the field and stay on the field. So this just tells me. And you know, for Ryan, polls to say when he's ready, he'll be ready to go. When he's ready, he'll be ready to go. Of course they want him to play. They know they're a better football team. When he's playing at 100% and on the field, there's a reason why they gave him the biggest contract at that time for a slot corner.
Dan Bernstein
It's some of this and the big experience with this of knowing what was being said internally and what was being said by the player. This, to me, a lot of this gets back to Derrick Rose coming off the knee injury when everybody around The Bulls was like, play, time to play. You're fine. It's structurally sound. This is the time of the recovery, when you got to play. And when I was hearing from team sources from.
Matt Abaticola
From every.
Dan Bernstein
Like, we don't know. We have no idea what's going on. He. He won't play. He's. He's been great in practice. He won't play. We don't know why. We don't know what's going on, and we never really did. And I was like, he's listening to his body. He's listening to his body. And the doctor's like, yeah, it's hard. This is the tough time. And you've got to understand it's. And I don't know psychologically what they're dealing with with Kyler Gordon here, but it sounds to me when a team does this, it means they don't really know what else to do other than say, hey, man, you tell us when you're healthy.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, when. And I mean, Ryan Paul said it all. When he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go. He's creating the timeline for it. And so for. For me, that is a team that is pushing forward and moving on. Now, they're obviously not cutting him. They're not going to get rid of him.
Dan Bernstein
And how can you not have a backup plan? How can you make this guy so important? Remember, like, we know last year, we know he fell out of favor when he pulled himself out in warm ups after they game planned with him and they put everything in and they set their roster and he said he's a critical part of their game plan. And they say, oh, I'm hurt in warm ups. What do you mean? I'm hurt. I can't play. Okay, great, Thanks.
Matt Abaticola
I believe that they think Malik Muhammad is a backup plan.
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
Matt Abaticola
Well, that's why he was drafted and why early talks were about him competing for a job at corner over Tyreek Stevenson. I think there's the versatility there that they believe that's why. That's why he was drafted. I think that's why he was brought in.
Dan Bernstein
And then you pointed out the number of off the street tryouts that have been defensive backs. But that would be a massive, glaring error. As we discussed yesterday, that that is your exhaust port in the Death Star. If somehow you can't be what you think you can be defensively because you trusted a guy that you know better than to trust, that's on you.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. So I'm willing to, you know, use that word, trust. And we'll use it a lot. I, I, I'm willing to trust Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson and the decisions they made in drafting people and who they've brought in, who they signed in free agency as well to say, hey, if Kyler Gordon's not there. Because I, I think again, when the GM says to me when he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go. That's not a timeline. You have injuries in a significant position with a significant player, you have a timeline. Yeah, Kyler's doing this and, and you know, he's working with our guys and our staff and we expect to have him back for the end of training camp like that. That's what you talk about when a, when the general manager says when he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go. That to me is a team moving forward, starting practice early this morning at 8:30, they're on the field. And Kyler Gordon as what happens in the NFL, you become a ghost. This isn't a guy that is rehabbing from surgery because you hear the difference in tone when talking about those guys. When Ryan polls did that these guys are rehabbing from an injury that ended their season. They needed surgery to repair an injury and they're progressing exactly like we expect them to and they're, they're fine. But this is a soft tissue injury again, that is keeping the guy off the field again. And the general manager says when he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go.
Dan Bernstein
They're calling him soft. Yes, they're calling him or worse. There they are. There is no quit for an NFL team to basically say don't talk to us, talk to him. Or we don't, we don't know. That means you got all your trainers like the number of people at an NFL organization that are dedicated to getting you ready enough to do your job, the money, the resources that are plowed into this. You have people whose entire job responsibilities to get you ready. And when they, when it gets to the point where the coach and the GM are like, yeah, we, I don't know, I don't know.
Matt Abaticola
We don't see him enough.
Dan Bernstein
We don't know that they're, they are, they're at their wits end.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, no, that's a great point. Because all the people they employ and pay money to, to keep these guys ready to go or get them back ready to go.
Grainger Advertiser
Yep.
Matt Abaticola
That's not on them. When he, he used that specifically. When he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go. It's all on him. You know, we heard it at the end of last season with Ben Johnson. He's like, I don't know the player. I just don't know him.
Dan Bernstein
Well, first of all, the player.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
When he doesn't even use his. I don't know. He didn't say, I don't know. Kyler, the player.
Matt Abaticola
Ouch. Right. And we saw that last year in the growth and the development of their relationship between he and Caleb. It's the quarterback. You know, there was times when he was deliberately using the quarterback or Caleb, you know, so it's interesting. Yeah. And that's a. That's a great point to put out there. But in Ben Johnson very simply had to say, I don't know the player that well. He just hasn't been out there.
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
Matt Abaticola
And then, hey, what's your message to Kyler Gordon? Get healthy. Get healthy and stay healthy. That's the message. It could not be more clear. I also thought it was interesting. So you have 54 returning players, 37 newcomers there at training camp. Ben Johnson talked a lot about developing this new chemistry. It's a new group of guys, new chemistry. And I, I went down a different little path thinking about it. You know, when a team develops chemistry, has good chemistry. I think you have certain positions that are established. Number one being the quarterback. If you don't have a quarterback, you're not going to develop team chemistry. You're just not. We know if you don't have that position solidified, you're not going to be very good. The Bears have that solidified. So as far as chemistry is concerned, you have the quarterback. I think another important part is the offensive line. And it just so happens to be that one of your best players, if not your best player, happens to come from the offensive line. Walked into that building last year with a ton of credibility, automatic leadership. So you have that leadership from the offensive line. The defense is where I have the question mark. Who leads on the defense like Montez Sweat, last year was their best defensive player. And you could, you could argue his stats, his performance, whether it was underwhelming or not. But he was their best defensive player last year. I don't know if he is. No, it's a leader, a vocal guy.
Dan Bernstein
Let me give you two other names from last year. Three other names. Kevin Byard was the leader of the secondary.
Matt Abaticola
Yes, we know that was a leader. And he's gone. Period.
Dan Bernstein
He's gone. Your most vocal linebacker was Tremaine Edmonds. He was the guy Getting the calls and wearing the green dot. So now that becomes Devin Bush, and you have TJ Edwards as your likely heir to that leadership role. And on the defensive line, your loudest presence was Andrew Billings.
Matt Abaticola
Well, I. But I think. I think your most vocal leader, though, was Grady Jared. Remember when they did that, that team, that. That players only meeting, that he. He led, even though he wasn't performing very well at that point in the season. And he progressed a little better as the year went on, as he got healthier.
Dan Bernstein
It's gonna be nice if he's on two legs this year.
Matt Abaticola
It would be great if he. What we saw at the end of the year, he can pick right up from there and continue and build and be. Become a little more productive. But he was also a vocal leader. Like, is. Is he your vocal leader on defense, or is it Jalen Johnson? Is Jalen Johnson your vocal leader on defense? Like, who's that guy that helps that. That chemistry? Because I think you need to have it from all aspects, and I think you're covered on the O line. I think you're covered with the quarterback. Your young wide receivers aren't going to be, you know, vocal leaders. I don't think Colson Loveland is that kind of guy. I think he just goes out and says, give me the football and I'll fucking score touchdowns for you. But who's that guy on defense? You know, I don't know a whole lot about Devin Bush.
Dan Bernstein
I don't either. And I don't know how Ben Johnson cultivates leadership and how Dennis Allen cultivates leadership. That is an. It's an interesting thing to watch and a good question on your part. I definitely think we should put that on our. On our open items where we may say being somebody who is available to the media and talks a lot and is.
Matt Abaticola
That was brisker a lot last year, too. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
Is. Is, you know, being available, being available after games. That's part of it. That's part of what we see and. And what. What the fan can see and hear is somebody's availability and presence. And Bayard loved that stuff. Bayard was always there for that. Yeah, we know Grady Jared.
Matt Abaticola
He's great at it, too.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, and he's great at it. And he will be when he becomes a broadcaster. Yes, but that's only part of it. What happens during games, during meetings, in the rooms, we don't really know. So it's a. It's a very good question of whether or not Montez Sweat wants to become that. We really didn't see enough of Diodango to get a sense or motivated Dio. Whether or not motivated Dio is a leader.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I just don't. I don't get that from Montez Sweat. And again, you know, I'm. I'm new, you know, a year back into looking at things differently than I have been the last seven years where I was just a fan and I wasn't diving deep. That's why, you know, you. We talk a lot about the, the end of Nagy or the Eber flu thing. I, I can't really contribute a whole lot because I wasn't consuming it the same way that I do now or that you have been, you know, being in. In radio. So I'm not. I'm still trying to understand and learn who guys are. And I, I don't. I don't see Montez Sweat as being that guy, though. I don't see him as being a void. Maybe he is. Maybe I'm just reading it wrong, but he doesn't strike me that way. He strikes me as a guy that works really hard, that comes in, does his job, and isn't going to be that kind of vocal leader to help define team chemistry or set that, that tone.
Dan Bernstein
So let's, let's table this and let's just leave this. We're going to continue as camp goes on. What's our end date? Should we have identified our defensive leaders or leader by the end of camp or by the second exhibition game?
Matt Abaticola
I. I think by the end of camp, I think we'll hear stuff from, from people that are there covering it daily.
Dan Bernstein
We'll see it too.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, we'll see it as well, too. But I mean, we'll, we'll hear more from that. You know, I mean, right now it isn't Grady, Jared and he. But he can't be a guy on one leg and be that, that leader. I know he did it last year. He was vocal in it.
Dan Bernstein
If healthy and effective, it's Grady Jarrett that helps.
Matt Abaticola
It helps to be productive and to have that leadership role. I think it says a lot more.
Dan Bernstein
And it should be Jalen Johnson.
Matt Abaticola
It should be, yes. Yeah. Because if he's healthy, he's your best player on defense. That's the way it should be. That's how. I mean, it's on paper that way that he's your best player.
Dan Bernstein
And there is, there's a vacuum with Bayard gone in the secondary because a lot of times there that those guys on the back end are talking to each other. Your Middle linebacker is looking at what's in front of him, not what's behind him.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, and that's Kobe Bryant, too. We haven't mentioned him. Is. Is he a leader guy?
Dan Bernstein
I don't know.
Matt Abaticola
Is that. Is that what he did in Seattle? Does he have that ability and that desire to be that vocal guy that helps define this team chemistry and build that team chemistry? And obviously, it all. It all starts, though, with Ben Johnson. And, you know, Ben. Everything flows down from the top of the mountain where Ben Johnson sits. That's it. And. And we know what he did as a head coach was very unorthodox from what we were used to in this town. And as far as being a leader, and I hate using that term of leader of men, but the dude took his shirt off and had the chance going and the screaming, and he was a psycho.
Dan Bernstein
Was he at Rate Field? Did he. Did he join the group?
Matt Abaticola
I don't know if he's on tarps off.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Did he join everybody up there? He should. He's an honorary. He'd be perfect up there.
Matt Abaticola
Another thing that Ben Johnson was asked about, and Caleb talked about this as well, too.
Sleep Number/Grainger Advertiser
The.
Matt Abaticola
The film session where Ben put together all the incomplete passes. And it was, you know, a few hours of he and Caleb watching incomplete passes. And Ben was asked about it, you know, like, what he thought of it. And he. First he said that was fun. And then he said in. In watching it, he realized some of the incomplete passes were because he didn't give Caleb a good opportunity to throw the ball and to throw the ball away. So Ben internalized it a little bit. So what you think is an exercise to sit down with the quarterback and say, hey, here's the mistakes you made. How can we correct them? This guy walks out of it going, well, gee, I didn't do. I didn't give him the best opportunity for wide receiver number one right there on this particular play. That's why he threw the ball away. I need to be better. I thought that was really interesting to hear him talk about that. But he also says at the end of that, though, Dan, he says it's why I told the coaches in the spring. And this is about the wide receiver. Coaches and the wide receiver room have got to be better. We've got to be better overall in our passing game. And then he says yesterday, we're going to be better. We're. We're going to be better. We're all going to be better. And it stood out to me because part of it initially sounded Naive, but I believe, and I know Ben knows better than that. It sounded naive at first because you just can't hope to be better and then be better. I know that Ben has a strategy and a plan that he's already put in place with his coaches, and he's already working on developing with his quarterback and the wide receivers. So I know he has a plan in place. I just want to know what it is. I would love to know from Ben what are the things that he's put in place and said, hey, we're going to be different this year in this one aspect, and this is how we're going to be different and what we're going to be do and what we're going to do to look different. I would love to know what those things are. I would love to know how his brain operates. So, you know, initially I was like, Ben, you just can't hope to be better. But I know the guy has a plan. And so when he says we're going to be better in this aspect, the wide receivers are going to run better
Dan Bernstein
routes and not drop.
Matt Abaticola
And not drop the ball as bad. It's going to happen, but it's not. They're not going to drop as bad. And Caleb will be better as well, too. So I would love to hear what his strategy, like what I'm sure he started working on that from. Right. I mean, because that, that was. He put that out on his own at the end of last season. He put that out there and threw all those guys under the bus, coaching staff, wide receivers. So I, I bet you he started working on that right away. That was one of the first things I would love to know when Ben says we're all going to be better. Why? What does this guy have in store or in place?
Dan Bernstein
Well, as we talked about in dbu, as I say, his answer, we're going to be better. Why? Because I'm here. Because I'm going to make him better. I. I want to touch on a takeaway that I had from yesterday that I think was, you don't have to be a detective to have picked up on this. When Ryan Poles was asked about what's going on at left tackle.
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
Dan Bernstein
He talks about Braxton Jones coming off the injury, that he's finally in a position that he was in before the injury, etc. And a lot of things they talked about, I think are probably the way that Roma Dunze should have talked about his injury, perhaps instead of the. The alarming stuff that we heard when he was talking about his Remodeled foot that it sounds like this is going to be Braxton Jones's job. But then he talked at length about Theo Benedict. You know, did all the things we asked of him. He mentioned that Jedrick Wills has put on 10 pounds of lean body mass
Matt Abaticola
and then double digits. A double digit. So. Oh, yeah, double.
Dan Bernstein
Yes. It could be 99 pounds.
Matt Abaticola
Right. Which would be all lean mass.
Dan Bernstein
If you put on 99 pounds of lean mass, then that's, that's fascinating.
Matt Abaticola
Yes, but.
Dan Bernstein
And then at the very end, they were about to move on to the next question and he realized he forgot to mention Karen Amogaje. And then he's like, oh, and Karan. Well, I guess we know what's going on there.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. If I'm putting on a depth chart right now he's at the bottom.
Dan Bernstein
That I would say long shot to make the roster.
Matt Abaticola
Yes.
Dan Bernstein
If I were, if I were betting right now on maybe first round of cuts that you say, here's a guy young enough with the pedigree of a third round pick who might have it. Because I think he mentioned Ozzy Trapillo before he even mentioned Karana Magaji. That was, that was.
Matt Abaticola
I. I laughed out loud when I
Dan Bernstein
heard that in its entirety.
Matt Abaticola
Laughed out loud like.
Dan Bernstein
Okay, bye.
Matt Abaticola
I think that'll, that will wrap things
Dan Bernstein
up for the old Kuran Amagaji bit. That's good. They're done on that.
Matt Abaticola
Did. Isn't. Didn't Wills. Isn't he injured somehow? Isn't there something had been.
Dan Bernstein
That's. He'd been injured his whole career?
Matt Abaticola
Like. Okay, no, I thought when the, when the, when the, the most recent list came out.
Dan Bernstein
No, I didn't see one there.
Matt Abaticola
Okay, maybe.
Dan Bernstein
No, no. But, but he, that's, that's his history. I mean he was a, a first round talent who has then been unhealthy. This, this is a last chance bet for both sides on this one.
Matt Abaticola
Last. I thought it was encouraging to hear though, what, I mean, what he did to change his body type a little bit. So who knows if he's healthy.
Dan Bernstein
They chose to mention him.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. No, they did. So if he's healthy and, but it. To me it's very clear that it's Braxton, Braxton Jones's job to lose.
Dan Bernstein
Yep.
Matt Abaticola
Like he's the guy. It's your job to lose. So it's some. So it's something that we wanted them to identify.
Dan Bernstein
That was confirmed yesterday.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, we didn't want this to be the training camp of. Let's figure out the left tackle revolving door thing. We wanted them to have an answer and they have an answer before camp even started.
Dan Bernstein
It's what it sounds like. They didn't. They said it without saying it correct because they based on the their, the the order in which things were said and the amount of words that were used on, they're getting us ready for it to be Braxton Jones.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, because we were told that he's the healthiest he's ever been. He's the strongest he's ever been. So it very clearly without saying it. Yes, It's Braxton Jones's job to lose in training camp.
Dan Bernstein
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Sleep Number/Grainger Advertiser
If the world were like a Sleep number mattress, everything would adapt for your comfort. Your coffee would never get cold, your flight would always be on time, and your mattress would always respond to you and your unique sleep needs.
Grainger Advertiser
Needs.
Sleep Number/Grainger Advertiser
Sleep number mattresses are designed to respond to your body and shift with your changing life, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. To experience a whole new world of comfort, visit a sleep number store or go to sleepnumber.com sleep number to a
Grainger Advertiser
good life Sleep Grainger knows When you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need need to see through walls and around corners, Lights about to fail, filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.
Matt Abaticola
One other area actually. Yeah, one other area to mention from yesterday. Talking about Darnell Wright and the extension, I thought it was interesting when Ryan Poll says we want him here long term. Then he said it takes two sides to get things done. So he was deliberate in saying we want him here long term. It takes two sides to get things done. Am I reading too much into that or does your do your reporter ears say that they they're not close on the Number. Because Wright's number from his side is higher than the Bears want.
Dan Bernstein
That tells me it's a negotiation.
Matt Abaticola
Yes.
Dan Bernstein
And that we're in the middle of it.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. That it's, it's currently happening and the two sides initially met and Ryan Paul's walked away going, that's a big fucking number. Yeah. We are in.
Dan Bernstein
We are in the middle of a negotiation. And it's. This is how it works. This is his way of saying we have a window to get it done. And then soon, soon enough he said, like, well, games are going to start because they don't want to be doing this into the season.
Matt Abaticola
Correct.
Dan Bernstein
But.
Matt Abaticola
And, and he's still under control for two years.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, but that was, that's, that's a message to the other side of the negotiating tables. What that was.
Matt Abaticola
It certainly was saying it takes two sides to get things done. Says your price is too high.
Grainger Advertiser
Yeah.
Matt Abaticola
You need to be a little more reasonable. That. That's what I'm hearing. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
And, and, and if I'm his agent, I'm like, we're not budging.
Matt Abaticola
Right.
Dan Bernstein
You want to go look for. You want to go look for. Where are you gonna go? To the, the All Pro Tackle farm that just grows them where you can just go grab it All Pro Right
Matt Abaticola
at the mark Trustman's trees.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Ascending All Pro Tackle. Okay.
Grainger Advertiser
Sure.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Well, yeah, we'll be knocking that price down anytime, Ryan.
Grainger Advertiser
Right.
Matt Abaticola
I would call him. I would have called him up and been like, hey, Ryan, I heard what you said and you are right. It does take two sides. Here's our number. Oh, your number didn't change. Nope.
Dan Bernstein
If anything were to add to it.
Matt Abaticola
Yes. Next week it goes up. So, so, yeah, but, but, but, but again, he, they, they can't really push back that hard because again, he's. It's not like this is the fifth year of his deal and he's, he's walking after this.
Dan Bernstein
Correct.
Matt Abaticola
I mean, this is, I mean, Bears still have somewhat of the, of the leverage and control for it.
Dan Bernstein
Obviously they want to get it done and they'll get a break for cap purposes. I think if, if they do it before the certain data, how that works. But yeah, this is one. You, You've got a cornerstone level player who you, you know what the market is going to bear for him, no pun intended. And I, I am optimistic that they will meet a point of. A mutual point of satisfaction and disappointment.
Matt Abaticola
They certainly will. Anything from yesterday's press conference that you want to want to mention?
Dan Bernstein
No, those weren't Those are really. It was the thing. It was the. And. And if you DBU today, you'll get my. My view from above. And that was really. Ben Johnson not able to say, don't worry. I got this. I'm Ben Johnson. Everything is going to be fine.
Matt Abaticola
I'm.
Dan Bernstein
I'm doing the things you wanted me to do. Think. Just trust me. Trust me, Trust me, trust me, trust me.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, because.
Dan Bernstein
Because I'm awesome at this. And that's. That was the vibe, but he couldn't say it because he's not that big a jerk.
Matt Abaticola
No, he's not that. He's. Well, he's not a jerk, which is. He's not point, right?
Dan Bernstein
No, but ask. Ask Matt. Yeah, he can be. For the right reasons, but in a good way, though. But he was for us. It's a good way. He was a total penis to Matt LaFleur.
Matt Abaticola
Well, it's fine. He can do that. I know that person he wants.
Dan Bernstein
I love it. We have to love it, because that's, you know, he's. He's embracing that aspect of a competitive job.
Matt Abaticola
The Bears social media did a pretty fun thing. They had a handful of players with, you know, like, when kids go to kindergarten, first day. Kindergarten. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they did that with Bears players again, first day of training camp. And they have their name. They have today's dates. They have. I am blank years old. I love blank, and I want to be blank when I grow up. So it's a little chalkboard. They have to fill out these answers. So. Colson Loveland. And they have like a. It's like a. A studio, like a backdrop for, like a, you know, photography, you know, a backdrop and everything. So they. They went all out for it. And so Colson Lovin's the first guy here on their social media. I'm 22 years old. I love family. I want to be actor when I grow up. I want to be actor.
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
Matt Abaticola
Roma dunze. I'm 24 years old. I love ball. B, A, L, L. I love ball. Love ball.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
Matt Abaticola
I want to be super bowl champ when I grow up. Malik Muhammad, 21 years old. I love life. I want to be exotic zookeeper when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Sweet.
Matt Abaticola
That's what I said, too.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. That's having a thought. I like that.
Matt Abaticola
Exotic zookeeper.
Dan Bernstein
Lion tamer. Go ahead.
Matt Abaticola
I mean, unless he's like. Like the Tiger King kind of thing.
Dan Bernstein
That's what he wants to be.
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
Dan Bernstein
He wants to be Tiger King. He wants to be out there. What is he shooting at? The targets full of explosives.
Matt Abaticola
Cairo Santos. I'm 34 years old. I love Jesus, family, and Bears. And I'm assuming it's the Chicago Bears. I want to be a Super bowl champ when I grow up. So he actually completed the whole sentence. Dylan Thieman. I'm 21 years old. I love sports. Sports, sports, sports.
Dan Bernstein
I like sports.
Matt Abaticola
I want to be NFL player when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Oh, sir, guess what, sir, you're grown up.
Matt Abaticola
All right. Neville Gallimore. I'm 29 years old. I love my wife, son, and future child. So maybe she's expecting, which is great. Congratulations. I want to be the baddest when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
That's cool.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I thought that was cool, too. That's cool. Tori Taylor. I'm 28 years old. I love friends and family. I want to be social admin when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Interesting.
Matt Abaticola
Interesting. Yes. Sam Roush. I'm 22 years old. I love football. I want to be dad when I grow up. So I don't know if he wants to be his dad or a dad.
Dan Bernstein
Oh, that's. Have you seen him do the Rubik's Cube, by the way?
Matt Abaticola
I have.
Dan Bernstein
That's pretty phenomenal.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, it is.
Dan Bernstein
I know that's a thing now that all the kids can do it.
Matt Abaticola
And there's like. Yeah. There's, like, patterns that you can. No matter what how it starts out, if you memorize the pattern and repeat, it'll work. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
It pissed me off so much when. When Jason had the, like. It was a thing when he was in, like, fourth grade. And then they got like, these speed cubes that you can do super fast. And do you know how many days I sat there trying to figure Be
Matt Abaticola
like, oh, I got a layer of it.
Dan Bernstein
Oh, geez. Okay. I never figured it out.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, it's frustrating.
Dan Bernstein
You know what? I could know what I killed at, though? Pyramix, the pyramid one.
Matt Abaticola
It was a. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dan Bernstein
It was a Rubik's pyramid that. That I could unscramble in my sleep.
Matt Abaticola
You could do that?
Dan Bernstein
Okay, I could. And. And on the snake one, I could make the. The dodecahedron thing. Like.
Matt Abaticola
Oh, really?
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. A long jointed snake. And I could turn into. I could do that now.
Matt Abaticola
I didn't have the patience to do. To do that stuff if it didn't happen immediately. Yeah, I gave up on it.
Dan Bernstein
You're like my wife.
Matt Abaticola
Yes.
Dan Bernstein
Same. Same thing. One. One try. It's like, ah, it sucks. It's too hard.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. This thing's stupid. Doesn't Work. It's bright.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, exactly.
Matt Abaticola
Kobe Bryant. Yes. It's broken. Yeah. Anything I can't do, I just say it's broken.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
Matt Abaticola
Somebody. Yeah. The remote doesn't wear. Ah, it's broken. Kobe Bryant. First aid Training camp. I am 27 years old. I love family, and I want to be superhero when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Which one?
Matt Abaticola
It just said superhero. Maybe himself.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, no, no. He doesn't want to be, like, Apache Chief or something or one of the.
Matt Abaticola
You know, it's. And it's really funny when you. When you. Man, when you scroll these pictures, you go left to right on it and Kobe Bryant and. Dude, listen, I'm not saying anything bad about Kobe Bryant. That he could probably come down here and kill me right now. I mean, tackle me, and I probably would break every bone and cry. He. He just. He doesn't. He doesn't look like. He doesn't look the part. That's all I'm gonna say.
Dan Bernstein
Really?
Matt Abaticola
Yes. This doesn't. Especially when you scroll to the next guy and it's Daniel Hardy, and he just chisel on a stone. Yeah, that.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And. And he plays angry, too. Daniel Hardy's good for at least, what, four personal fouls a season or something like that, so.
Matt Abaticola
Yes. Yeah, exactly. The flags. Yes. So he says. So, Daniel Hardy. I am old years old. I. I love hard hits. I want to be a dad when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
See, that's better.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
A little more easier to understand. Is there. Is there anything more of note? I still think exotic. Zookeeper wins the day.
Matt Abaticola
No, we're getting a couple more.
Dan Bernstein
Grady.
Matt Abaticola
Jared. I'm 33 years old. I love family and football. I want to be a hall of famer when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Well, you better have a hell of a year, man.
Matt Abaticola
Luther burden. I'm 22. I love dogs, so I thought you'd like that. And I want to be a Super bowl champ when I grow up. He gonna be rich. Luke Newman. I'm 24 years old. I love my dogs. This guy. Oh, this is. I. I wanted. This one is a good one for you. Luke Newman. I want to be a fisherman when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Well, you can be, like, professionally.
Matt Abaticola
He wants to be, like, a fisherman,
Dan Bernstein
like a tournament fisherman.
Matt Abaticola
Or maybe he just wants to live on a boat and just fish all day.
Dan Bernstein
Maybe a commercial fisherman.
Matt Abaticola
Maybe he might be your guy right there.
Dan Bernstein
The high seas, like netting haddock.
Matt Abaticola
We're gonna have to get. We're gonna have to get Luke Newman on the show.
Dan Bernstein
Luke Newman, Jordan Alvarez and me. Fisherman.
Matt Abaticola
Oh, yeah, see, that's a YouTube show right there waiting to happen.
Dan Bernstein
I would be reading about the Jordan Alvarez stuff.
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Dan Bernstein
He was like one of the. He. He would wade into the waters off of Cuba barefoot and. And hunt for tilapia, like he had. It was like old, old school fishing that he was doing. I don't know what kind of equipment he used. I don't know, but it made it sound sort of rustic.
Matt Abaticola
All right, here's Braxton Jones. He's 27 years old. He loves sushi. I want to be me when I grow up. There you go. It's very healthy.
Dan Bernstein
He wants to be. He wants to be mad about a cola when he grows up. No.
Matt Abaticola
God, no.
Dan Bernstein
He wants to be himself. Okay. Yeah.
Matt Abaticola
Tyson Bagent, 26 years old. I love my family. I want to be a crossfitter when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Crossfitter. Not a pipe fitter, not a cross dresser. Okay.
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Matt Abaticola
The best one, though, is the very last one, and it's Khalif Raymond.
Dan Bernstein
Crossfitter.
Matt Abaticola
Put your screen up there so you. I'm. I need to show you this picture of Cleve Raymond and his pose and his smile.
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
Matt Abaticola
Natalie's looking through this, and she's like, who's Leaf? I'm like, oh, it's Khalif Raymond. So it says Leaf. First day of training camp. I'm 25 years old. I love my wife and baby. I want to be a corporate lawyer when I grow up.
Dan Bernstein
Let's go. It is. No. No, you don't. They're all Miserable.
Matt Abaticola
You don't.
Dan Bernstein
Don't lie. Yeah. You know, nobody really wants to be a corporate lawyer.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, corporate lawyers don't want to be themselves.
Dan Bernstein
No, they do. They do it because they don't disappoint their parents.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
You know, you don't.
Matt Abaticola
You don't.
Dan Bernstein
You don't need that.
Matt Abaticola
That's a path you were on. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
You know, you don't need to.
Matt Abaticola
That.
Dan Bernstein
That's. That's. So you only end up being a corporate lawyer if you're trying to not disappoint your parents.
Matt Abaticola
All right, so there's some fun stuff there from the Bears. So nice job on that. Really enjoyed that. I want to follow up on our big story from the last couple days. Yes. Because there are new details, new developments in the Kyle Shanahan. So we've talked about it the last two days. There have been a lot of reaction to it as well.
Dan Bernstein
And now Kyle Shanahan has come out, I think, fairly transparently, and he wants to let the record reflect that he was at fault in the crash. It was not the woman driving the Mercedes that he veered out of his lane.
Matt Abaticola
Now, because somehow Palo Alto Police Department, there was a clerical error that showed in the report that she was at fault, which is just really bizarre to me.
Dan Bernstein
Dude. And. And he's. He was very convincing in saying that. That he was not. Or there.
Matt Abaticola
That he.
Dan Bernstein
That she was not. That he was correct. And also when he said about the. He set his cell phone down or he dropped his cell phone, went to picture his eyes off the road.
Matt Abaticola
Yep.
Dan Bernstein
If. If you're going 20 miles an hour and he said he was going 20 miles an hour, you got a lot of time to pick up your phone, go 20 miles an hour sometime. And if you drive in Chicago and you know where the red light or where the speed cameras are, you know, 20 miles an hour feels like you're stopped. If you are on Addison in front of Lane Tech. If you are on Western in front of lane tech, that's 20 miles an hour. And you're saying that he got into an explosively violent car accident. And he described the violence, the unforgettable violence. And they were. He was going 20 and he was at fault.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. So what. What was it again? Broken hand, broken ribs. Did he break his nose, too?
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Though the airbag focus nose.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. And then the orbital bone or the. The eye or the cut that required
Dan Bernstein
40 stitches in his face at 20 miles an hour. The other part of this, too, has come from the response that we got when we were talking about all of the, the complicating factors of it being a Tesla and the conspiratorial belief that possibly if this was a failure of full self driving, what that could mean. And boy did we get a lot of feedback on this. So I wanted to read this. I'm not going to use any names here. It says as a Tesla owner of six years and a driver of Teslas professionally for over a decade, I have some thoughts. If he was on full self drive, the car and the cabin recorded the whole time. Shanahan has those videos and Tesla does too. They have a history of collecting cabin footage. Two, his quotes claim he was at fault, crossed over into another lane and struck the other driver, yet she was not cited and he had to publicly clarify it was his fault. That's weird. Three, with his claim of being at fault, that makes it devastating for Tesla if indeed he was on full self drive. Four, if he wasn't on full self drive, then something is seriously wrong here. These things start shrieking at you if you are near the lane line, they will autocorrect you back into the lane. The explanation that he took his eyes off the road and drifted doesn't hold water. Based on how Teslas operate when you drive them.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. I don't know how Tesla operates and works but we, we have a newer model Yukon and if I don't put the turn signal on.
Dan Bernstein
Yep. My accurate.
Matt Abaticola
There's resistance. There's resistance to making a lane change.
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Same with my car.
Matt Abaticola
It would be impossible to swerve over.
Dan Bernstein
Same with my car at a 20 miles an hour.
Matt Abaticola
Right.
Dan Bernstein
Like it's one thing if it does it at 72 at 20 miles an hour. Like I say, you've got to, you know how much time you have to pick up your phone to, to, to get the signal from. Oh, I'm drifting out of my. It's if you're going 20 and yeah. When you add the vectors of the oncoming car. I'm not saying it can't be a violent crash.
Matt Abaticola
Sure. But so help me understand something too because it was initially reported that he was cited with violating the code for holding a cell phone even though he wasn't given a citation for it. They mentioned that in the report. But he didn't have a cell phone in his hand. So how does that come about?
Dan Bernstein
How did they know he was on his cell phone? If he, if his, if his cell phone had fallen.
Sleep Number/Grainger Advertiser
Right.
Matt Abaticola
So if he's, if it's on the ground and he's looking for it. Which is why he swerved, because his eyes were off the road. And then there's a head on collision. How could a police report say, well, yelled he had a cell phone in his hand because he clearly didn't if he was looking for it.
Dan Bernstein
Add that to the list of these things. That will continue to not make sense.
Matt Abaticola
Right. So. But, and then how does.
Dan Bernstein
I don't know. I don't know.
Matt Abaticola
But like, you can't go from. You can't say it's a clerical error if at the time of the accident, when you're there on scene. I know that he had to have an ambulance called because he sounded like he was pretty bad shape. I just hope with a bad concussion, how could the police department say, oh, it was her fault, he had his phone in his hand and she turned out in front of him.
Dan Bernstein
They're saying that was a mistake. That they're saying they didn't.
Matt Abaticola
That's a pretty big fucking mistake to make from the police department side. Yeah, it. I mean, that's a completely different description of the accident.
Dan Bernstein
I hope somebody's reporting on this.
Matt Abaticola
I hope she turned out in front of him. Yes, he swerved over line and drove into her. 20 very different things, but at 20
Dan Bernstein
miles an hour in a car that goes out of its way with multiple systems to make you not do that.
Matt Abaticola
And if you still think that not Saying anything for 11 days is no big deal or it's just an accident, get over it. Stop looking into things. You know what? Go the fuck away. Seriously. Because there's a reason why things don't happen. There's a reason why the initial police report said one thing when the actual other thing happened. There's a reason why 11 days go by before it's even mentioned. You don't do this. That's not normal.
Dan Bernstein
There's every indication that something weird is going on. This is every answer we get raises more questions.
Matt Abaticola
And you know what? And if you don't care, that's fine. Just wait for football and wait for guys to smash their heads together on Sundays. But listen, don't tell me what to care and not care about. Well, yeah, because this isn't right. This isn't normal behavior.
Dan Bernstein
Nope.
Matt Abaticola
Something's fishy. It smells funny. What's going on?
Dan Bernstein
What did I text you as soon as I saw the story that you loved me? No.
Sleep Number/Grainger Advertiser
What?
Matt Abaticola
No, that was. Sorry. That wasn't it.
Dan Bernstein
Go. Because I. I knew you were.
Matt Abaticola
You were away. I didn't want to, but what did I.
Dan Bernstein
When you were back and you were texting again. I think this was Sunday night.
Matt Abaticola
The. Kyle, Shana have stuff smells. That's Sunday night.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, there it is.
Matt Abaticola
Yep.
Dan Bernstein
You can read the text.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, that was right after I sent you the thing about diarrhea lettuce.
Dan Bernstein
I know. And I tried, I tried to put the diarrhea lettuce information into the family Instagram and I accidentally sent it like 12 times.
Matt Abaticola
And,
Dan Bernstein
and, and then, and so he's like, dad Levine. Yeah, dad is spamming the Instagram chat and then goes, what's wrong? Because I was at the Sox game and I think. Was it. Is that the one that was. Yes, I think it was at the Sox game. And she's like, what's going on at the socks game? Why are you spamming the chat?
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. Oh, yeah, that was Friday. I sent you that Friday night.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, it must have been, it must have been a glitch because the. I couldn't get a good signal at the socks game. So there's some kind of glitch and I was, I don't know what I was doing.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. Dan Levine.
Dan Bernstein
I like it. I think that that's, that's good for me.
Matt Abaticola
One last fun little thing for you. Dan Graziano on espn, he had to go around and take a survey from different league executives, front office people, and he asked them this particular question. Who starts at quarterback for these four particular teams? So he had to go and source out information from insiders.
Dan Bernstein
Executives, who starts at quarterback?
Matt Abaticola
Okay, who starts for the Atlanta Falcons?
Dan Bernstein
Nobody. Because they're, they're hurting bad.
Matt Abaticola
Well, no, it's either Michael Pennix or Michael.
Dan Bernstein
They're. They're left handed and achy and bad.
Matt Abaticola
So all of the executives, they all said Tua. Cleveland. Who starts Sanders or Watson?
Dan Bernstein
Watson.
Matt Abaticola
The executives all said Watson.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
Matt Abaticola
Who starts Cousins or Mendoza for the Raiders?
Dan Bernstein
Who should. Or who will.
Matt Abaticola
Who will?
Dan Bernstein
Cousins.
Matt Abaticola
They all said Cousins.
Dan Bernstein
Yes. It should be Mendoza.
Matt Abaticola
Last one. Vikings.
Dan Bernstein
Who's.
Matt Abaticola
Who starts, Murray or McCarthy?
Dan Bernstein
Murray.
Matt Abaticola
Yes. Unanimous. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
The only person who doesn't know that is. I don't know what they're doing.
Matt Abaticola
Well, it's a competition.
Dan Bernstein
We'll see who emerges. They won't.
Matt Abaticola
Oh, my God, I'm so glad he did that. Just so I can see the Minnesota thing.
Dan Bernstein
I know, it's like.
Matt Abaticola
So someone please call Kevin. Like, what, are you guys in the NFL? Call Kevin. I'm sure somebody knows him.
Dan Bernstein
Somebody please help Kevin.
Sleep Number/Grainger Advertiser
I don't know.
Dan Bernstein
I don't know who's gonna start. Everyone else does.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, you're the last guy who doesn't.
Dan Bernstein
I think even McCarthy knows.
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, that's so good.
Dan Bernstein
And that's Forward Progress today here on 312 Sports. It's been brought to you by Giordano's Back to School means back to busy between practices, homework and everything in between. Give yourself a break with Giordano's. Treat the kids and yourself to Chicago Style Pizza. Everyone can agree on. Make tonight a giordano's night@giordano's.com or visit your local Giordano's restaurant. Today Giordano's the one for Chicago style Pizza. Forward Progress is stopped.
Matt Abaticola
Forward Progress A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 3one2Sports.
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Date: July 29, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abaticola
Network: 312 Sports
This episode centers around revealing comments made by Bears’ GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson regarding cornerback Kyler Gordon’s injury status and durability. Dan and Matt examine what these comments signal about Gordon’s role and standing within the team, then pivot to broader roster and leadership conversations. There’s also discussion on the Bears’ left tackle situation, contract negotiations with Darnell Wright, and fun anecdotes from Bears’ training camp. The episode closes with observations on the strange developments in the Kyle Shanahan accident story.
On Gordon’s injury status:
On defense leadership:
On left tackle battle:
On WR/Passing improvement:
On contract negotiation:
On Shanahan crash:
Dan and Matt blend analytical rigor with authentic, fan-centered reactions. Their style is sharp, unfiltered, sometimes irreverent, and always grounded in passionate Bears fandom. The episode is heavy on accountability for both players and leadership, with recurring references to Chicago sports culture and locker room dynamics.
This episode is essential for any Bears fan craving insight, candor, and a little comic relief during camp season.