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A recent story suggested quarterback Caleb Williams tried hard not to go to the Chicago Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft, but coach Ben Johnson is determined to turn that into a positive.
Johnson was asked Wednesday about the revelation that Williams and his father sought ways to avoid landing with Chicago in the lead-up to that draft. Most notably, Williams’ father Carl described the Bears as “the place quarterbacks go to die,” but Johnson was not resentful of the characterization.
“I love it. I love it,” Johnson said of Carl Williams’ comment. “I love the opportunity to come on in and change that narrative. That’s where great stories are written.”
Ben Johnson was asked today about the Bears being a place where QBs go to die. Here's his answer:
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) May 21, 2025
I" love it. I love it. I love the opportunity to come on in and change that narrative. That's where great stories are written."
Johnson obviously will not be throwing his quarterback under the bus, especially when he is a new head coach who has had nothing to do with what has gone on in Chicago previously. It also helps that he is a credible offensive coach with a huge track record of success with the Detroit Lions. That resume indicates that Williams’ fate might differ from previous Bears quarterbacks.
The Bears have never had a 4,000-yard passer in a single season in franchise history, a stat that has dogged them. Jared Goff did it three times under Johnson in Detroit. Perhaps the narrative is about to change. If it does not, the criticism toward Williams, which has escalated in light of the recent revelations, will start to intensify.
More must-reads:
- Chicago Bears make puzzling Caleb Williams decision to start OTAs
- Chicago Bears really need Caleb Williams to break this bad habit
- The 'Chicago Bears head coaches' quiz
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San Francisco 49ers draft bust gets the opportunity to prove he has what it takes to make it in the NFL in the Hall of Fame game
San Francisco 49ers fans will probably remember the name Trey Lance as long as they live due to how big a bust he was for the franchise. They drafted him third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and sent a trade package that included three first-round picks to do it. And their return on investment crashed and burned right before their eyes. He now has another chance to prove he belongs at the NFL level and try to separate himself from the "bust" label that might as well be written on the back of his jersey in the minds of fans. The Los Angeles Chargers have elected to name him the starter for the Hall of Fame game this Thursday, July 31, against the Detroit Lions. Former 49ers QB Trey Lance set to start for the Chargers in the Hall of Fame game During his time with the 49ers, Lance made four starts and only dressed for eight regular-season games. He recorded 797 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions as a 49er. Injuries derailed him from ever creating any momentum on the field, but the on field product was also simply not good enough. It became apparent to the 49ers that their seventh-round pick a year after drafting Lance was a better starter option for the time being. That QB, of course, is Brock Purdy, who still to this day holds the title as the 49ers starter and has led the team to two NFC Championship appearances and even punched their ticket to appear in one Super Bowl. While the Lance situation may never feel great for 49ers fans, many likely feel that things worked out significantly better than they could have, thanks to Purdy. Now Purdy is one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL, and Lance is battling to be a QB two in Los Angeles and will likely need to show out in the preseason to win the job.
Chicago Cubs OF suffers big injury before trade deadline
The Chicago Cubs are down another bat with two days to go before the trade deadline on Thursday. The Cubs had more frustrating injury news to reveal after a second-straight loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. The Brewers defeated Chicago 9-3 in front of 40,136 fans at American Family Field to take a two-game lead over the Cubs for first place in the NL Central. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubs thought they received good news on Ian Happ after x-rays came back negative on the outfielder’s shin. “Happ got x-rays that were negative after fouling a ball off his left shin,” Rogers posted on X. “Was limping some just now in the Cubs room. Jackson Chourio (hammy spasm) says he’s feeling better. Doesn’t think it’s serious.” Chicago Cubs to put Ian Happ on IL About an hour later, Rogers reported that Chicago is expected to put Happ on the injured list. The Cubs are set to call up Moises Ballesteros from Iowa. “Looks like the Happ injury might require an IL stint,” Rogers posted. “The team is calling up Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A, per a source. He’s hitting .331 down there. He had a cup of coffee with the big league team earlier this year.” Happ’s injury comes at a time when the Cubs are looking to trade for an extra bat. Chicago needs help on offense with inconsistency coming from rookie third baseman Matt Shaw. Happ was batting .227 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI. Bottom line, the Cubs need to make some moves by Thursday if this team wants to compete for the NL Central, much less a World Series.
Team Sinner or Team Alcaraz? Iga Swiatek makes her pick, describing preferred player as 'inspirational'
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the two best players currently on the ATP Tour, with either man having won every Grand Slam this season. With their fan base divided, Polish WTA star Iga Swiatek has chimed in on the debate. Both men have established a professional rivalry that will likely go down in tennis history, with Alcaraz currently leading 8-5 in career meetings. The Spaniard defeated Sinner in the final to win the Roland Garros title earlier this year. However, Sinner avenged his loss a few weeks later, dethroning Alcaraz after defeating the defending champion in the final to win his first Wimbledon title. Swiatek joined Sinner in the winner's circle at SW19, as the former World No.1 powered through the field to win her maiden Wimbledon title. Swiatek dropped only one set en route to the final, where she soundly defeated American Amanda Anisimova in the final. Although Sinner sits on top of the ATP rankings after having won two Grand Slam titles this season, Swiatek admitted to employing the same approach as Alcaraz. The WTA star stated she preferred his more laid-back approach, in addition to his commitment to taking some personal time away from tennis. Alcaraz's approach suits her better, says Swiatek "I wish I was more like Carlos because I have got to say he is a big inspiration in terms of that,” said Swiatek in an interview with TVA Sports. “He always says that the most important thing for him on a tennis court is to enjoy it and have fun and I sometimes forget about that. “And sometimes with all the pressure around and things we need to do off the court, you need to remind yourself about this kid that started playing tennis, instead of winning for somebody and having this baggage on your shoulders. “For sure, when Carlos shows that and when he speaks about that, it is always a good reminder for me, and I try to do that as well, but without me working on it, I think my mind would automatically go to just working, working, working." The Warsaw native is competing at the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she is the second seed. Swiatek will kick off her campaign with a second round clash against China's Guo Hanyu on Wednesday.
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Yankees’ planned fire sale after Aaron Judge injury epitomizes roster weakness
Would the New York Yankees still be a heavyweight contender without Aaron Judge? Most fans would doubt it. What comes as a shock is that Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, appears to agree. According to MLB insider Andy Martino of SNY, Cashman had explored the option of selling ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline (6 p.m. EST) if Judge’s flexor strain had turned out to be something worse. Martino wrote this: “[On Saturday], we relayed that the Yankees were floating some of their free-agent-to-be relievers in preliminary trade talks. We have since learned through league sources that last week the Yanks brought up Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one other club.” It would be strange to see a team with a record well above .500 shop core hitters at the deadline. Both Bellinger and Goldschmidt — hitting .281/.333/.507 with 19 home runs and .283/.341/.419 with eight home runs respectively entering Tuesday — have been valuable producers for the Yankees this year. Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal with the Bronx Bombers over the offseason while Bellinger was acquired via trade with the Cubs. He is signed through 2026 but has a player option at the end of the year. Either player would bring a nice haul back to the Yankees. Of course, the reigning AL MVP’s injury doesn’t seem to be a season-altering, ‘abandon ship’ type of event. Optimistically, Judge should be back soon. But this does serve to illustrate how the team’s success is dependent on one player. Beyond Judge, the Yankees’ batting order doesn’t feature a star-caliber player, or at least a player the lineup can be built around. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, New York lacks enough solid hitters to be considered a worthy contender without Judge. The Yankees’ three bottom-of-the-order hitters — Austin Wells (.214), Anthony Volpe (.213) and newest acquisition Ryan McMahon (.223) — all own batting averages below .230 entering Tuesday. And this doesn’t include J.C. Escarra (.205), Oswald Peraza (.152) or even Ben Rice (.229). If Judge was lost for the season, selling wouldn’t have been a bad idea. He is insoluble glue holding the battered Yankees’ roster together, especially with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt gone for the year. No one on the trade market could replace him, but with Judge coming back, the Yankees might have enough firepower to at least limp to the finish line.
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