Bears

Bears HC Ben Johnson was asked if he believes RB D’Andre Swift is capable of more than he has shown so far during his time in Chicago.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Johnson said, via the Bears’ website. “I’ve known that about him since he came into the league, firsthand up there in Detroit, and certainly last year I wasn’t surprised about the year he had. So, is he capable of more? Absolutely. He absolutely is. He’s a vital part of what we do here.”

Lions

Lions LB coach Shaun Dion Hamilton spoke about projected starting LB Malcolm Rodriguez and his journey back from an ACL injury two years ago.

“I’ve had an ACL myself,” Hamilton said, via Richard Silva of The Detroit News. “It’s always that first year, it’s kind of like, ‘Ah.’ But now he’s moving around great, he’s feeling great. I think that also, I was telling (defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard), it’s great that he got a full offseason to be in Shep’s defense rather than (Aaron Glenn’s), with some of the changes and stuff like that.
“So, I’m excited where he is. I can’t wait to see him in training camp.”

“With a player like Malcolm, we’re trying to spend less time on the ‘What,’ because he’s a more advanced, developed veteran,” defensive assistant David Corrao added. “Now, he gets to worry about the ‘How.’ … What’s my reaction? Did I key this right? Did I get to the right lineup? All the little nuanced details that speed a player up when they’re no longer thinking about that.”

Vikings

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes that the Vikings intended to have QB J.J. McCarthy compete with either Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones ahead of last season, but both players found what they thought were better opportunities in free agency, so they just went all in on McCarthy.
• Going into 2026, Breer says the intention is still to give McCarthy a legitimate shot to compete with veteran QB Kyler Murray, but his development is not going to be prioritized over the success of the team.

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