Since Our Last Open Thread...

T.J. Hockenson making “incredible” progress in knee rehab

Vikings sign TE Robert Tonyan

Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

• No discussion of politics or religion
• No feeding of the trolls
• Leave the gender hatred at the door
• Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
• Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
• No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
• If you can’t...

Meet the next contender for the best 21st century Bears team

After the 2024 NFL Draft, several of us at Windy City Gridiron participated in a 21st-century all-Chicago Bears fantasy draft.

*What does that mean? Well, eight of our staffers got together in a randomized snake draft to build out a roster in all three phases consisting only of Bears players from the year 2000 to the present. Some people will argue the 21st century starts in 2001, but they can go to hell. It was a fun exercise, both in trying to build a complete roster and in going...

The Packers take the field as a team next week to begin their quest for another Super Bowl.

There’s no question that the NFL has figured out how to capture the attention of its fans during the offseason. From the Combine to free agency to the NFL Draft to this week’s schedule release, barely a day goes by between February and June without some sort of NFL event taking place.

Next week, the Green Bay Packers will finally be out on the practice field as a full team, with the first Organized Team Activities practice set for Monday. They will...

Vegas odds for the entire Detroit Lions 2024 schedule are out, and they’re favored in nearly every single game.

Vegas doesn’t waste too much time when it comes to setting betting lines for the 2024 NFL schedule. While we already know that the Detroit Lions are slight favorites in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, DraftKings Sportsbook has released the opening odds for all of Detroit’s 17 games on the schedule.

Unsurprisingly, after the fantastic 12-5 season for the Lions last year, they are considered early favorites in almost every single one of their games. Of the 17...

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow continues to reiterate that he’s not considering retirement.

As a fanbase, it was only natural for Detroit Lions fans to speculate how long center Frank Ragnow would continue to play in the NFL. The man has gone through a ton of injuries throughout his entire career—most notably a toe injury that has lingered for three seasons, causing him to be a weekly guest on the team’s injury report. Speculation only ramped up when Ragnow dropped some vague words about his future after Detroit’s exit in the conference championship game.

“I need to find a way...

Which Lions road game would you most want to attend?

For a while now, Detroit Lions fans have adopted a new away game ritual: Taking over opposing stadiums with an overwhelming wave of Honolulu Blue. Dating back to the season finale against the Green Bay Packers, fans have taken their ability to travel to new heights.

With the 2024 schedule now out, fans are getting their first look at potential away game trips. To put it simply, there are plenty of options.

Craving some warm weather during those early fall days? Head west to see the Lions face off with...

Green Bay has plenty of depth on their line, which should translate to tough roster cuts and competitive battles for starting jobs.

The Green Bay Packers’ offensive line is loaded with talent going into the 2024 season, which presents a slate of “good problems” for the team. At the moment, the squad carries 14 linemen, all of whom have the chance of making the 53-man roster at the conclusion of the preseason. At the same time, there are only two players on the team who are absolute 100 percent locks to start this year.

What that means is there are...

The league’s PPE program is half-baked and can result in negative affects for players who receive escalators.

The NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator (PPE) program is a relatively new mechanic that the league and player’s union agreed to when they rushed the 2020 collective bargaining agreement amid uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic. On the surface, it seems like a good idea: Players who play snaps beyond their draft position get paid more in the final year of their rookie deal. In function, though, there are some issues with it.

There are three levels to a Proven Performance Escalator, all of which...

Deep dives on the Bears schedule as rookie signings continue at Halas Hall

WE WANT YOU!

Would you like to show your Chicago Bears spirit to the world? I’m starting a feature where Windy City Gridiron readers can share pictures of themselves and their families and friends in Bears attire. Simply email a picture to me at the following address: denmasterken at aol dot com. The pictures need to be clear, and full resolution (i.e. full size from your phone if that’s how you take them). Include any description information you like along with the photo!

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL...

Booker, a fifth-round pick, slipped in the draft and the Bears traded back in to snag him.

Austin Booker is officially on the payroll.

Confirmed by the Chicago Bears’ X account, the rookie defensive end signed his contract Thursday.

After transferring from Minnesota in 2023, Booker earned All-Big 12 and Big-12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors at Kansas last season. He posted 56 total tackles and 8.0 sacks in his lone season as a Jayhawk.

The Bears traded a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Bills, allowing them to sneak back into the fifth-round of the recent draft, taking Booker...

Join Mason’s Bear Bones LIVE at FIVE (CT) for a 2024 schedule breakdown!

The Chicago Bears’ 2024 schedule was revealed yesterday, so how many wins do you see? Which matchups are most intriguing to you? Could there be playoffs at the end of the 18-week slate for our beloved Bears?

Join Mason West on a brand new Bears Bones with his special guest Brendan Sugrue, the assistant editor for the USA Today’s Bears Wire and co-host for Bear Down Chicago Podcast, as they break the schedule down.

You can watch the latest Bear Bones in the video embedded below....

There’s a lot of intrigue to the Lions schedule in 2024, but which game are you most anticipating?

Wednesday’s schedule release was the last stop along the way to the doldrums of the NFL offseason. It was the last bit of excitement the league can stir up before it’s a whole lot of nothing for the next couple of months as we patiently wait for the start of training camp.

For Detroit Lions fans, the schedule release was highly anticipated for a number of reasons: how many nationally-televised games would the Lions receive after their most successful season in decades?...