DAY 89 of the Chicago Bears offseason. We’re one week away from my favorite day of NFL Draft weekend. Our Saturday shenanigans have always been my favorite part of NFL Draft weekend coverage. It has long been a mix of weird, casual, informative, and entertaining. I look forward to running it back again this year.
Before we dive into some Bears-specific stuff and some NFL Draft notes and nuggets, there is some league-wide news that I find to be Bears-adjacent. Let’s discuss. We can begin with the Will Anderson Jr. extension story. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on the deal, which is reportedly worth $150 million over three years. Anderson’s extension includes a no-trade clause and comes with $134 million guaranteed, which makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. Of course, that will change whenever the next big deal comes around. But we can cross that bridge when we get to it. After taking quarterback C.J. Stroud with the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans traded up with the Arizona Cardinals to get pick No. 3 to take Anderson. The University of Alabama product has been a star since arriving in the league. The NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, Anderson has made two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons and is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he finished with 12 sacks, 23 quarterback hits, and 20 tackles-for-loss as he earned Pro Bowl honors and first-team All-Pro recognition. When I discuss the idea of the Bears trading UP in the 2026 NFL Draft, someone like Will Anderson Jr. is the type of prospect that I have in mind. Sep 15, 2024; Bears LT Braxton Jones blocks Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is not attending the team’s offseason program. ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss writes about what is at the crux of this issue, which is that Brissett reportedly wants a new deal with the team that would be representative of what a starter in this league would get. I can’t blame him, as I, too, would want a pay raise to play quarterback for the Cardinals. There is a part of me that imagines Brissett’s sentiment is also connected to whispers about Arizona possibly making a move to trade into the back end of the first round to take Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. The Cardinals reportedly inquired about the availability of Bears backup QB Tyson Bagent earlier in the offseason. Suddenly, I’m wondering if the two sides discussed hypotheticals that could include the Cards trading to get back into Round 1 with the Bears’ 25th overall pick being a possible target. A Bears team that could use picks and a Cards organization that could draft a QB prospect to sit behind a place-holder starter would make sense as trade partners.A NEW BN BEARS PODCAST EPISODE IS OUT: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
NFL Media analyst Gennaro Filice gives the Bears some unsolicited advice ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, saying that the team should have a “safety first” mentality:Continuing to foster Caleb Williams’ growth is obviously paramount, so I nearly suggested that the Bears’ biggest draft goal is obtaining Ozzy Trapilo insurance. … Meanwhile, the pass rush definitely could use more juice, but the most pressing need on that side of the ball is at safety. The Bears lost their top four players at the position in free agency, and while they signed Coby Bryant to a lucrative deal, the other safety spot remains a huge question mark. And Chicago’s first-round pick, at No. 25 overall, comes right in a range where a coveted safety prospect like Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren could be available.
One of the main reasons no one has been able to lock in what the Bears might do ahead of the NFL Draft is that they can go in several different directions that would make sense.
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain weighs in on the Dexter Lawrence trade saga in an appearance on 104.3 The Score:.@kfishbain on the possibility of the Bears pursuing Dexter Lawrence: "There's a few barriers to get through, but then you can't ignore the fact that this is a three-time Pro Bowler at a position in which you need help."I think it's a conversation worth having." pic.twitter.com/cpX59KvbNh
— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) April 15, 2026 Some quality insight from Fishbain:“I think you have to look into it. This goes back to the extra second-round pick. This goes back to picking 25th in the first round, which is not like giving away a top-10 pick. You just have to do the research and figure out where that sack production was last year. I think you gotta dive into the tape, figure it out, trust Dennis Allen, trust Ryan Poles, trust Ben Johnson.
And then you have a conversation with your cap guy about what restructures you would probably have to do to create the space. Then you have to have another conversation with ownership, because you’ll have to give him a lot of cash up front, presumably, because you’re going to have to give him a new contract, because that’s what he is looking for, so there are a few barriers to get through. But you can’t ignore the fact that this is a three-time Pro Bowler at a position which you need help. … I think that’s a conversation worth having.”
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An anecdote in this Ben Strauss ESPN piece that goes inside the fallout of the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel situation is a mention that the NFL will not investigate Vrabel’s conduct. I thought the league might review if Vrabel was in violation of its personal conduct policy under the umbrella of “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in” the NFL. But it doesn’t sound like that is happening. I am a little surprised, given that there are clear conflict of interest angles and potential tampering charges that could be in play. Imagine trying to explain this headline (From People, of all places) to a football fan a month ago: “Dianna Russini Saved Elderly Man and Dog in Car Accident Shortly After Resigning from Job amid MIke Vrabel Photo Scandal.MORE BEARS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad-Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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