👋 Good morning!
I posted Monday how I thought it was odd that the Vikings played their team song, “Skol, Vikings,” after Cairo Santos hit his game-winning 48-yard field goal on Sunday.
Viktor, the Vikings’ mascot, also signaled “no good,” and the scoreboards inside US Bank Stadium did not immediately update the score to acknowledge that the Bears had won.
Odd situation … only made stranger by the fact that the Vikings apparently now play the song regardless of the result of the game.
Can you imagine if the Cubs lost a heartbreaker and “Go Cubs Go” started playing through the speakers at Wrigley?
“They Should. I Own The Place.”
To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best — whether or not the best has a fracture in their non-throwing wrist.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a small wrist fracture against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, will not require surgery and is apparently pushing to play this Sunday in Chicago.
Can You Blame Him? After all, nobody beats the Bears quite like Rodgers. In 29 games played against Chicago in his career, Rodgers is 24-5. Those 24 wins, all with the Green Bay Packers, are the most by a starting quarterback against the Bears. Former Packers, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre is second with 23 wins in 36 tries.
Rodgers’ tally is good enough for the fifth most by one QB against any single team in NFL history. Tom Brady owns first and second place on that list with 33 wins against the Buffalo Bills and another 30 against the Jets.
Rodgers’ 64 touchdowns against the Bears are the third most for any QB against a team, too. Again, Brady takes first and second place with 72 each against the Bills and Miami Dolphins.
After a rare Packers loss to the Bears at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving back in 2016, Rodgers went 12-1 in his final 13 appearances against the Bears. The lone loss came in 2018 at Soldier Field, when the Bears won 24-17 to clinch the NFC North — the last time they won the division.
One last sad stat: The points differential in Rodgers’ 29 starts? Packers +292. The Bears’ largest win over the Packers in that stretch was by just seven points.
But Will He Play? That’s still an uncertainty. His wrist won’t magically heal in the next four days, though I’m sure Bears fans can remember every other time Rodgers has defied injury logic to come back and destroy the Bears’ hopes (Week 1, 2018 and Week 17, 2013).
However, the decision is not entirely up to the Steelers’ QB.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on Rodgers’ availability: "Really, it's just about bracing it and securing it for his comfort and safety. And then it's about how functional he is. So, we don't have the answers to that as we stand here (Tuesday), but certainly I would imagine we'll get some clarity as we push through the week.
“I think his experience really kind of aids in that. He's the type of guy and has the type of profile that doesn't require a lot of physical work in an effort to be ready to play, and that's helpful. … A little later in the week, we'll take a look at Aaron. And again, as I mentioned, the variables are stabilizing it and making sure that he's safe and he can protect himself, brace himself as he falls, etcetera. Pain tolerance, but that doesn't seem to be an issue with Aaron. He wanted to go back in the game on Sunday.
“And then lastly, obviously, how effective he can be. Friday's probably a big day in terms of some of those things. I know he's working his tail off to be a component of this this week. He and I talked yesterday. He expressed that directly.”
So, it’s just another week of opposing quarterback uncertainty for the Bears. They’ve been through it a couple of times this year, facing Ravens backup Tyler Huntley in Week 8 after Lamar Jackson was improperly designated as a limited participant on the Ravens’ injury report.
They dealt with it again the following week when Bengals QB Joe Flacco was nursing an AC joint sprain he’d suffered the game before playing the Bears.
It’s an odd coincidence that it keeps happening when the Bears play an AFC North opponent. Alas, it’s just something the Bears will have to monitor throughout the week.
And if Rodgers can’t go, it’ll be backup Mason Rudolph under center on Sunday. He’s never played the Bears, but he did complete 12 of his 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals in relief of Rodgers on Sunday.
‘He loves it’: Why the Bears’ offensive line is the driving force behind everything under Ben Johnson
Blackhawks 5, Flames 2: Connor Bedard, you are ridiculous. Wearing an “A” for the first time in a regular season game with the Blackhawks, Bedard led the way with his second career hat trick.
In a truly unbelievable fashion, all three goals, including the empty-netter to cap it off, were simply special.
On his first, he hustled his way for an awkward-looking poke through Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf’s five-hole. A real “gotta see it to believe it” type goal. His second came on a wicked wrister from the right slot over Wolf’s shoulder. His third was a casual seeing-eye, 156-foot, near-blind fling shot into an empty net.
Again, ridiculous stuff.
Oliver Moore and Ryan Donato also scored.
Over their last 10 games, the Blackhawks are 6-2-2. In that stretch, Bedard has 10 goals, 11 assists and both of his career hat tricks.
He’s Back: LHP Shota Imanaga will return to the Cubs in 2026 after accepting a one-year qualifying offer worth $22.025 million. Imanaga was largely a reliable option for the Cubs, sporting a 3.28 ERA over 318.0 innings in his first two seasons with the club. However, in his final 14 starts of 2025, he allowed 23 home runs.
After the season ended, the Cubs opted to reject a fifth-year option for 2028 on Imanaga’s contract, triggering a player option for the 2026 season. Imanaga declined and became a free agent.
Cubs President Jed Hoyer said last week: “We obviously value Shota a ton. He was amazing for us as a pitcher, as a teammate, and I don’t want to close that door completely by any stretch. But ultimately, we didn’t think the club option was the right value. He didn’t think that the player option was the right value. And that happens.”
Unsurprisingly, OF Kyle Tucker rejected the Cubs’ qualifying offer before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
Under The Wire: The Cubs added minor league LHP Riley Martin, IF Pedro Ramirez and IF James Triantos to their 40-man roster ahead of yesterday’s deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft. No real surprises there.
Meanwhile, ex-Cubs 3B Christopher Morel was designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Couple Two-Tree Trades: The Sox were wheelin’ and dealin’ before last night’s roster deadline, acquiring LHP Chris Murphy from the Boston Red Sox for C Ronny Hernández.
Murphy missed the 2024 season after requiring Tommy John surgery, but bounced back nicely in 23 relief appearances last year with a 3.12 ERA.
The Sox weren’t finished, sending RHPs Steven Wilson and Yoendrys Gómez to the Rays for IF Tanner Murray and OF Everson Pereira.
Wilson appeared 59 times for the Sox last year, compiling a 3.42 ERA over 55.1 innings. Gomez started nine games (12 appearances) with a 4.60 ERA as a starter.
Murray played 137 games in Triple-A with the Durham Bulls last season, slashing .241/.299/.400. Pereira played 23 relatively unimpressive games with the Rays in the big leagues last year, striking out 28 times in 73 plate appearances.
Additionally, they selected the contracts of RHPs Duncan Davitt and Tanner McDougal and placed LHP Fraser Ellard on the Voluntary Retired List.
Roster Move: The Bears signed LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin to the practice squad on Tuesday. Reeves-Maybin has spent seven seasons, including the last two, with the Detroit Lions. He was elected to the Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro in 2023 for his efforts on special teams.
Reeves-Maybin also currently serves as the NFL Players Association’s president, a role he has held since 2024.
Thank you for your service, Uncle Frank!
🐻 Hoge & Jahns
12:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bears
1:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Cubs
2:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
2:30 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bulls
Pregame 8:30 on YouTube
🏀 Bulls at Trail Blazers
9:00 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Bulls
Postgame on YouTube
Something on your mind? Rate this issue and leave a comment, question or topic to discuss!
Talk to you tomorrow!
– P.N.
