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The Pro Bowl … probably the worst of the all-star games at this point, no?
It’s literally flag football now.
To make it even more farcical, Browns QB Shedeur Sanders received quite possibly the most undeserving nod of all time, replacing Patriots QB Drake Maye.
But let’s not get hung up on that. Let’s instead celebrate Nahshon Wright finally getting his well-earned recognition.
We’re talking about a guy who’d started just three games in his first four years in the league before starting 16 and forcing eight takeaways with the Bears in 2025.
The real farce is that he wasn’t in already.
Staying Put … For Now.
After interviewing for the gig last week, Declan Doyle has reportedly withdrawn his name from consideration for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator vacancy. But it’s not a guarantee he returns to the Bears in 2026.
Opportunity Knocks: Doyle, 29, became the youngest offensive coordinator in the league last offseason when Ben Johnson hired him away from the Denver Broncos. Doyle had served as the Broncos’ tight ends coach for the two previous seasons.
He did not, however, have play-calling duties in Chicago.
Ben Johnson, during his introductory press conference last January, said: “It's going to be critical for me to find (an offensive coordinator) that can organize and structure and set the table, particularly early in the week.
“I've been around a number of guys that have called plays in the past, and I've seen the potential pitfalls that could arise as you're coaching the entire football team and you can't get to watching as much tape early in the week as you possibly could.
“The offensive coordinator position is going to have to be somebody that not only I trust, but will be extremely detail-oriented, organized and structured to set the table. Also willing to work late nights.”
Doyle was that and more in his first year with the Bears. Now it’s opening the door to possible play-calling opportunities.
While Doyle withdrew from consideration with the Eagles, the Chicago Tribune reported last night that the Baltimore Ravens had requested permission to interview the up-and-comer, too.
Johnson said last week: “I see future head coaches on this staff. I see future coordinators. I see these young coaches being future position coaches. I see that across the board. So, when you have success and you win games, normally that's what happens.
“I know we already have some slips coming through that other teams would like to interview some of our guys. And I'm all for it, man. I want these guys to continue to ascend. (I’ll do) anything I can do to help them out. I think they all know I'm more than willing to do that.
“But a big part of what this collection of guys brought to the table was they all wanted to be here. You know, that was a big thing for me. I want guys that want to be here. So if a guy wants to continue to build upon what we started, then I would love that as well.”
The Carousel: Aside from Doyle, defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Al Harris is still considered a candidate for a few defensive coordinator openings, including with the Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike McCarthy.
Harris, who played 14 years in the NFL, spent four of his seven seasons with the Packers with McCarthy as his head coach. After transitioning into coaching, he spent five seasons in Dallas on McCarthy’s staff as the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach.
Harris also received interest this offseason from the Packers and Washington Commanders for their defensive coordinator openings, which have since been filled.
Additionally, the Bears have not filled their running backs coaching vacancy, opened by Eric Bieniemy's departure last week. Bieniemy was named the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator on Friday, returning to the same position he held with the Chiefs from 2018 through 2022.
Speaking of coaches, I took a look at the Bears’ list of 2026 opponents and two things caught my eye:
The Bears will play both conference champions next season, heading to Seattle to face the Seahawks and hosting the New England Patriots.
The Bears will play three teams with new head coaches in 2026:
• at Atlanta Falcons – Kevin Stefanski
• at Miami Dolphins – Jeff Hafley
• at Buffalo Bills – TBD
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Lakers 129, Bulls 118: The Bulls’ run above the .500 mark was fun while it lasted…
You can’t knock the Bulls’ effort from last night. You can’t knock their three-point shooting ability either.
You can, however, wonder what Nikola Vucevic and Patrick Williams were doing on more than a few possessions. Vucevic scored 18 points and added a team-high 11 rebounds but found himself out of place multiple times while voicing complaints to the officials. Williams…well, it’s not his fault he was drafted fourth overall.
Coby White led the Bulls with 23 points. Ayo Dosunmu and Josh Giddey combined for 39 points, nine rebounds and nine assists off the bench.
Matas Buzelis, who will represent the Bulls at the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend, scored 11 points.
But it simply wasn’t enough against the star-powered Lakers. LeBron James scored 20 points in the first half and Luka Doncic finished the night with 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Tough to overcome that type of performance.
Head West: The Blackhawks assigned rookie forward Nick Lardis to the Rockford IceHogs on Monday, with Teuvo Teravainen’s return to the lineup considered imminent. Teravainen has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury.
Lardis, who was voted to the AHL All-Star Game two weeks ago, made his NHL debut on December 13th after Connor Bedard suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for a month. In 21 games, Lardis scored five goals and added two assists.
With the Blackhawks expected to sell multiple veteran pieces before the trade deadline in March, there’s probably a decent chance we see Lardis back in the NHL before the season ends.
That Guy? The Cubs officially signed OF Dylan Carlson to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training on Monday.
Carlson, 27, appeared in 83 games for the Baltimore Orioles in 2025, hitting six home runs and collecting a .203/.278/.336 slash line.
Cubs fans might remember Carlson from his time in St. Louis, where the Cardinals reportedly considered it a dealbreaker to add him to a trade package for slugger Juan Soto back in 2022. That claim has since been disputed by former Cardinals GM John Mozeliak.
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Talk to you tomorrow!
– P.N.
