🎬 HIGHLIGHTS

• Bears move on from Justin Fields

• Bears trade for Keenan Allen & free agent signings

• Blackhawks & Bulls roller-coaster efforts

🏒 Chicago Blackhawks

TROPHY TRACKER

1-❌-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-🏆

Results:

W - Blackhawks 7, Ducks 2

A SEVEN spot for the second straight game! The Blackhawks clearly have the best offense in the league now. The team was feeling it and seemingly scoring at every opportunity in Andreas Athanasiou’s return from injury.

• Connor Bedard had a career-high 5 point night (1 goal, 4 assists)

  • 🎖 Ties Blackhawks single-game record

  • 🎖 Second teenager in NHL history with 8 points in 2 games

• Nick Foligno 4 assists, Philipp Kurashev 2 goals 2 assists (that top line was humming!)

• A full team brawl broke out in the 3rd period, and John Gibson skated across the ice to get a piece of Petr Mrazek 👀

  • Nothing like bad blood between goalies!! (Always reminds me of Game 6 of the 2014 WCF when Corey Crawford tried to fight Jonathan Quick)

L - Kings 5, Blackhawks 0

I guess the Hawks choose to either get shutout or score 7 goals on any given night. The defense was a mess against the Kings as the game quickly got away from them.

• Arvid Soderblom was pulled towards the end of the 1st period after allowing 4 goals, but it seemed like more of a message to the team for its sloppy play

• Landon Slaggert made his NHL debut and logged 10:32 of ice time on the 4th line in front of 40+ family and friends

W - Blackhawks 5, Sharks 2

Another Tankathon showdown for the best lottery odds! The Hawks came away with the win (kind of a loss though..) after coming back from a 2-1 deficit with 3 goals in 1:23 in the 3rd period.

• 5 different goal scorers for the Hawks: Philipp Kurashev, Ryan Donato, Kevin Korchinski, Joey Anderson, and Connor Bedard (Empty Net)

• Lukas Reichel was recalled to the NHL prior to this game and recorded 1 assist in 13:04 of ice time

Week Record: 2-1-0

Season Record: 19-44-5

Star of the Week: Philipp Kurashev

Kurashev’s playmaking and goal-scoring has improved over the course of the season, and he has established very strong chemistry with Bedard and Foligno on the top line.

Kurashev finished the week with 3 goals and 3 assists in 3 games.

Play of the Week: Joey Anderson Between-the-Legs Goal

News & Notes:

• The Corey Perry situation (his terminated contract) resulted in a financial resolution instead of a grievance. The Blackhawks will have a salary cap charge as part of the settlement.

  • According to PuckPedia via Twitter, the cap charge for the settlement was $1.99M, so the Hawks are on the hook for a cap charge of $3.01M for the year for Perry’s contract.

• The Hawks have won 4 of their last 6 games and play the Sharks and Ducks again this week.

• Reese Johnson is in concussion protocol and will not travel with the team on this week’s road trip.

🏀 Chicago Bulls

TROPHY TRACKER

❌-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-🏆

Results:

L - Mavericks 127, Bulls 92

Awful effort and showing from the Bulls at home in a matchup of the Eastern & Western Conference Players of the Week (DeMar DeRozan & Luka Doncic).

• Mavs jumped out to a massive lead with a 44-16 1st quarter

• Bulls shot an ugly 7-34 (20.6%) from 3, Onuralp Bitim led the team in points (17), no starter scored more than 13 points

• Luka had another triple-double (27p/14a/12r) and was denied his 7th straight 30-point triple-double because the game was a blowout, and he was removed early

W - Bulls 132, Pacers 129 (OT)

King of the 4th DeMar DeRozan TOOK OVER to give the Bulls another narrow win. DeMar tied the game on a fadeaway at the end of the 4th and scored the team’s first 8 points of overtime.

• DeMar finished with 46p/9r on 15-24 shooting - on the game-tying jumper in the 4th, he said he found an opening outside of the play structure to get the inbound pass and hit the shot

• Coby White injured his hip near the end of the 4th quarter as Pascal Siakam landed on him after blocking his shot attempt (which also looked like goaltending)

• Alex Caruso scored a season-high 23 points on 5/6 3PT

L - Clippers 126, Bulls 111

The injury depleted Bulls could not keep up with the Clippers’ stars without Coby White on the second night of a back-to-back.

• Paul George (28p/7a/5r, 6-7 3PT) and Kawhi Leonard (27p/3a/5r) dominated from start to finish for the Clippers

• The Bulls shot well from 3 (16-35, 45.7%), but the Clippers finished with ridiculous shooting percentages from all over the floor (60.0%/50.0%/71.4%)

W - Bulls 127, Wizards 98

The up and down season continued as the Bulls stomped the worst team in the league at home.

• Ayo Dosunmu played the best game of his career and finished with a career-high 34 points on 14-22 shooting and 9 assists

• Vooch controlled the paint with 29p/13r as the Bulls outscored the Wizards 68-46 down low (which helped them win by a large margin despite making only 8 3s)

Week Record: 2-2

Season Record: 33-35

Star of the Week: DeMar DeRozan

DeMar nearly singlehandedly won the Pacers game with a 46-point showing and was the Bulls’ leading scorer against the Clippers. He finished the week with 23.3 ppg. He’s still the King of the Fourth!

Play of the Week: DeMar’s game-tying fadeaway

News & Notes:

• Coby White was diagnosed with a mild hip strain after his injury against the Pacers. He missed the final two games of the week, but it has been talked about as a day-to-day situation. He should be good to go shortly.

• Julian Phillips was diagnosed with a foot sprain and will be in a walking boot. The injuries continue to pile up…remember when the Blackhawks had 9 players on Injured Reserve earlier this season??

• Two-way player Henri Drell made his NBA debut against the Clippers

🏈 Chicago Bears

TROPHY TRACKER 📈

1-2-3-4-❌-6-7-8-9-🏆

Farewell, Justin Fields:

The Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers for a 2025 6th round pick (becomes a 4th round pick if Fields plays 51% of the snaps in 2024).

The speculation is now over. The Bears are actually moving on at quarterback and presumably picking their next one in April in the draft.

After months of rumors, debates over the best team-building plan, and conflicting reports across the league, Fields was traded away to end his tenure as a Chicago Bear. His 3 seasons here did not provide enough statistical evidence or enough positive tape to rely on him to lead the Bears to a Super Bowl in the future.

Good for Ryan Poles for making an honest assessment at the position. He also reportedly sent Fields to a preferred destination, even though the return compensation was lower than Poles could have received from the other 5 inquiring teams.

I will always appreciate Justin. He showed inhuman toughness on the field, impressive leadership in the locker room, and class to the media. He represented Chicago well and served the community in innumerable ways over the last 3 years. He loves football and always lays everything on the line for his brothers.

Now, I have quick thoughts on the implications of this trade for the Bears as a whole:

• I’m curious if one player (presumably Caleb Williams) or the quality of the entire QB draft class was convincing enough to go all-in on a rookie QB moving forward

• Obviously, the salary cap implications are exciting. They’ll get a rookie QB for 5 years as the cap continues to rise at an exponential rate (starting with the $30M increase for 2024). Trading for (and most likely extending) veterans like Keenan Allen is a viable option.

• Ryan Poles can continue to find elite veterans and pay them their deserved money. He can also pay his own draft picks while continuing to build through the draft. The money will be there.

• We can look forward to a team with legitimate playmakers and an experienced OC. They just have to hit on the right QB in the draft.

Keenan Allen Trade:

The Bears traded a 2024 4th round pick (their own, which is higher than the 4th round pick they own from the Eagles) to the Chargers for WR Keenan Allen.

This move shocked me and basically blew up the internet.

Keenan Allen is a 12-year veteran with 10,350 receiving yards (more than twice the amount of any Bears receiver in their history 😏). He is a 6-time Pro Bowler coming off one of his best years in the league.

I was wondering who the Bears might add at receiver this offseason, and I did not expect Allen to be a consideration. Reports said the Bears were in on Gabe Davis before he signed with the Jaguars, but other free agent WRs seemed like potential depth players.

I love this move. The Bears have two elite wideouts for the first time since Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and I’d argue they’re even a step higher than those two. Allen is considered by many to be the best route runner in the NFL and is as consistent and reliable as they come (Jaylon Johnson just named Allen as a tough cover last week on ESPN 1000).

Whichever rookie QB becomes a Bear will have legitimate weapons. And he will have experienced veterans around him who know the game at an extremely high level.

Free Agent Signings:

• Signed RB D’Andre Swift to a 3-year, $24M contract right as Free Agency opened on Monday

  • Swift was featured more prominently in a career year with the Eagles last season (1,049 yards rushing, 214 yards receiving, 6 total TDs)

  • Paying a RB is always questionable, but I’m optimistic for Swift. The Bears didn’t have a three-down back that fit their offense, unless Roschon Johnson was poised to take a huge step next season. Swift provides a veteran presence, a solid scheme fit, burst, and reliability as a pass catcher.

• Signed TE Gerald Everett to a 2-year, $12M contract

  • Hopefully the missing “move TE” the Bears have needed over the last few years

  • Everett has experience with OC Shane Waldron (Seahawks 2021) and WR Coach Chris Beatty (Chargers 2022-2023)

• Signed S Jonathan Owens to a 2-year, $4.5M contract

  • Simone Biles’ husband leaves Green Bay to the better city as an athletic backup safety and solid special teams contributor

• Signed OL Matt Pryor to a 1-year contract

  • Previously spent time on the Colts, Eagles, and 49ers and has experience at tackle and guard

• Signed QB Brett Rypien to a 1-year contract

  • Spent a bit of time on the Seahawks practice squad in 2023 with OC Shane Waldron

  • Most likely the new QB3 - Nathan Peterman signed with the Saints

• Signed LB/ST Amen Ogbongbemiga to a 1-year contract

  • Spent the last 3 seasons on the Chargers

• Signed C Coleman Shelton to a 1-year, $3M contract

  • Starting center for the Rams for the past 2 seasons

  • Theoretically slots in as the Bears’ starting center in 2024, but I’m curious to see if he’s the stop-gap for a rookie or will compete with Bates for the job

• Signed OL Jake Curhan to a 1-year contract

  • Spent the last 3 seasons on the Seahawks with OC Shane Waldron and has mainly played tackle

• Signed WR Dante Pettis to a 1-year contract

  • Pettis played for the Bears in 2022 and was on the team in the 2023 offseason before being released in September with an injury settlement

• Signed DE Jake Martin to a 1-year contract

  • Martin was on the Colts in 2023 and could be a solid rotational end

News & Notes:

• The Bears are focusing their stadium plans on the City - utilizing the lot just south of Soldier Field for a publicly-owned, domed stadium. Courtney Cronin touched on the details here.

• Jaylon Johnson met the media after signing his contract extension - check it out here

  • Johnson was honest and vulnerable in this setting. You could tell how much this opportunity genuinely means to him.

• Former Bear DT Justin Jones signed a 3-year, $30.1M contract with the Arizona Cardinals

• Former Bear WR Darnell Mooney signed a 3-year, $39M contract with the Atlanta Falcons (a reunion with Ryan Pace and a great opportunity for Mooney to flourish with Kirk Cousins)

• A new episode of 1920 Football Drive dropped here

  • Love seeing Poles and Eberflus casually talking about prospects as they watch drills at the Combine

⚾ Chicago Cubs

TROPHY TRACKER

1-2-3-4-5-❌-7-8-9-🏆

News & Notes:

• Spring Breakout Game

  • MLB created the Spring Breakout this year, which brings each organization’s top prospects together in a total of 16 games during Spring Training

  • The Cubs vs. White Sox Spring Breakout game was unfortunately cancelled due to rain, but the Cubs lineup was VERY fun to see on [digital] paper:

• Shōta Imanaga continues to impress ⭐

  • Struck out 9 in 4.1 IP vs. the A’s on Thursday

  • 19 K to 2 BB in 9.2 IP this spring so far

• Sahadev Sharma wrote about Seiya Suzuki most likely starting the season batting 2nd in the lineup. Not what I expected earlier this spring, but I understand Counsell’s philosophy of getting his best hitters more at-bats. I’m excited to see the rest of the lineup fill out behind him. Check out the article here.

• Ian Happ returned to game action on Sunday and should be ready for Opening Day

• Dylan Cease was traded from the White Sox to the Padres for a bunch of prospects - can we stop talking about the Jose Quintana deal now? 7 years later?

📣 SAY WHAT?

😎 GOOD ONE ALERT

Héctor Neris

Neris has an annual tradition of taking minor leaguers out to dinner during Spring Training and continued the tradition with 70+ Latino minor leaguers this spring. He hopes the younger Cubs pitchers will carry the baton in the future.

Check out the whole story from Andy Martinez here:

Honorable Mention: Taylor & Taylor Raddysh

Taylor and his wife, Taylor, stayed over at Connor Bedard’s apartment the night he broke his jaw to make sure he was ok. The brotherhood on this team has been apparent all season, and this is an extremely kind gesture by the Raddysh family.

🔥 MILD TAKE ❄

The Cubs have a Top 3 outfield in MLB.

Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki.

With Bellinger back on the roster and the improvements we saw last year, I’m convinced this is a VERY good outfield for the Cubs that can stack up against nearly any other team.

Gold Glovers in left and center and an NPB Golden Glove Award winner in right. A former MVP in center. 20+ HR power in every spot.

In 2023, Happ made improvements at the plate and ended up with 21 HR and 99 BB, Bellinger had a bounceback season with 26 HR/97 RBI/.881 OPS, and Suzuki was scorching hot at the end of the season to bring his totals to 20 HR/74 RBI/.842 OPS.

Looking around the league, there aren’t a ton of comparable outfields. The teams that may supplant this group are the Braves (Jarred Kelenic & Adam Duvall / Michael Harris / Ronald Acuna) and the Yankees (Alex Verdugo / Aaron Judge / Juan Soto). But even then…2 stars and a huge question mark isn’t a clear advantage to me.

Cubs fans should have a blast this summer watching these outfielders every day!