The Charter: A Chicago Bears Podcast

On this episode of the Under Center Podcast, J.J. Stankevitz is joined by John "Moon" Mullin. To start, Moon takes a moment to remember Cedric Benson, who died in a motorcycle accident on Saturday night (00:30). Then, the guys discuss the Bears' surprise announcement that they released Elliott Fry, leaving Eddy Pineiro as the only kicker on the roster (05:40). The guys toss to highlights from Matt Nagy's press conference on Sunday morning where he explains why the Bears decided to cut Fry now, how they think the move will help Pineiro and whether the competition is officially closed (07:55). Finally, J.J. explains why the end of the kicking competition was just like the end of the Bachelorette (12:10), and which kickers on other teams the Bears may still have their eyes on in the upcoming preseason games (16:40). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JJ Stankevitz, John "Moon" Mullin, and Cam Ellis convene after the Bears' first practice of the month at Halas Hall. The trio cover Tuesday's fight between Prince Amukamara and Javon Wims (1:15), Mitch Trubisky's role in controlling practices and the team's leadership structure (7:00), and the recent online criticism of Trubisky before debating whether it was warranted (11:30). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JJ Stankevitz and John "Moon" Mullin chat after the last training camp practice of 2019 about if Ian Bunting is forcing his way onto the roster (1:40), how cornerback depth was a positive development in Bourbonnais (5:40), the latest in the kicking competition (11:10) and their overall impressions of the offense and defense as the team heads back to Halas Hall (16:25). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JJ Stankevitz and John "Moon" Mullin break down the final open practice of training camp and how Bears fans showed up in numbers this year (0:22). JJ then goes over his 'jersey of the day' as he spotted a Bernard Berrian jersey and others he spotted at camp (4:56). The guys go over practice notes on Anthony Miller, David Montgomery and rookie wide receiver Riley Ridley (6:29). JJ gives an update on Trey Burton who was back at practice today participating in individual drills and Nagy's comments on his progress (9:22). JJ previews his article on tight end Ian Bunting and his potential with the team (10:31). The guys then give a kicking update on Pineiro, Fry and rumors of top kickers across the league that could be an option (13:05). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and John "Moon" Mullin break down the Bears' 23-13 preseason-opening loss to the Panthers. The guys talk about the latest update in the ongoing kicker competition (1:00), David Montgomery's impressive preseason debut (3:30), the biggest negative of the night (11:30), and how the starters looked in their very short appearances (14:15). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JJ Stankevitz sits down with Bears matriarch Virginia McCaskey for a chat about her memories of growing up with the NFL, what her favorite moments from 100 years of Bears football are and how she views the re-birth of the team under Matt Nagy heading into its centennial season. 0:55 - McCaskey on her experience of the Bears 100 Weekend Celebration in early June. 2:08 - McCaskey on what young fans should know about her father, George Halas. 3:28 - McCaskey reflects on the first ever playoff game at Chicago Stadium. 5:00 - McCaskey on memories of George Halas on the barnstorming tour. 6:33 - McCaskey's thoughts on the present-day Bears and the fan base. 7:08 - McCaskey on Matt Nagy and his sense of the history of the franchise. 8:27 - McCaskey on opening night vs Green Bay and the rivalry between the Packers and the Bears. 10:17 - McCaskey on the 2018 season and hopes for the future. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

J.J. Stankevitz and Cam Ellis share their thoughts on the Bears' final practice before the preseason opener, this Thursday against the Panthers. To start, it was a better day for the offense (1:35). Cam thought Mitchell Trubisky looked more decisive, even though he threw two picks (2:20). On the defensive side, Roquan Smith has been great in coverage (04:30). The guys list what they'll be watching for on Thursday (06:20), and why the tight end position battle feels different than the others (09:50). Plus, will there start to be some separation in the tight WR depth competition after the game (11:25)? And how important it will be for the Bears to evaluate their draft picks and UDFAs in game action for the first time (14:20). Finally, the jersey of the day is revealed (16:40), and the Curse of Khalil Mack is proposed (18:15). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Monday's training camp daily recap, J.J. Stankevitz is joined by Cam Ellis. The guys start by going over injury updates for Trey Burton and Riley Ridley (0:25), and a brief kicker recap (0:45). Then they dig into Mitch Trubisky's inconsistent camp, so far (2:10). Plus, why QB coach Dave Ragone says "bad" reps or interceptions in training camp can be productive (03:40). Cam thinks the expectations fans and media may have for Trubisky to produce now are a bit unreasonable (05:15) and J.J. doesn't think there are any indications Trubisky will take a step back-- it will be more a question of how much he improves (06:15). On the defensive side of the ball, Buster Skrine had a heckuva day (08:45). Plus, are the Bears getting ready to stash Emanuel Hall on the IR (11:10)? The guys reveal the jersey of the day, but it was tough because there were so many great options (11:50). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JJ Stankevitz recaps Saturday's Family Fest practice at Soldier Field (0:20), plus hear from cornerback Prince Amukamara on the state of the defense (6:00) and right tackle Bobby Massie on why he was so eager to stay in Chicago (12:25). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JJ Stankevitz and John "Moon" Mullin recap Friday's practice and look at how well the defense is playing so far (0:20), how the running backs looked in live tackling drills (4:10) and jump into a long-ranging discussion about the buzz around Bourbonnais thanks to an entry in Friday's training camp jersey of the day contest (6:45). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.