The Charter: A Chicago Bears Podcast

Ep. 215: Checking in on the Lions with ESPN’s Mike Rothstein

JJ Stankevitz is joined by ESPN Lions reporter Mike Rothstein to dive into how close Detroit is to cleaning house (1:00), expectations for Matthew Stafford (5:50) and T.J. Hockenson (10:00), what new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s scheme looks like (13:45), where the Lions are strongest and weakest on defense (16:50) and if this team actually respects Matt Patricia (22:20). Plus, Mike discusses the story he co-wrote on the rise and fall of the AAF and what it would take for a spring football league to succeed (26:10). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 214: Bears prop bets (and a bold Mitch Trubisky prediction)

JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and Paul Aspan wonder if John Fox had a point about the Bears having the worst offseason in the NFL (1:00), then offer up some prop bets for the Bears in 2019 involving Eloy Jimenez's home runs and Khalil Mack's sacks (5:00), undrafted free agent rookies making the roster (10:00), when/if the Bears will cut a kicker during the season (12:45), running back production (16:30) and how many games Adam Shaheen will play (25:50). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 213: Looking ahead to Mitch Trubisky’s megacontract

JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis look at Mitch Trubisky’s comments about wanting to play his whole career in Chicago and what the implications of a megacontract for him would be (0:30). Plus, the guys update the kicking competition after Chris Blewitt was released (15:30), how much the offense has grown during the offseason (20:30), if there’s any concern about Trey Burton’s injury (23:30) and the remarkable team chemistry that’s been on display at Halas Hall (27:30). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 212: Where does the Bears’ kicking competition stand at the end of OTAs?

JJ Stankevitz and Cam Ellis recap what they learned from the Bears' kicking competition during OTAs (2:30), and look at what to expect from it in the coming weeks and months. Plus, they dive into how well Cordarrelle Patterson is fitting in the Bears' offense (12:30) and look at benefits the team is already realizing in moving Bradley Sowell to tight end (17:00). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 211: What can we learn from OTAs, plus a Bears top 100 discussion

JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and John “Moon” Mullin debate what’s important and what’s not during OTAs (2:30), then dive into the Bears top 100 players list that tore the fanbase apart (16:25) and look at which current players could be on the cusp of becoming some of the best in franchise history (26:00). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 210: Takeaways from Week 1 of OTAs

JJ Stankevitz and Cam Ellis dive into a few interesting developments from OTAs at Halas Hall on Wednesday, including Bradley Sowell’s position change (0:30) and Leonard Floyd’s upside (5:30). Plus, hear from Eddie Jackson and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix about how the ‘Bama safety pair came to be re-united in Chicago (12:30). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 209: Remaining free agents who could help the Bears and checking in on the Vikings

JJ Stankevitz, Paul Aspan and Cam Ellis do a deep dive into the free agent scrap heap and look at players who are still available and could help the Bears (2:30). Plus, JJ chats with Minneapolis Star-Tribune Vikings reporter Andrew Krammer about what’s going on with Kyle Rudolph (18:10), what Gary Kubiak wants to do with Minnesota’s offense (21:30), what the vibe around the Twin Cities is with Kirk Cousins (25:30) and what to expect from the Vikings’ defense (28:40). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 208: Catching up with Mitch Trubisky and Akiem Hicks

On a special edition of the Under Center Podcast, Bears Pro Bowl QB Mitch Trubisky & Pro Bowl Defensive End Akiem Hicks join the show. Mitch talks to Bears insider JJ Stankevitz about the Jordan Howard trade (2:20), why the Bears offense can be one of the best in the league (3:25) how the playoff loss was like the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones (5:10), and why Anthony Miller can be scary good (6:00). Hicks joins JJ & Luke Stuckmeyer to discuss his charity softball game and his favorite to win the home run derby that’s also part of it (7:45), how Hicks learned from his ejection in week four ( 10:10) , why the Bears had to let last year’s playoff loss hurt to move forward (12:00) and of course, his thoughts on the ongoing kicker competition (13:30). Plus Roquan Smith has the biggest teeth on the team (14:00 ), and look out NFC North offensive linemen (16:15).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 207: What to expect from the Bears’ kicking battle

JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and Paul Aspan dive into the Bears’ kicking competition to wonder if the team is better off now than it was on Jan. 6 (0:40), if the Week 1 kicker is on the roster right now (2:50), if Robbie Gould is on the table and how this thing will play out in the coming months (6:50). Plus, the guys offer up their rookies to watch after last weekend’s minicamp (14:45) and dive into looking at Mitch Trubisky and Leonard Floyd through the lens of fifth-year options (24:00). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 206: Casey Bednarski on the Bears’ kicking competition

JJ Stankevitz is joined by Casey Bednarski, who was one of the eight kickers participating in the Bears' kicking competition during rookie minicamp last weekend, for an inside look at how things went down at Halas Hall. Bednarski gets into what he proved (0:50), if he was disappointed to not be offered a contract (3:25), his kick-off against Redford Jones (4:50), his impression of the Bears' process (6:30) and his own personal background as a soccer player-turned-kicker-turned-pizza delivery guy (10:00). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.