What a 7-3 Start Means to Ben Johnson, Respect and Adoration For Mike Tomlin, Weird Aiyuk Situation, and Other Bears Bullets

I’d like for someone to explain the Phil Maton signing in football terms. What is the Bears equivalent of signing someone like Phil Maton? The sooner I see it through that lens, the quicker I can digest whether or not I like the move. The good news is that the Chicago Bears are taking a 7-3 record into their Sunday showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the bad news is that they’ll do so while trotting a brand new collection of starting linebackers. That is because Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Noah Sewell have been ruled OUT. We took a stab at guessing who could start in their place and explored some alternative options Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen could try. MORE BEARS COVERAGE: Friday’s Injury Report | Week 12 Preview ICYMI: The Friday Bears injury report wasn’t all bad. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon were full participants on the final injury report round up of the week. We’ll see if the team activates them from injured reserve at some point on Saturday afternoon. I wouldn’t hold my breathe, but stranger things have happened. More from Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson: Ben Johnson was asked if Jaylon Johnson will be activated off IR this week.”I don’t know, we’ll see.” pic.twitter.com/eQN7FWKnou— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 21, 2025 CHECK OUT EPISODE 9 OF THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube ESPN’s Courtney Cronin shares the most surprising Bears stat. I loved this quote from the Bears head coach (h/t Marquee’s Scott Bair via Twitter/X) about what comes next for this team: “I think Kevin Byard said it best earlier in the week, where – I think he said it to the media; I know he said it to the team – it’s easy to forget what happens in September and October really quickly. We’ve put ourselves in a good spot right now, but the season is just now starting as far as we’re concerned. We do block out the outside. I don’t get out of the building a lot, so I don’t feel it. I’m happy for where the guys have positioned themselves at 7-3. That’s a good start but, like I said, we’re only going to remember how this thing ends and not how it started.” Gosh, I love how safety Kevin Byard III has taken a front-facing leadership role with this team. Between his play on the field and his presence in the locker room, you can fully understand why he was voted a captain for the second consecutive year. Nov 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears free safety Kevin Byard (31) takes the field before the game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images This Ben Johnson quote on Mike Tomlin in this Brad Biggs piece in the Tribune captures (1) why I have a ton of respect for Tomlin and (2) what I want from BJ as the Bears’ HC: “It’s absolutely incredible to think he’s been a head coach as long as he has and just keeps churning out wins,” Johnson said. “He sets the bar very high and nothing but respect for him, how he goes about his business. He holds his players accountable. “He just keeps it real and authentic at all times. The players respect that. You can tell that they play hard. The film is always the resume of the coach, is how I feel. When his players are playing as hard and consistent as they do for as long as he’s been doing it, I think that’s a huge credit to him.” BONUS: You can read that quote and understand why the Bears were reported to have made an effort to trade for Mike Tomlin this past offseason. Douglas Clawson (CBS Sports) shares how the Bears went from worst-to-first in the NFC North, but warns that it won’t last. While I understand that the schedule gets tough coming up, the schedule has been tough all year. We’ve been discussing the strength of schedule difficulty since the offseason. It still baffles me that the conversation is that “the Bears haven’t beaten anyone” while four of their seven wins have come in games where they were underdogs on the betting line. The Bears have beaten four teams that oddsmakers and the wagering public did not think they would win. I don’t know how much significance that factoid holds, but I don’t think it’s inconsequential. What a bizarre turn of events: The San Francisco 49ers are lining things up for a split with star receiver Brandon Aiyuk. We’ll see the Niners when they face the Bears in Week 17. Will it still be on Sunday Night Football? Where will Brandon Aiyuk be? (The Athletic) MORE BEARS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad-Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter Chicago Cubs Signing Righty Reliever Phil Maton www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2025/11…[image or embed]— Bleacher Nation (@bleachernation.bsky.social) November 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM Blackhawks College Prospects: Busy Weekend Filled with Ranked Matchups #blackhawks www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2…[image or embed]— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@bn-blackhawks.bsky.social) November 19, 2025 at 6:50 AM Tre Jones Earns the NBA’s Community Assist Award for Off-Court Projects www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2025/1…[image or embed]— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@bn-bulls.bsky.social) November 21, 2025 at 2:00 PM
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