Take The North: A Chicago Bears Podcast

We've got another jam-packed episode as Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote continue discussing what we learned at the NFL owners meetings. Bears team president Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey each spoke about the latest developments in the pursuit of a new stadium. Is momentum shifting back toward a stadium in Arlington Heights after the team tried pursuing something on Chicago's lakefront? Als...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote listen to Bears head coach Ben Johnson explain the areas in which quarterback Caleb Williams needs to improve and why it matters.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss how both Bears head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles are telling us the team is going to be held more accountable going forward.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote share what they're hearing about how the Bears could use their picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's clear they like their chances of getting more than one good player with their top selections.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles have given us a ton to discuss after they spoke at the NFL owners meetings. Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote bring you the highlights from Johnson and Poles in this one. Are we getting hints about what direction the team could take with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft? Does Johnson think he needs to "undo" any potential bad habits that...

Mark Grote and producer Adam Studzinski respond to a listener question about who will get a contract extension first: Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon or guard Joe Thuney? Plus, will safety Jaquan Brisker be a Bear in 2026?

A listener wanted to know whom Mark Grote and producer Adam Studzinski think is the worst Bears draft pick ever. The conversation leads down quite the rabbit hole of names!

Mark Grote and producer Adam Studzinski debate what, if anything, we're supposed to take away from an Instagram post that Bears safety Jaquan Brisker recently made.

It's another mailbag episode of the podcast! Mark Grote and producer Adam Studzinski field your Bears questions. But first, the guys touch on a social media post by Bears safety Jaquan Brisker, who suffered a scary concussion last season. Are we reading into this too much?

Mark Grote and guest Ryan Chiaverini of ABC 7 reflect a bit on Chiaverini's college football career. Plus, are the Bears best hope for Chicago to have a really good team soon?

Mark Grote asks guest Ryan Chiaverini of ABC 7 in Chicago whom he wants the Bears to draft when they're on the clock at No. 10 overall. Should the team continue building the trenches?

Dan Wiederer is on vacation, so Mark Grote holds down the fort for this one. Grote brings in ABC 7 Chicago lead sports anchor Ryan Chiaverini to get his thoughts on the Bears' moves this offseason. What does he think the Bears should do to continue building out the offensive line? Plus, Chiaverini takes us back nearly two decades to his time covering the Bears when they made a run to the Super Bow...

Our own Mark Grote joined Marshall Harris and Leila Rahimi on 670 The Score to discuss the Bears' options with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft and which player he likes at that spot. It might surprise you!

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote get into a discussion about why a franchise, especially one that's looked at as a rising team, needs to be capable of handling the attention that comes with its expectations. With that in mind, Wiederer reflects on the fateful 2019 Bears. He believes that team was exhausted by the end of training camp by the attention it was garnering.

Dan Wiederer and guest Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune discuss the idea of "reaching" for a player in the NFL Draft. Is there really such thing as over-drafting a player if you're confident the pick will work out?

Dan Wiederer and guest Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune look at the Bears' moves this offseason. Hammond notes that there haven't really been any big surprises from the team like we saw in the last couple offseasons.

In this special new episode, Dan Wiederer chats with Sean Hammond, his new colleague at the Chicago Tribune. Hammond, who has already been covering the Bears for five years, shares his perspective on the team's offseason moves so far. Have the Bears really got it going in the right direction finally? The guys also dive into a bit of NFL Draft conversation. Is a player really a "reach" in the draft...

It's time for another edition of our special audio series Listen to This! This time, Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote are featuring the best Bears audio from free agency that they haven't discussed yet. You'll hear from center Drew Dalman, receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, guard Joe Thuney and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett's college coach Brent Venables!

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the presence of Bears head coach Ben Johnson so far. It's just the offseason, but both of the guys love the way Johnson brings the juice when he talks to reporters.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the Bears' recent signings of key free agents. It's clear that new head coach Ben Johnson is a big reason why players want to come to Chicago.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote examine how new Bears receiver Olamide Zaccheaus will be used in head coach Ben Johnsons' offense. Zaccheaus isn't a top-flight receiver, but he seems to have become a solid player in the NFL.

As the offseason moves forward, the Bears continue to build out their roster. In this episode, Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the team recently signing receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. What role will Zaccheaus play in the new offense? And how about these other receivers the Bears are considering signing? Plus, head coach Ben Johnson had quite the mic drop moment when discussing the difficulty that...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who recently spoke to the media for the first time as a Bear. His sack numbers weren't too high while he was with the Colts. Does he expect to have more with the Bears?

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the vibes they're getting from Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson right now. There's no doubt the two seem to feel a sense of accomplishment with their work in the offseason so far, but they know there's still lots of work to be done.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote hear from new Bears center Drew Dalman, who wants to help lighten the load placed on quarterback Caleb Williams before any given play. Will Dalman finally stabilize a position that's been through a lot of change for the Bears in recent years?