Take The North: A Chicago Bears Podcast

The Bears have officially announced the signings of center Drew Dalman and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo! Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote were both in attendance for the new players' first press conference at Halas Hall and bring you their thoughts in this episode. How does Dalman think his experience with a rookie quarterback in Atlanta in 2024 will help him work with quarterback Caleb Williams? And w...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon, whose rookie contract will run out after the 2025 season. Does he want to stay with the Bears in the long term?

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote hear from new Bears offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Thuney addressed whether he's interested in an extension with the Bears, while Jackson was reflective about why his time with the Rams didn't go as planned.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote share how impressed they were with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett's first press conference with the Bears. If he's even remotely good, he's going to be a fan favorite really fast.

The Bears have unveiled a few of their new players! General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson took the podium Wednesday to discuss the recent additions of guard Joe Thuney, guard Jonah Jackson and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. As Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote remark, it was Jarrett who truly stole the show and could quickly become a fan favorite. Plus, how do Thuney and Jackson feel ab...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote feel the need to toss out a friendly reminder amid the hype for some of the new Bears players: There are all kinds of landmines in NFL free agency, and nothing is a guarantee.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss what the Bears are getting in new defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who will join the team on a three-year deal. Why were the Colts OK letting him go? And what kind of upside does he have?

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the Bears' addition of center Drew Dalman, who will walk in the door as a starter. How does he help level everything out on the offensive line?

On the first day that teams could negotiate contracts with free agents, the Bears took a few big swings. Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss Chicago's additions of center Drew Dalman, defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. While there are never guarantees in free agency, we're pretty confident the Bears have gotten better since the offseason started!

Robert Mays of The Athletic Football Show explains his theory on why guard Jonah Jackson was traded after just one year with the Rams.

Dan Wiederer, Mark Grote and Robert Mays of The Athletic Football Show discuss the failure that was quarterback Caleb Williams' rookie season. Mays didn't like the Bears' plan from the start.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote hear from Robert Mays of The Athletic Football Show about how new Bears head coach Ben Johnson can maximize what quarterback Caleb Williams can be in the NFL.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote are joined in this episode by Robert Mays, the host of The Athletic Football Show. They walk through a wide-ranging Bears conversation, beginning with what Mays thinks of the Bears acquiring guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson in recent trades. Mays also takes us into a deep conversation about quarterback Caleb Williams. How did the Bears' plan for his rookie season fai...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the Bears' trade for guard Jonah Jackson from the Rams. Jackson was hurt for most of the 2024 season after signing a big contract. Is that why the Rams moved on so quickly?

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote realize that newly acquired Bears guard Jonah Jackson's first NFL start was against Chicago in that weird 2020 NFL season. Grote then brings up a piece of trivia for Wiederer based on this fun fact.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the Bears trading a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Chiefs for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. How does that change their offseason plans?

The Bears are making moves! On Wednesday, they traded a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Chiefs for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the big addition. How might this affect the Bears' approach in free agency and/or the NFL Draft? The guys also take a look at the Bears acquiring guard Jonah Jackson from the Rams in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

Our own Dan Wiederer joined the Bernstein & Harris Show on 670 The Score to discuss the next steps in the Bears' offseason. A critical stretch begins on March 10, when the NFL's open negotiating window starts.

To cap off the 2025 NFL Combine, we've got a mailbag edition of the podcast! Dan Wiederer and producer Adam Studzinski field your burning Bears questions. The guys also touch on the news of Chiefs guard Trey Smith receiving the franchise tag.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the annual NFLPA survey. To no surprise, former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus didn't receive high marks, to say the least.

The NFL Combine offered Mark Grote the chance to talk to a couple projected top-10 draft picks. He plays for Dan Wiederer what Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter had to say about themselves. Maybe the Bears won't have a chance to draft either of these prospects, but the idea of drafting a defensive lineman at No. 10 overall is enticing.

New Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been one of the stars of the NFL Combine. However, as Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss, the fact that he's a popular interview and well-spoken doesn't mean he'll be a great head coach. We still need to see how this plays out!

The NFL Combine rolls on, and the Bears head coach has been a popular guy so far! Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss how willing and engaging Ben Johnson has been with all the various media outlets. But as a reminder — that doesn't mean he'll be a good head coach! Also in this episode, Wiederer and Grote take a look at how the Bears did in the annual NFL Players Association survey. It isn't a sur...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote try to decipher Bears general manager Ryan Poles' answer when he was asked about how he'll approach free agency. Poles and the Bears have plenty of cap space — will they hesitate to use it to get key additions?

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote hear what Bears head coach Ben Johnson said when describing his favorite attributes of quarterback Caleb Williams. It's obvious Johnson is excited to work with Williams.