Take The North: A Chicago Bears Podcast

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote listen to what new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn had to say when asked about Bears head coach Ben Johnson, his former colleague. Also, what's this "breakfast club" that Johnson has been attending to prepare for being a first-time head coach?

The NFL Combine is here! Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote are on location in Indianapolis to bring you reaction to what Bears head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles had to say to begin the festivities. Johnson offered us more about why he's really looking forward to working with quarterback Caleb Williams. And how aggressive is Poles willing to be when free agency kicks off? Also in this...

Dan Wiederer and guest Rich Campbell reflect on the Bears' failures in the 2019 season. That led the two of them to write a story after the season dissecting the Bears' evaluation of the quarterbacks in the 2017 draft class. Wiederer explains an idea for a different story he'd hoped to write but couldn't because of how it all played out.

Dan Wiederer and guest Rich Campbell discuss what a head coach and a team need to succeed in the NFL. Can new head coach Ben Johnson find all the right ingredients with the Bears?

Dan Wiederer and guest Rich Campbell dive into the challenges that come with covering an NFL team, specifically the Bears. How do you make sure you're not selling too much optimism?

Dan Wiederer brings in a former Tribune colleague for a bit of a history lesson in this episode. Former Bears reporter Rich Campbell saw a lot in his time covering the team, including what turned out to be tons of false hope. Wiederer and Campbell reflect on that in what has become an exciting Bears offseason. What can we learn from those past experiences? Also in this episode, the pair exchange m...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss what we learned in the latest episode of the Bears' YouTube series "1920 Football Drive." Quarterback Caleb Williams has definitely pinpointed something he really likes about head coach Ben Johnson.

As Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the possibility of Chiefs guard Trey Smith reaching free agency, they remind listeners how volatile NFL free agency can be.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss whom draft expert Daniel Jeremiah thinks the Bears will select when they're on the clock at No. 10 overall in the NFL Draft. Does he have the Bears selecting an offensive lineman? Do we agree with his choice?

We're officially at the mock draft portion of the NFL offseason! In this episode, Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote examine whom NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has the Bears taking with the No. 10 overall pick. Spoiler alert: It's an offensive lineman. It's a tell that we're going to be talking about a lot of offensive linemen as we head toward the draft. Later, how possible is it that the Ch...

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote filled in on 670 The Score in Chicago and turned the opportunity into a pseudo Take The North live episode! We've got the best segments for you. The guys spoke with Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic about the Bears' biggest needs this offseason. The group also did a draft of quarterback Caleb Williams' biggest throws from his rookie season.

Dan Wiederer and Adam Studzinski hear from former Bears interim coach Thomas Brown and former quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph, who both had advice for the future of quarterback Caleb Williams.

Dan Wiederer and Adam Studzinski hear new Bears head coach Ben Johnson explain why he believes he's ready to be a head coach. Johnson seems to have a lot of confidence in himself.

Dan Wiederer and producer Adam Studzinski play a little catchup in this edition of Listen to This! They've got leftover audio from new head coach Ben Johnson, former interim head coach Thomas Brown and former quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph. Of course, much of the audio centers around quarterback Caleb Williams. What advice did his former coaches offer to help push Williams to the next level?

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote look at the way the Eagles blew out the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Former Bears defensive coordinator and current Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's unit truly stole the show.

A national NFL insider has predicted the Bears will play the Eagles in the NFL season opener in 2025. Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss the lure of the 2025 Bears for that Thursday night opening game.

Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss what they know about the succession plan for Bears ownership after longtime owner Virginia McCaskey died at 102. Is there any chance the McCaskey family could sell the team?

As we continue to look back on Bears matriarch Virginia McCaskey's legacy, there are questions about what will happen with the team's ownership going forward. In this episode, Dan Wiederer and Mark Grote discuss what they know about the McCaskey family plan. Meanwhile, ESPN insider Adam Schefter predicted the Bears will play the Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFL's 2025 season opener. How do we fee...

Our own Dan Wiederer joined Dan Bernstein & Marshall Harris on 670 The Score to discuss the Eagles' lopsided win over the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. What does Wiederer think of the way the Eagles have built their roster? And how about former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio finally winning the big one!

Dan Wiederer and guest host Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times reflect on the life of Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, who died this week at the age of 102.

Guest host Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times explains for Dan Wiederer how he views the process that landed the Bears the hot coaching candidate in Ben Johnson.

Dan Wiederer and guest host Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times discuss the Super Bowl matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles.

Dan Wiederer is joined by Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times for this one. They begin the episode by remembering Bears principal owner Virginia McCaskey, who has died at the age of 102. The longtime Bears owner and the daughter of team founder George Halas, Virginia lived a life truly unlike any other. Later, Wiederer and Potash discuss the Bears once again winning the NFL offseason. What has Po...

Dan Wiederer asks David Haugh what Haugh has thought of everything the Bears have done since their 2024 season ended. How significant does he view the team's hiring of new head coach Ben Johnson to be?

Dan Wiederer, David Haugh and producer Adam Studzinski look back on the predictions they made for the 2024 Bears. We all got this much wrong: the team's record. Yikes!