Le Journal

Mere minutes after the Bears’ season ended Sunday night, someone asked Cole Kmet about the team being well-positioned for the future.The tight end wasn’t ready to go there. To do so would be to disrespect the opportunity the Bears had just tried — and failed — to grasp in their 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams at Soldier Field.“The work we put in is for this year,” Kmet said. “Not for next year.”The Bears came within inches of reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 15 years — 72 inches, in fact, had they decided to go for the two-point conversion to win the game rather than kick a tying extra point at the end of regulation. Quarterback Caleb Williams’ miracle touchdown pass to Kmet forced overtime, but his interception in the extra period led to the Rams’ game-winning field goal. Kmet wasn’t ready to overlook any of what happened — good or bad — in the name of feeling optimistic for the future.“You can’t take for granted the opportunities you get in this league, to get to this chance to have an opportunity to go to the NFC championship, and then who knows from there?” he said. “To just think it’s just gonna happen again, it’s very wishful thinking. Very wishful.”Guard Jonah Jackson said he once had a coach who reminded his players “this might be your only shot.” Sitting at his locker Monday at Halas Hall, Jackson admitted that Sunday might have been that one chance. There’s never a way to know for sure.“You don’t ever think that, but that could be the truth,” he said. “We’re going to attack next year with even more edge, hunger, to get back to where we just were and go even forward.”And that’s why the Bears need to be aggressive this offseason — not in spite of their bright future but because of it.They need an edge rusher to pair with — and possibly outshine — Montez Sweat. They need a long-term answer at left tackle, particularly if rookie Ozzy Trapilo’s knee injury lingers into the start of next season. And they need stability at safety, with both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker on the verge of free agency.A team that has been synonymous with tough defense can’t simply count on leading the NFL in takeaways again in 2026. The offense can’t rely on a healthy Caleb Williams playing every meaningful snap for a third consecutive season.The Bears won the NFC North, but they also went a combined 2-4 against the Lions, Vikings and Packers. One of those wins came when the Packers couldn’t corral an onside kick.Those teams, Kmet said, are going to come back hungry next year.“That’s why it hurts when you have the opportunity now and you just come up a little short,” he said.Williams rallied for seven comebacks in the fourth quarter this season, a number that is as unsustainable as it is unparalleled. Those comebacks helped the Bears go from worst to first in their division, making them the 20th team to do so in the last 23 years.The NFL is structured to encourage that sort of movement in both directions. After playing a last-place schedule in 2025, the Bears will play a first-place slate in 2026. They’ll draft in the 25th spot in April, the latest they have picked in the first round since 2011, not counting years when they didn’t have a first-round pick.For every team that rises, another must fall. The Commanders, who played for the NFC title last year, went 5-12 this season. The 49ers went 6-11 in 2024 after playing for the conference title the year before.And then, of course, there are the 2019 Bears. In 2018, first-year head coach Matt Nagy led the Bears to an NFC North title. The next year, after a convention in which many of the franchise’s former greats predicted a Super Bowl berth, they went 8-8 and finished third in the division.The Bears could be a prime candidate for regression — or they could emerge from the offseason even better than before. The point is, there are no guarantees, as Williams was quick to note.“Every year is its own thing,” he said.Each season is climbing a new mountain, one that only gets…

Caleb Williams had doubts about coming to the Bears when he was the hottest quarterback in the 2024 draft, and as his rookie season came to its dreary end after a series of firings and defeats, it seemed he was right to be worried.A year later, even after a crushing 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams on Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs, the vibe was sharply different. Locker cleanout day at Halas Hall on Monday was far less depressing than usual, and the outlook going forward was bright and ambitious.Everything has changed for Williams after a season under coach Ben Johnson and the thrill of the Bears skyrocketing from the bottom of the NFC North to a division title and a playoff victory over the Packers. His mind already is spinning with possibilities. A taste of success, both in his individual improvement and as part of a team making a playoff push, has made him hungrier.“You see what championship level is,” Williams said. “You see what you have to do, you figure it out, and when you get knocked down, you get back up. That’s what we’re going to do.“We never stay down. We keep fighting. Bringing that mentality to next year and then finding ways to bring that hunger for all four quarters and every single game is going to be important.”Williams admits he has substantial work ahead, but the Bears have their franchise QB. Although he was up and down throughout the season, he showed meaningful improvement and made epic plays in decisive moments.The lasting image from the loss to the Rams won’t be his interception in overtime. It’ll be the improbable fourth-down heave — “ridiculous,” as Johnson put it — to tight end Cole Kmet for the tying touchdown with 18 seconds left in regulation. From the 14-yard line, Williams was in trouble on the snap as the Rams’ pressure came quickly. With his back to the play, he scrambled all the way back to the 40, then turned and launched a dime off his back foot as he took a hit.Soldier Field went nuts. For years, the stadium had rumbled with boos and “fire so-and-so” chants. Williams turned up the voltage — his dream when the Bears selected him No. 1 overall.Once it became clear that he wouldn’t be able to force his way away from the Bears in the draft, he pivoted from being deterred by their decades of misery to being energized by the chance to flip it. It was an incredible ride this season.“That’s part of the reason why I said I could do it here — to bring life, to bring joy, to bring excitement of being a Chicago Bears fan,” he said. “It’s really cool, honestly . . . being able to have the city behind you. You lose that game, and you’re walking out, and the fans stand up and cheer and roar in a tough moment. It goes a long way.”Most of the credit for Williams’ progress goes to his relationship with Johnson, whom he said has had “unparalleled” impact. There’s still a lot to do to sync their vision; Williams said he’ll prioritize throwing accuracy and footwork in the offseason.But the strides this season were undeniable. In addition to setting a franchise record with 3,942 passing yards, Williams threw more touchdown passes and took fewer sacks than he did as a rookie. He made unforgettable throws, including some near-perfect ones to beat the Packers in the regular season and in the wild-card round. He grew up a little.The fact there’s so much left to accomplish, both for him and the Bears, only fuels him.

Marist was salivating at the chance to play against Fremd.The RedHawks play in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, one of the toughest in the state. They picked up a big win over the Christmas season against Lyons, but also lost to Nazareth, Carmel and Benet.Monday’s game against Fremd provided Marist an opportunity to prove itself against one of the better teams in the state. The RedHawks met the challenge after the 59-47 win in the Coach Kipps Hoopsfest over Fremd at Benet.“We beat them in the summer, but one of our goals for the season was to beat them,” said senior guard Olivia Cosme, who scored eight points.Marist’s spread offense is very difficult to guard. Because they usually have five players that can score from the perimeter, it opens up driving lanes as the defense is preoccupied with defending the three-point line.The RedHawks faced challenges after junior forward Lily Porter went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter, forcing everyone to take on additional responsibility. Porter didn’t return in the second half but was very much present in the game. She was shouting from the sidelines, defensive instructions and positive encouragement to her teammates.Junior guard Caroline Flynn led the way with 15 points, and junior guard Olivia Barsch and senior guard Lucy Cosme each scored 12.“I was very upset about [Porter getting injured],” Cosme said. “And then we were like, ‘No, we have to win.’”Flynn is known for her pesky defense and knockdown three-point shooting. She’s a three-year varsity player whose effort always shows up in games. Even without Porter, Marist’s strength in numbers ethos was evident in multiple players scoring in double figures.“We all knew we needed to step up because she was out,” Flynn said. “We all just put in a little extra effort to make sure we could still pull out the win without Porter."Playing a competitive schedule helps Marist prepare for top-tier opponents. Last season, the RedHawks’ season ended after an IHSA Class 4A section loss to Kenwood. Against Fremd, Marist led by 14 points in the fourth quarter. The RedHawks were in control because of their constant motion and cutting that put the Vikings in a bind.But Fremd responded with an 8-2 lead in the fourth to cut Marist’s lead to eight points. The RedHawks regrouped and closed the game out at the free throw line.“Mentally, you have to prepare yourself for all of the hardships that's going to happen during the game,” Cosme said. “And that does happen a lot when we play all of those good teams, but it also prepares us for teams like [Fremd].”The team’s selflessness offensively allowed it to survive Fremd’s late rally and Porter’s injury.“We depend on each other,” coach Renee Chimino said. “They wanted this game. They were excited to play this game against one of the top teams in the state. They wanted to prove that they could compete with the best in the state."

While many Chicagoans avoided the cold temperatures and bitter wind chills by staying inside, others attempted to make the most of the freeze by busting out their skates."There's something really special and unique about being on the pond," said Nathan Zyck, who was playing a game of pickup hockey on the North Pond in Lincoln Park with his brother and some friends. "It's kind of a community thing. Everyone shows up, everyone talks to each other, you meet people."Temperatures in the single digits and gusty wind conditions made for wind chills well below zero degrees in the Chicago area Monday.The high at O'Hare International Airport was 6 degrees but winds blowing at 30 to 40 miles-per-hour created wind chills that dropped to minus-24, according to the National Weather Service. O'Hare reached a low of minus-1 degree, marking the first subzero temperatures at the airport since Dec. 14. A pair of hockey enthusiasts put on their skates as a group of guys embrace the cold weather and play a round of pickup pond hockey at North Pound outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Around a dozen people glided around the North Pond in Lincoln Park Monday morning. Skaters could see their breath as they enjoyed the frozen pond, which freezes and un-freezes with the temperatures, according to Lincoln Park resident Jan, who brought her 8-year-old daughter Earthy and declined to give her last name."She's trying, she's still learning," Jan said. "Weather-wise, the pond could melt any time when the temperature's up. So we take the opportunity as much as possible."Zyck and his brother grew up playing hockey through high school and have played in rec leagues in the city. They often organize pickup games."I got everyone out here today, I was calling everyone, and then we met these two guys out here," Zyck said. "Just a lot of fun, that's part of pond hockey." A group of hockey enthusiasts embrace the cold weather to play a round of pick up pond hockey at North Pound.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Two childhood friends Christian Moran and Aaron Vanderlinde, both 28, cleared a patch of the pond from snow to create a makeshift hockey rink. The West Loop residents challenged two other men with sticks and pucks to a game, and the four battled each other to a pickup hockey game, using boots to mark the goals."It gives a nice freeze," Vanderlinde said about the weather, adding that they had been out on the pond over the weekend, too. "You gotta wait until it's cold."Moran and Vanderlinde grew up near each other in the western suburbs and much of their friendship was forged on the rink."I always say the best way to practice is by playing with people who are better than you," Moran said. Despite the cold, skaters had fun playing pond hockey Monday.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Players have gathered for years at the North Pond, bonding over their love for the sport — and the ability to play it outdoors. Strangers become teammates or friendly competitors and start to look forward to the cold temperatures instead of dread them.But people should take precautions when outside in below-freezing temperatures, health officials warn. The frosty conditions can lead to hypothermia, frostbite in about 30 minutes, frozen pipes and slippery road conditions.The bitter cold was expected to continue into Tuesday morning, where wind chills are expected to be between 5 and 15 degrees below zero, the weather service said. A group of hockey enthusiasts embrace the cold weather to play a round of pick up pond hockey.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time Contributing: Mohammad Samra

Lou Canellis likely hosted his last Bears postgame show for Fox 32 on Sunday night. The longtime sportscaster is nearing a deal with NBC 5 that could be announced this week, the Sun-Times has learned.Nothing is final, but Canellis is at the end of his contract with Fox 32, and there are strong indications in the industry that he will land at NBC 5. His departure would leave Cassie Carlson and Tina Nguyen as Fox 32’s on-air sports talent.NBC 5 hasn’t named a lead sports anchor since Leila Rahimi left the station in October 2024. She had held the job for almost 2½ years before her mysterious departure. Mike Berman, Jeff Blanzy and Kacy Standohar have shared sports-anchor duties.Canellis has been with Fox 32 since 2009. In addition to anchoring, he has hosted Bears pregame and postgame shows and programs such as “1st & North,” a roundtable discussion about the NFC North, and “Chicago Sports Tonight.” As the home of most Bears games, Fox 32 leans into its relationship with the team, and Canellis has served as the frontman.His move to NBC 5 would be curious because the station doesn’t have that relationship and its local sports programming is limited. It airs the weekly recap show “Sports Sunday,” carries the Chicago Marathon and covers local athletes competing in the Olympics.Canellis would rejoin former Fox 32 executive producer John Schippman, who’s returning to NBC 5 in the same position this week. Schippman was the vice president of sports content at NBC 5 and oversaw NBC Sports Chicago before it shut down in 2024.Canellis rose to stardom in the 1990s as the sideline reporter for Bulls broadcasts on SportsChannel, a predecessor to Chicago Sports Network. Before that, he was an executive producer at NBC 5.