Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - 5 On It & does Caleb Williams need to do less? (Hour 3)

Episode Date: May 27, 2026

In the third hour, Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote discussed a variety of sports topics in the 5 On It segment. After that, they discussed what Bears coaches believe quarterback Caleb Williams can improve on in 2026 in his third NFL season. Does Williams need to do less at times on the field? Later, they reacted to the Bears bringing in a veteran pass rusher for a workout recently.

The score. This hour is brought to you by Menards. Save big money at Menards. As Marshall would do. Yep. I got five. It's time for five on it. Rahini Harrison Rooney.

Bring you five topics on their minds today. On 104-3, the score. I got five on it. Number one. According to 104-3, the scores Bruce Levine, the Cubs had both an 11 and a 12-game losing streak in their brutal 20-21 season. the Northsiders reached their single season loss record of 14 games to begin the 1997 season. Will the Cubs reach any of these high water marks during this current losing streak that is at 10 games?

Are we in danger of seeing them surpass the single season loss record of 14 games? So not to be that girl, but I have to. Are they high water marks? Low water marks, whatever you want to call it. Their marks. Maybe I can't think of... Skid Mark. More like Skid Marks.

Maybe my brain for adjectives is suffering because I'm suffering through bad baseball. Go, Ray! Go! Don't stop now, boys! You know what? I can't believe I'm saying this. It ends today. I like that.

It's Marshall's birthday. It's Pat Hughes's birthday. James and Tyone is facing his former team. And I don't necessarily know that that matters because he's been giving up some home runs. But I just... This has got to stop. or I don't know or else and then I shake my hand at a cloud. That's where we are though.

And then tomorrow we're like, okay. There's no logical explanation for any of it. So it is. Oh, there is. That logical explanation was you should never let go. Kyle Schwarmer. Okay. Swarmer!

Layla, give me one person who makes the lineup make sense that the Cubs used to have. This is the worst release since Hedekke-Irabu on Seinfeld. How could you get $5 million? Dekiy and Rabu. Oh yeah, they gave him money. That's right. I quote that line all of the time. You know, I get everything a little wrong anyway when it comes to...

It's right enough. Lines and lyrics. Maybe those wrongs will make a right, and the Cubs will win today. Okay. You and I are actually fairly closely aligned. I'm just going to be a little more dramatic about it. I just banged my coffee. You be careful over there.

Where's your vat? I don't see the vat. The vat. The vat. I love Laila's vat. The vat. I make a vat of oatmeal. She does. Nobody makes better vats of oatmeal than Laylorah.

I'm really exciting and I make oatmeal. It's an oatmeal lifestyle. And maybe I put some sweetener in it, but usually it's cheesy, it's and protein powder. Because I'm a boring girl. So today is James and Tion. He has old Bubba Chandler. Old Bubba Chandler. You better watch out, Bubba Chandler.

Old cheddar big booty cheeseburger is going to be out to get you today. I kind of like the idea of the Cubs winning today because it is James and Tyone going back to Pittsburgh, the team which drafted him, and James and Tyone, I learned during the pregame show yesterday was Zach. He officially got his 10 years of MLB service. That is a big deal in the industry to players. I don't know if you guys recall, but it was a very big deal for Kyle Hendricks. Yes. And it changes how your pension is funded and how it is distributed for you.

Now granted, these guys make some money. But it is a true individual mark that very much. much mean something to players. Ian Hapkut emotional talking about his 1,000, his 1,000th game played for the same reason. And the 10-year service time is something where if I'm in a clubhouse, I will absolutely congratulate somebody, especially a guy like James and Tyone on 10 years. 100% will widely consider one of the best guys in that clubhouse is he has, he will have served his full contract, all of that after this year. And for pitchers to be able to do that even at the level he's at right now. It's an accomplishment.

It really is. We could talk about the ups and downs of James and Taism and Taism. But he gave you, he has given, he has fulfilled his contract relative to what starting pitchers are worth these days, right? We might have to do a Jameson Tyone. How many Bears for the Tenors this summer this time? When do we get James and Tyne? And his wife is from Barrington. Oh, that's right. Yep. So there's such a good time. Yeah, he does have a lot of appreciation for Chicago. So I love that idea.

But you know what I love even more the idea of when I'm fantasizing? Well, there's always that. That's going to be with me forever. CBBC. Can't take that away from us. I like the better idea of the Cubs just going crazy against Skeens tomorrow. Ham? Just doing him up because they have done him up before.

What's the ham thing? So it's another hobby. It's something we could bring back when we revisit a big hobby bias moment in Cubs history. But it was a hobby bias thing during an all-stabre. Star game. He brought, refresh me. I'm honestly. Ham is an acronym for hard as bleep.

But you can go ham. And he was at the All Star game. The year Baez was at the All Star game, he did a pregame interview with Carl Ravich. And he said, he said something about, you know, we go ham. And he was like very, Carl Ravich is very confused to which Baez then had to explain what Ham meant, but he couldn't really explain what Ham meant because you can't, you don't want to swear. Carl's in too deep now.

realized he was on a microphone. That's right. Havi realized he was on a live mic. Oh, now I'm remembering that. So his description was ham, like ham. Havere, are you saying hands? Hem, like him. Like him.

Like him. That's good. Like, you know, it makes more sense when you say ham. Like, ham. That is a situation I would also like to enter into the too many or how many bears category. I feel like it should happen. Right, all that down. Just let's get, let's continue to fill the,

we keep a Google Doc for this reason. Fill the bucket. And people, hey, look, we. Look, we also like if text or folks on Twitch, if you have it, how many bears question? We bank them. 312, 644, 67, we'll pick through them. And if you've got a question, maybe you'll be chosen on a random Wednesday to receive bears from me. 815 says cubs are in a slag heap right now.

They are. Slag heap is a very operable term. It's one of the worst slag heaps they've had. I mean, and again, I mean, the only other team that has had this scenario, two 10-plus game winning streaks and a 10-plus losing streak. Your 2017 Dodgers, which went to the World Series and lost to the cheat in Houston Astros. So tomorrow, the Cubs will break there. Just win today. I'm tired of it.

Okay. I'd be for you being right, but I think it's tomorrow. I don't think I'm right either. Number two. Does White Sox right hand of Sean Burke deserve the Mark Grotie? He deserved better award for his effort. and last night's 5-3 lost to the twins in extra innings. Point of order, I believe I coined this term, in honor of one Jesse Shultons, who at the time when he started for the White Sox,

I think it was a couple years ago, he did deserve better because they lost, but it wasn't really his fault. So this is the Lela Rahimi he deserved better award? No, it's the Jesse Shultons Memorial. I think he's still alive. He deserved a better award. So I actually, Sean Burke did great, but you're also facing Joe May, who is.

Joe May. Why am I like this today? Who's old Joe May? Derek, the Derek guy? Yeah, I'm having issues with my brain to recall. Joe Ryan. He's not like me. Many people. Yeah, I said Derek Lee instead of Derek Hill.

Derek Lee is an unconscious, like, we just say the name. And Derek Lee is going to come out. Yeah, he's good. So Joe Ryan was starting opposite Sean Burke. And I'm like, hey, why do you guys still have Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins? Shouldn't you have traded him last year? And you traded away your entire flipping. team. So, Sean Burke did deserve better, but unfortunately, his team did pretty well. It was one of

those games where it was just exciting all the way around. There were some baseball happenings. You know, there was a comeback, but everybody just dueled each other, and then it went to 11 innings, and the dam broke. So I don't know. I think maybe not. I'm with you. Like, I think it was all. He got pretty good. It was appropriate. It was all appropriate, I think. And anytime I see a pitcher with a seven by his name, I'm always impressed. Moreover, when I see a 100 by his name as in Pitch's throne, that's really impressive in this day and age. It didn't used to be, but in the last seven to ten years, it's very, maybe not even that long. It's very impressive to see a guy go seven innings, and that's exactly what Sean Burke did while allowing just two earn runs,

eight strikeouts while we're at it, to just two walks and three hits. So he was excellent. but I think it was appropriate. It was. It did feel like two different games. It was kind of boring from the White Sox perspective until the Morikami two-run game-tying Homer in the eighth inning, the Nico Nishita or the Rikud Nishita.

See, you're doing it now too. I'd see. Nico Horner Nishita. It's tough. It's tough out here. It's because of the Cubs. It's all because of the Cubs. Also, dare I say, did we see a pitcher's duel last night?

I guess you could say that. I think we did. You're a little obsessed with Joe Ryan. With both guys go, I just. I just don't know why he's still there. If I'm a GM, I would have traded for him already. I'd be like, oh, hey, twins. I see you're getting rid of your entire team here at the trade deadline.

What do you want for Joe Ryan? I could use that guy. 29 years old, been playing for five years. Absolutely. I point that out to say he's in his prime, folks. I don't know why he's still there. Well, honestly, that's probably somebody. The Cubs might be knock, knock, knock, or already have.

If I am January, I've been on the phone about Joe Ryan. Right. I'm not giving up on Freddie Peralta either, and I'll never, ever give up on Yordon Alvarez. Hold on. That deadline is coming up. It's June 1st. That's the Mets Critical Mass deadline that we all just have.

Text your buddy Brett Boone about it and see what he thinks. I got you. He's texting me back again, by the way. Would you like an update from the Booner? Oh, here, let's see. Oh, this is not a very... I wrote to him after he said, maybe I spoke too soon with the Cubs.

Yikes, I wrote back. We are baffled. He wrote back, and this is a little disappointing. Baseball is crazy. That's not an answer, Brett. I need better from you than baseball is crazy. I don't need calm and rational observations right now. Don't go 110 games left on the schedule with me, Brett Boone.

How dare you become rational Carson Kelly? Yeah, exactly. The rational, very intelligent, very engaging Carson Kelly. You can hold two beers at the same time and smoke a cigar. And he pops up on television. King stuff, Carson Kelly. Go off. Five on it.

Number three. It's five on it on 104. Three, the score with Laylorahimi and Mark Grody. Here's question number three. I'm going to read this description exactly as Yahoo Sports writer Ryan Young wrote it. After closing out the eighth inning of the Brewer's 6-0-win over the Cardinals, Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe, quote, turned and made three massive crotch-chop gestures while facing the St. Louis' dugout. Here's what Brewers manager, Pat Murphy, had to say about Uribe's crotch chop celebration after the game.

That's unacceptable. Yeah, it's just unacceptable. I don't know what got over him. I mean, he's been an emotional guy, but that kind of thing. That's just not how we do things, and I was embarrassed by it. And, you know, why are we doing it? It's a 6-0 game. What are we doing?

There must be something deeper that I don't know about. I love the kid. Believe me, I love the kid. There's so much good in this kid. He's been so great for us in so many ways, but that's unacceptable. It's Brewers manager, Pat Murphy, clearly disappointed in Abner, Uribe.

On a scale of 1 to 10 on the inappropriate meter, trademark, where would you rate Uribe's crotch chop celebration? Not inappropriate. It's like a four. And I will turn to, the great philosophers key and peel. Hmm. Drops back.

Yes. He floats one into the end zone and McCringleberry, pose it down. He's got it. Oh my gosh, for his second touchdown of the day for this rookie, he has got to be feeling great about himself. A lot of confidence. I'll tell you, man, he's... Oh, see, now there's two pumps.

Yeah, he's really testing the boundaries and he's clearly gotten the ref's attention here. A third pump will draw a flag no matter what. See, oh, he just did it again. Now, what is that the second time? Now you have to flag him on it. Yeah, he had to. You know, Bill, it's just frustrating seeing young players without the ability to restrain themselves. Oh, it really is.

And then you know what happened? Rico Dowdell appropriately did it. And Adam Bean mentioned it on the air. It was a beautiful moment. It really was. So do we think Pat Murphy would have been fine with two pumps? As opposed to three, like McRingleberry. They were really demonstrative.

And my favorite part was that they were directed right at the Cardinals' dugout. Which, frankly, that's how I feel about them. to. Well, let's not forget the Yahoo sports writer, Ryan Young, describing the crotch chops as massive. They were massive. He really put his body into it. And yes, it was six to nothing. Put your back into it. You sure did. I'm sorry, I give funny points here. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So therefore, not inappropriate Abner Uribe. Maybe it's a four, maybe in the Leila book. It's just not that big of a deal. And it was funny. I love. But I'm an observer. And I'm an observer. not Pat Murphy.

I'm not his boss. Right. Pat's a little older. Doesn't know what's going on. Doesn't understand what the... He's socially graceful. Right. And he's right.

Like they're up. That probably shouldn't be going on. I love that anytime key and peel can be referenced here, it's beautiful. I, for some reason, you guys, you know who I thought of here? I thought of Sir Mix a lot because there was three gyres. Double up, uh, double up, uh, uh, or Ice Cube, as I just did, put your back into it. I'm with you, though, Lela. I'll go five though

I'll go a little higher We're not the ones to judge We're like funny points Right right but we're not We're not in a like we laugh at this There has to be a little decorum though still And a little respect so I'll just You know I'll just to respect Pat Murphy

I'll go five to your four Watch the video and I dare you to not laugh It's funny It is Number four Tarps off has become a thing at ballparks around MLB. Fans take off their shirts and twist them around like a helicopter.

There's even a next account dedicated to tracking where the tarps have come off at baseball games at TARPS Off BB. The TARPS Off celebration began in mid-May at a St. Louis Cardinals game. And last night, according to multiple accounts on social media, a TARPS off section formed at the White Sox game at Rate Field. Are we ready for a summer of tarps off bros in Chicago? Okay.

And I know I just made light of the rivalry nature of St. Louis and Milwaukee and us and here in Chicago. But I see no problem with this. I like it when people join together to be happy about something. So I don't know, you guys, if you want to do that, go get weird. I can't stop you. You seem to be having a good time. enjoying a baseball game. There are worse things in the world right now.

But Wrigley has its own traditions, like the Cupsnake in the bleachers. I don't know how they fail, because I feel like you have to ask the fans in the bleachers themselves, those who know and go there and live that life, whether or not they want to participate in something that originated in St. Louis. Excuse me. Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me.

This did not start in St. Louis. Cubs fans and the bleachers have been taking their, I have been sitting in the bleachers since the 80s. Where do you swing in the shirt? Swinging the shirt. Everybody was standing together. They're yelling and they're twisting the shirts off and the bleachers have been going on. Like people are older than me probably who were there at games in the 70s.

You could probably tell me that there were shirts off. That's the original. The bleacher bumps were the original. Take your shirts off. So I don't want to hear people from St. Louis being like, the Chicago stole her idea. Riggly has been shirtless for decades already. So, of course, they could pull it off.

They've already been there, done that. I mean, I myself am keeping my shirt on. You know, I just feel like that's good business. Now, that would be the next level if we could get the women to take their shirts off at Rigglyfield. That is Mark Grady asking that question. Oh, that wasn't you. Not Lela Rihimi. Number five.

Okay. A video is going viral of Bryce Harper brushing his teeth. And in this video, Harper begins his tooth brushing routine by squeezing the toothpaste into his mouth directly from the tooth, instead of onto a toothbrush. So I asked the question, not including Bryce Harper, of course, who does that? Psychos! What the heck are we doing? Bryce Harper, I always knew you were a little wired differently. Like, we knew that. We knew that Bryce Harper was not your average dude.

But this is an extreme, just blank. you to society and norms is what this is. What does this ring on Will Levis with the mayo and coffee and eating banana with the peel? There's something very rebellious about this and I can't put my finger on why. But especially because I feel like Bryce Harper is not, he's like a, I feel like he will question authority or like question the idea of something, but I don't feel like he's like purposefully rebellious like that. It just is what he is.

That's just. Right. Like he's, he's rebellious against like the score of a baseball. ball game. You know, he's like, I'll hit a home run. We'll see about that. But I feel like in this nature, this is unhinged. I feel like this is his, you know, screw you to the man, if you will.

That's right. I do my toothpaste different. I go toothpaste first. I will admit, because I said to you guys backstage, I think I probably have done that before. And now I remember having done it a couple times in my life when you get to the end of the toothpaste and you don't have the backup and you're trying to get every, Have you ever cut open your toothpaste tube?

Every single container of a tube I have. Whether it's sunscreen, makeup, I cut everything up. Scrape it, right. I leave no prisoners. I think I might have sucked some about out at the top just to get the little bit that was left in there before. So I'm a little weird too. Okay, so everybody on our text line is correct.

That is the DX move. I don't even know that I could say that on the year. The DX move is probably the best description for all the wrestling fans. Right, what actually happened. But for the non-wrestling fans, massive crotch chop had to be the description. And then 6-30 with a very important message. Don't forget sunscreen if you go tarps off. Safety first.

Sunscreen every day, people. That's what they say. Even here, even in the winter, I still wear at least SPF 30. I do. I was recently at the skin doctor just getting the routine checkup and they said, yeah, you should wear 30 every day. Yeah, everybody's like, oh, lay that. How do you, like, look relatively young for my age and I haven't had any Botox or anything yet? I will.

I'm just cheap and lazy. 30. Copper Tum. Sunscreen. Yep. So, yeah. I mean, if you're going to, if you're going to crotch-chop to it responsibly, but also if you're going to tarps off, wear sunscreen.

Kids. That's to the kids. Too late for some people. For the kids, sunscreen. We have an actually football important topic coming up. And you are the one who asked J.T. Barrett about it regarding Caleb Williams. For the record, the topic we're doing, I did not ask. I think Weederer was actually in on this one.

Well, he's your partner for the Tim North Podcast. Always happy to give him credit. So T-TN asked the question. Yes. But you asked us to do the segment and you farmed the information. That is true. So I feel like we should do that. The concept of Caleb Williams doing less.

Next. You're listening to Rahimi Harrison Grody on Sports Radio 1043, the score. No, I can make any throw. I mean, I believe you, Caleb Williams, but I just don't necessarily know that they are All necessary. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, The Score. And Mark, you spent a lot of time at Hallis Hall last week talking to Bears' assistant coaches. And I think you had some really good answers out of it.

Yeah, you know, Dan and I, Weeder, that is, did an episode recently on the Take North podcast. You can go check it out if you want wherever you get your podcast. We did a whole Caleb Williams episode. And it was based on some of the plaudits that Caleb Williams is deservedly getting from the national audience, including Mike Florio, who's got him down as I think is number two quarterback. Colin Cowherd had him in the top five, I think. Colin Coward, also, we might not have to talk about his amount of bears because he's getting real bearsy. Okay. And he does, he is based here, I think, too, and loves Chicago. His wife is from Chicago. Right. There's a lot of bears to be had for Colin. You are right about that. Write that down.

That Colin Cowherd, I hear people might be into that show. It's got a future. He knows what he's doing. A lot of people say he's like the original hot take guy, too, like before even Stephen A. Smith and everybody. But anyway. So it's getting to the, and Dan and I, we did a podcast again about, you know, three weeks ago saying, look, yeah, it's all great. Like what he did last, he had seven comeback wins last year. They trailed, and six of the games trailed in the final two minutes. And a lot of the reasons that they won those games is because of the throws by Caleb Williams. Led the Bears to a playoff win after being down 21 to three against the Green Bay Packer.

So I know all the great things that Caleb Williams did last year. just a little bit quick to be like, yeah, he's top three all of a sudden. And the reason we said that is because there are three quarters that you still have to work with before you get to the fourth quarter of the game. I mean, that's a compelling thought process, that there are three other quarters of a football game. There are. And big of true. And wouldn't it be nice to be blowing these teams out as opposed to biting your nails and being stressed out at the ends of games as rewarding as they were last year. So J.T. Barrett,

second year quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears, was expressing the do less attitude for Caleb Williams. Listen to this. For him, it was one of those things where we just don't have to work as hard for our money.

There's times where we could just work through our progression and get the ball out on time instead of having to create an extent of play. So I think that was more of the conversation where it was like, hey my god i know you just made this crazy play that's that was really cool but we had a guy come up wide underneath that you just pop into it then he does the running and now you're not as tired you know so having those conversations with him don't realize like hey i don't have to do as much

compared to past years or just him playing in general so that's what he gets that even when it's like a really impressive highlight real thing you're explaining it the easier more efficient way Straight up. Absolutely. Because, I mean, there's a coming time where y'all saw it lay in the game where our guys bent over, huffing and puffing. He's like, yeah, it's because you're running everywhere when you didn't have to. So I think those conversations, because with him, he wants to be more efficient, right? He wants to have that ownership where he doesn't have to necessarily always take off and run and try to extend plays in that aspect.

So with that, I think for him has been really good being able to see those clips again, be like, oh, you could just get to my tight-in here and kick it to my back here. Instead of trying to also figure out what the defense is doing, like, what's the coverage, where it's like, hey, I'll go through my progression, boom, boom, boom, there's going to be somebody that's going to be able for me. It's just married up with that. It's right. He said he really wants to see Caleb be more boring as a quarterback in 2020.

Is that essentially what you're saying there? Yeah, like, do less. There's a conversation we have where do less. Like, you're doing a lot right now. Just do less. And do less is as simple as, like I said, kicking into flat or, you know, like just taking what's given more so where it's like yeah could you hold on to the ball and make a crazy play you could but right now it's not necessary it's taking a quarter yeah it's not necessary all good j t barrett bears quarterbacks coach right there and i will say

specifically to that i don't expect this to be something that caleb williams just gets down right away because he look the reason he was considered to be a generational quarterback And the consensus number one overall quarterback is because of the off-platform, spectacular throws that he made at USC. It was not because he was a pocket quarterback. It was not because he was in a pro system at USC. It was because of the spectacular. So I got time for Caleb Williams to work on that and to not always make the easy play

because he wants home runs. Ben Johnson wants home runs, but there are times when you have to take your layups. And that's what, in a very transparent and very easy-going, going way J.T. Parrott, Barrett made the point. Well, and he's, he's right. Receivers want to run those routes. They will, a 50-yard pass and catch doesn't have to be 50 yards in the air. And I talked to DJ more about this. And he's like, you know, like essentially saying he wants to run. They want to catch that ball in the runner. They want to catch and then run. That is something that receivers do want to do. And how much can you do that when you're 24? You can do that a lot.

But when you start to get older, you have to reserve your energy. The fourth quarter comebacks become physically that much more taxing. And his teammates too. He said he, Barrett kind of said with a laugh, you're tiring guys out in these scramble drills when you could have just thrown it 10 yards to Colcomat up the middle and he could have gone for 10 more. Now, granted, I think there's also a pocket vision discussion that has to be had. How well is he seeing in the pocket?

Not just because of his height, but just in general. If that's not something he's used to doing, if he's not used to physically making a re-progression in the pocket as routine as what he is forced to do as an NFL quarterback, then that's something that plays into this as well. I've seen him do it, though. He was in the quarterback and threw that ball to Colston Loveland over the middle, who took advantage of a misalignment by the bangles and got the touchdown in overtime. So I've seen it.

It's not like I don't think he can't do it. I think he can. But he's right. Barrett is right. You don't always have to be the one doing all of this. to get the plays that work. To your point, too, about staying in the pocket and what his vision is like, I believe he led the league for starting quarterbacks and deflected balls.

All the times that batted balls, like with defensive linemen getting their arm. Max Crosby had a couple, I think. Especially on the left side. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, no.

Max Crosby had at least two in that single game. Didn't he have the fumble, the strip sack? Yeah. And he had at least. one more batted ball. And by the way, and I know like at this point, it's the easy thing to go with Caleb

Williams, the 58.1 completion percentage, which actually got worse than his rookie year. That'll be a lot better if Caleb was willing to concede to the simple. And look, we all want the downfield

passing game. It's why everybody's in love with Caleb Williams because of his arm, and he can make any throw, and he could throw the ball as far as his arm strength is probably top three in the league. So we all want to see that. There are just many times throughout a game where you can do the simple and be better, as he said. I just love it. J.T. Bear.

Hey, my guy. Hey, my guy. T.J. Watt was the strip sack. Max Crosby had a near one, but it was T.J. Watt who got the one that I was thinking of. But the point is, no, Max Crosby definitely had batted passes at the line of scarp. Yeah, he was in Caleb's face all day that game when the Bears did come back and win. He was disruptive outside of the number of sacks that he actually recorded. He was disruptive. Let that be a lesson to you all.

I was going to say, tell me more about that concept. Yeah, it's where you keep the quarterback out of his rhythm, but you don't necessarily have sacks to show for it. But you've proven via the eye test to be a disruptive presence to the offensive rhythm and desired goal. The 2023 year of Dio O'Dangbo, which was referenced, It's not 2025, but, oh, remember when he was with the Colts and you had eight sacks and nine TFLs and was in the backfield all the time? That's what we're looking for out of Dio. I think the best logical question to ask after that conversation with J.T. Barrett would be,

what are the plays where you feel like Caleb Williams can ease into that concept, right? What are the routes he feels comfortable throwing? Who are the targets that he feels comfortable, at least throwing to or considering first before he has to. to make a second or a third reading of progression. Avoid the sack. Everybody learned the lesson. Everybody nailed the assignment. The first assignment was avoid the sack.

The next assignment was make a play happen. Now the next one is make a play happen in the boring way, not always the cool way. And I feel like that is, that's the easier part to coach, not necessarily the special. The special is the hard part. So I have every confidence and belief that he can do this.

It's just a matter of whether or not it's going to come quickly. And look, and another part of this, too, is Caleb might just keep doing what he is doing and being spectacular in the fourth,

and that's what he is. And from that will come power and more autonomy. And, like, eventually it's like he is what he is, let him go. Don't worry about it. So Caleb does have some power in this.

If he continues to win and do well that way, it's just not, like, of course we all want to see that again from him, but it's not realistic to think that you're going to have seven comeback wins,

six of them in the final two minutes. That's hard. If you want to be Matt Stafford's age and be an MVP at 37 and throw for 4,000 yards, you're going to have to work less physically than what we saw Caleb Williams have to run yards-wise to complete some of these passes and the like. And I think that that is as good of enough motivation for him long-term for the career as any to try to make that happen more often now to save that energy. I agree. And then here's the thing, too, while I'm hesitant to put Caleb Williams as a top of, five quarterback right now. I just don't think there's a need to do it. I don't think he is in the top five yet. He can get there pretty quickly if he gets that other part down and the numbers will go

skyrocket as well. Profit. Profit and 4,000 yards by the way. It came pretty close last year with the 3-942. And 3-1-2 is right on our text line. You also can't throw sidearm through the defensive line. You are correct. Sometimes that doesn't work. Yeah, you can't be Pat Mahomes on every play. You know, I love a good, I love a good sidearm put out in the infield, but I don't necessarily know that that's always going to be the case. Sometimes, but not always. Yeah, it's good stuff out of J.T. Barrett. And the more we know what the coaches want to do, then the more we know what the game plan is. Right. And that just validated our thoughts too. Isn't there another, like everybody's making them a top three court? Isn't there a little more to do still? It's okay that there's a little bit

more to do for Caleb Williams. There is, but I think that's the beauty of getting the hard part down first. That's true. And then having to work backwards. You can't take that away. And you're right, that it's such an essential and maybe the most difficult part, but there is still another part. Yeah.

And I think that that's where the fun and the magic happens. Maybe that's just me. Thanks to J.T. Barrett for coaching us as well as his quarterback there. Let's stay with the Bears. Because next on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, a man who talks football with us has reported that a player who many of you have mentioned as a possible defensive line solution has visited the Bears.

So we'll examine next. Rahimi Harris and Grody. We are family here. We are family. Midday's 10 to 2 on 1043, the score. Let's be honest. You know the truth. You never miss a Brad Biggs mailbag.

You just don't do it. Because number one, mailbag is metaphorical. It's a lot of online questions. Number two, people ask good questions. They get answered. Next thing you know, you've got some news. And that Mark Grotie is what happened this very morning. Hit me.

Chicago Bears' Q&A in the Tribune. Will they sign a defensive end before training camp? Is the stadium saga near the end? I'm not touching the second question. But at Bears underscore dubs, asked Mark Grody, and it's dubs with Z. Do you think that the Bears are waiting until training camp to sign a defensive end? We don't know when Dyer O'Dango or Shemar Turner are coming back. You are correct, Bears Dubs.

Only have three healthy defensive ends from the 53-man roster last season. Putting lots of confidence in two guys coming off of major injury seems like a big gamble. I got to tell you, I think this Bears Dubs is on to something. Well, Brad Biggs answered. The front office is keeping tabs on potential options. It's my understanding. The Bears brought in AJ Epinessa for a workout last week. What?

The free agent had two and a half sacks in 16 games for the Buffalo Bills last season after totaling 18 and a half sacks over three seasons from 2022 to 24. Biggs goes on. When adding Epinessa or a player like him move the needle for you, Epenessa had an agreement with the Cleveland Browns on a one-year $5 million contract, but that deal fell apart in late March after the 27-year-old Iowa product failed a physical. What specifically led the Browns to pull their offer is unknown.

That's evidence that the bears aren't sitting around simply wondering how the players on the roster will perform. I'd probably classify the visit by Epinessa somewhere between interest and adding to the position and performing due diligence on an emergency list. He goes on to say, and I think we know this, the bears are optimistic about Austin Booker's performance this season and coach Ben Johnson has been very positive

about what they got for Montes sweat last year. When O'Dangbo and Turner are healthy, they will have players to fit into a rotation. It would not surprise me if they had a defensive end for competition at some point. But right now, the bears are clearly more confident in O'Dangbo and Turner returning healthy and adding to the mix than the public is. I agree with Bears' dubs. I don't think that it's as,

set of a deal as the bears make it out to be. Yeah, I would agree with that as well. And as you said, like, I mean, there is gamesmanship that goes on with these free agents as well. If you are a veteran, you probably don't want to sign with a team now if you're really confident because you don't want to go through the mini camps and the OTA, the offseason program essentially. Training camp, man, maybe you show up after the first week.

So there is some of that gamesmanship that occurs. As far as the player himself, Epinessa, A.J. Epinessa, six years with the Buffalo Bills, not exactly like dynamic sounding. I would have preferred that they had made a move on Dexter Lawrence if we're going to talk about defensive linemen. Yes, Mark, we all would have. Or I don't know, since we're throwing names out there, been more aggressive in the Max Crosby sweepstakes. Oh, wow, man. That feels like another time, doesn't it? Shot in the dark, right?

But so, but that's way too consolation prizy. You know what I mean? Like when we're talking about, and I know the Dexter Lawrence thing was probably never realistic because the Bears didn't have the assets or the money or whatever. But when you start to go down a level, then it's like, yeah,

but we had some opportunities to go after bigger, better guys. And does he get to the quarterback? And we just heard yesterday, Jason Garrett, the defensive line coach for the Bears talking about how DiO Dangbo is going to rush from the inside. On third down,

the most important of the day. And that's what we got enough guys that aren't actually getting to the quarterback from the inside. You're just pretending. You wave your arms a lot. Give me, yes, they need another outside rusher. While if they do sign him, I wouldn't be like, that's a waste of time. I'd be like, okay, add him to the rotation of defensive linemen. And he'll be fine, but that doesn't exactly move the meter for me.

I mean, this is of no offense to Neville Gallimore, but I feel like A.J. Ep and S may still have something left in the tank compared to like a Neville, you know, But Neville commanded a decent salary. So that's part of this, too, is how do you feel like these people fit on the line? I think the thing is I always have room for AJ Epinessa. You know, like, I just, yes, the Iowa thing comes into play, but perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good as well. It's a fine player.

But you have to ask what caused the failed physical. Yeah. Yeah, right. And why he's only getting offered $5 million. Yeah. And maybe it was as simple as we don't like his medicals up to $5 million. dollars. Like we don't five million dollars like them. Maybe we two million dollars like them or something. But I feel like that that stands to be asked when it comes to, well, wait a second, what happened there?

And the fact that it isn't public, that doesn't exactly, it doesn't exactly help. You know, Contavius Street, 1.255. Shemart next year is supposed to make 1.6 roughly. Dexter's in the last year his rookie deal. So that's a 2.1. Nevel's at four. So would he be in the neighborhood of taking something around that? And he's not even 30. Yeah. Was he 27? Yeah.

So. Who do you think is going to lead right now on this date, whatever today's date is? May 27th. Thank you. May 27th. We'd look that up. Who's going to leave the Bears and Sachs next year? We could do this like intermittently.

Sure. default. I'll say Montez again. You go sweat? Do I dare go hipster and say Booker? Sure. That's the hipster pick, man. There's two hipster players for the bears.

Sure. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe I go him. So I don't hate the concept of Austin Booker getting better. I just want backstops for exactly what was discussed. Absolutely. The confusing nature of the health of Dio O'Dango's Achilles, this being his second tear.

And then also what's going on with Shamar Turner and the ACL? I think that's a fair question to ask. And still figuring out exactly. where Shemar Turner is best served on this defensive line as well. Outside or inside. Because he started on the outside. Second round pick. In his last game.

Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. This Saturday joined the score at White Eagle Auto Body and Oswego. Gabe Ramirez will broadcast live from 11 to 2 p.m. White Eagle Auto Body won the score big for your business. Bear. Yeah, I was like, score big.

Score Bear. It looks like, so it's two different lines. It looks like White Eagle Auto Body won the business. the score big for your business brought to you by people's bank. That is Saturday from 11 to 2, Gabe Ramirez at White Eagle Auto Body. Love Gabe. In Oswego. Coming up next to Rodahimi Harrison Grady, Jed Hoyer made comments before the Cubs game yesterday.

He made the trip. When the GM goes on the road trip. Or in this case, the president of baseball operations. We raise an eyebrow. We will go over it and more with Russ Dorsey. Next.