Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - 5 On It: Should the Bears be interested in Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III?

Episode Date: March 3, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris discussed a variety of sports topics in the 5 On It segment.

I got five. It's time for five on it. Rahimi Harrison Rooney. Bring you five topics on their minds today. On 104-3, the score. I got five on it. Number one. According to ESPN's Adam Schaefter, the Seattle Seahawks are not expected to tag running back Kenneth Walker the third, who is now poised to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens.

On Wednesday, March 11th, at 3 p.m. Chicago time, here's the question, should the bears be interested in this year's Super Bowl MVP? Kenneth Walker the third. I think that any team should always do some research on a Super Bowl MVP whose contract is up. But as far as Kenneth Walker the third, I still think that not to use the phrase, and this is just a colloquialism. But you know, you know what you would say to your parent. I would like McDonald's. They're like, we have McDonald's at home. Oh.

I'm still team. I'm good with the Bears running back room, right? now. I know that you can save money with DeAndre Swift, but I don't think that you wouldn't be spending money signing a reigning Super Bowl MVP free agent running back. Like we just found out Breece Hall is getting the franchise tag and it's 14 and change. 14. Like, roughly $3 million. That's a big deal. So if he's going to get that, what do you think is going to be the case for Kenneth Walker the third? And furthermore, who actually needs him? I think, that that's a big part of this too.

You know, the Kansas City Chiefs have been reported as a team that might be interested in his services. So the price goes up. You know, you're talking about a team that probably still thinks it's in its window or at the end of its window to try to contend for a Super Bowl. The Giants are a team that has been rumored to want

Walker's services or could be a team that could be connected to him. So I don't necessarily think that this is a case where the Bears should... Running back is a low-level priority for me on the bears. They are doing the things I need them to do. I don't necessarily think that that's where I go to try to mix it up. Listen, Kenneth Walker, the 3rd's 1,309 yards from scrimmage, impressive.

The durability, the fact that he rushed for 46 first downs, the fact that he averaged 4.6 yards a carry. I just think that your McDonald's money, that that's a real thing. Also, like, I wanted to double check just to make sure I had the number right when it came to the Vikings. So I did some more over the cap deductions or searches. Truly, the Vikings are according to over the cap, $46.485 million over the cap. That's a lot of money. Cowboys are 56.6. Jerry's just going to wave a magic wand and figure that one out. Chiefs are 6.6 over, so I don't necessarily know how that works out. They're going to have to cut another offensive lineman, I think, or, get rid of one like they did with Joe Tooney.

They're in a bad way, but that's, that's real bad. That's what happens when you have to pay your quarterback large sums of money. According to over the cap.com, the bears are in the middle of the pack. They're 7.46. They're actually toward the lower half. That's very manageable. Yeah, that's not 46 million. I was like, the Vikings are 46 million.

I was like, you know why? What? Because Caleb Williams isn't making 50 plus million dollars yet, let alone 70 million dollars or whatever quarterbacks are going to make by the time he gets his extension. The Vikings have a rookie quarterback contract right now with JJ. Vikings also have pretty good defense as well. Yeh. But back to Kenneth Walker the third, there's just no reason to do this.

He's going to cost more than you would think $15 million per year on a long-term deal. That's not what you do if you want to maximize your Caleb Williams rookie contract window. DeAndre Swift, Kalmanangai, could they ask more through the draft? Absolutely. And guess what? It won't cost as much as Kenneth Walker the 3rd. Not about Kenneth Walker to third being good or not. It's just a matter where you are and what your priorities are. Number two.

Fan duel proposed the following trade scenario on X, asking the question, who says no? The Bears received pass rusher. Max Crosby, Max. Shout out to my Maxineistas out there. In return, the Raiders receive the Bears 26, first round pick, number 25 overall, the 2026 third round pick, number 89 overall, and receiver DJ Moore. Would you give this trade the green light or the red light?

Okay, so here's where I want some clarification. There's been a lot of commentary about the Bears media, in quotes, wanting to trade DJ more, or they can't get them out of the building fast enough. And while I understand why that is a comment, the only way I'm trading DJ Moore the only way is if it is for somebody like a Max Crosby

because he would be a talent that the Raiders would want would Fernando Mendoza want DJ more as his WR1 probably do I still think though that DJ is the WR1 of the Bears yeah I do I still think DJ more is your WR1

until people prove me otherwise I will love to see the proving process happen. DJ Moore is still that dude to me. However, I do think that he provides the most enticing possible trade package for the Raiders. And we knew it was going to be multiple picks. Now, we had heard Ray that it was going to be two first round picks, not a first and a third.

So by that logic, perhaps it would be a better deal. If you can trade for Max Crosby and you're the Bears and you can somehow make it work under the cap you try to figure out a way to make it happen. Green light. Green light, green lit. Green Liddy. Shout out to John Legend.

However you want to say this, make it happen. It's a great song. It's not even first, first and DJ Moore. It's just a first, a third in DJ Moore? Yeah, that, that, and what's Ryan Poles going to do with a third round pick anyway? You know how I,

feel about it. I think the Bears should do what they did last year and avoid the third round altogether because you guys have not earned my trust in the third round. Again, trade the pick and the player. And again, I'm not, I'm the same way. I'm not trying to get rid of DJ Moore, but I am trying to address bears needs. How about that? Because you know what? Bears needs need to be met.

And Max Crosby can meet their needs. They put themselves in this position. I understand. So now you got to get yourself out of it. the position. People put themselves in bad positions every day. Yes, I do. Yeah, exactly. I do too. Ray, Tyler, do you, have you ever made a mistake? Oh, of course. I left my coffee out that I made yesterday and I left it out too long and then I put it in the fridge and then I open it up today and I'm not having that coffee. That is a dollar an espresso pod and some creamer down the drain. And that's

okay. We'll learn from it. No, I've done, I've definitely done that multiple times. Okay, maybe we'll learn from it, but we're going to have the bears be better than you in this particular scenario and learn from their mistakes. And better yet, be quick to course correct. Don't be a clumsy organization tripping over your own two feet, moving like a very slow bureaucracy. Quickly. Oh, we messed up. Fail fast. Keep it moving. The Raiders. So Max Crosby's getting 35.8 million per year. they're still $88.1 million under the cap. They're that far under the cap?

That's why they can take on DJ Moore also. Titans are 93.8 under. Jets are 74.3. That may change now with the Breeze Hall tag. Commanders are 70.3. Under. Under. It's a good place to be if you spend that money wisely.

And the Vikings are like, we're going to fire our GM. P.S. we're 46.5 million dollars over the cap. Okay, thanks. Bye. Wait, give me the commanders one more time. Commanders are under. Name that team, and I'll tell you if they're under by. 70.3, they got cap space. And their quarterback is on a what contract again?

Rookie. Oh, yeah. And they got two new coordinators. I have yet to see how these guys are going to pan out with old Dan Quinn up there. Old Dan Quinn. Technically, I guess it's down there because they're a little farther south than we are. DC is Southern-ish.

No. I'm looking at the map right now when you say that. I know exactly where DC is on that map. Yeah. I'm aware they say that, but still. Do we have a map in the studio now?

They're doing the weather. Ray got really confused when I said I'm looking at a map and I was looking up at the wall. Well, I looked and I was like, oh, he actually is looking at the map. WGN is on here on Rahimi Harrison Grady.

Five on it. Number three. This is five on and 104 through the score with Laila Rahimi and Marshall Harris. The Falcons, typically they play in Atlanta where the players play. But next season, one of those home games will be in Madrid. The Falcons are one of the Bears opponents next season. Are you rooting for or against the idea of the Bears traveling to Spain? Okay, I thought this was cool, but there's some stuff that happened this morning.

And now Trump is saying that he doesn't want to, he says the U.S. is considering terminating all trade with Spain. Does Roger Goodell step in and say, except for the NFL and like wink at the camera? I think so. NFL supersedes everything, doesn't it? I wish this didn't affect what I'm talking about today, but I think it kind of does.

So let's say that that's not an issue, and that's just somebody saying something, but I don't really do that. So I would like for the Bears to be a participant in that space. That would be a really cool concept. Playing in Madrid just sounds like a lot of fun. So selfishly, I just want to see everybody have fun. Is that bad?

Get some tinned fish, be hanging out, enjoying Spanish stuff, maybe some olives while you're at it. I just, you know, the gin and tonic is a very Spanish tradition, how they dress them up and what they do. but just enjoying Spain and another culture, I think that that would be a fun game. As to how many people would attend, I'm not sure. I know the NFL wants to make this a big initiative.

You know, like the atmosphere in Germany has been talked about a lot that the stadium and the game has been really exciting. But if you get the chance to play in Wembley, for example, but in London, I don't necessarily know how the people of Spain would receive this. Yeah, these are different times. right now, you know? And Spain's basically, you know,

I don't say they kick the U.S. out, but they said you can't use our military bases. Yeah, and Trump did say, like, terminating all trade with Spain. Yeah, that was the... So it just kind of made me want to avoid that right now. I want to avoid that in the near future until things get hopefully sorted out one way or another.

And, yeah, so that I'm not... It's not really high on my list of things to see the Bears do this season. We might not get to travel, much. Number four. Cubs outfielder in front of the show, Ian Hap, is in the final year of his contract. This is what Hap told reporters is he reflected on his time in Chicago and his future.

It's been a true honor to wear this uniform for as long as I have. And so to represent the city and this fan base, you know, just trying to really take that in and enjoy every second of it. You know, the reality is that you can't control if the team wants you back or how they, you know, how they view you. So that's the business side of it. And then, you know, it's totally plausible that another chapter of my career will unfold after this. That's Cubs Outfielder Ian Hap heard among the Metallica playing in the background in the Cubs locker room in Arizona. If this is indeed Hap's final year in Chicago, how do you summarize his time with the Cubs?

Do you do what Metallica said? Do you say sad but true? No, I'm sorry. Once they put it in my head, I can't get anything out. That's just kind of how it goes. Ian Hap's career as one of the longest tenured athletes in Chicago deserves the respect. That's for sure. We have a Connect Roosters Tumblr on our desk for a reason here at the score on Rahimi Harrison Grotie.

But, you know, Ian Hap is in that lineup every day regularly for a reason. And we've talked about how he's had a bit of ebbs and flows when it comes to, say, the slugging, for example, which isn't really what he's known for, the OPS, which he is. He had an all-star season in 2022. But then you look at his on-base percentage and where is it? Lining up with his last year, for example, his all-star season. 342 OPS or on-base percentage rather in 2022. 342 on-base percentage in 2025.

That's who he is. He finds his level. And to be able to have done that for so much of his career, I think speaks to why he, he's been a cup for so long. So there are a lot of contracts that I think the team has given to players where maybe they've regretted them. But I don't think that Ian Hap's contract has been one of them over this now, 10 years of service time that it will be with this season with the team.

According to baseball reference, he's had the second highest war of his career last year at 4.0, only second to that 2022 All-Star season, in which he had a 4.3. You're right about finding its level. his service to the Cubs in what it has meant, the consistency. And part of that consistency has been the ebbs and flows of a baseball season. I thought what struck me the most about what he said is him saying,

it's been a true honor. He didn't say it is an honor. It was almost as if he was talking about his time with the Cubs as a past tense thing, as opposed to, I've got one more season left and I have a no trade clause, and I'm not going anywhere until we find out what's going on into and through the 2026 season. So that was a bit jarring. But as far as Ian Hap's time and the money spent and the time invested, I think if I summarized his time with the Cubs, I would just say solid.

It was solid. Gold Glover, All-Star, not every year, but enough that he made an impact. and he was part of a team that ultimately did go to the playoffs and did at least get to the NLDS and out of the wildcar round. He was a gold glover last season once again, so that just proves your point. He's now working on four straight gold gloves after last season. Number five.

It's five on it on 104. The score is our final question. State championships are this week in girls, high school basketball. Marshall was at the girls for a super sectional last night. Marshall, how did it go? It went well. We had a well-played game, a game that was tied at halftime, 25 apiece between Wabonzi Valley, the Warriors, taking on Nazareth Academy, the roadrunners. But, you know, like the Highlander says, there can be only one. It's survive in advance season. home of the original March Madness here in Illinois, IHSA,

get started at 10 a.m. on Thursday. I'll be there hanging out with a former Whitney Youngstar and WMBA Chicago Skyplayer, Leney Harper, on the call for 1A and 3A girls. I see some college talent last night. Daniel Porcoso, who is the star for Wabonzi Valley, didn't quite have enough going up against Stella, Sackalus who's headed to BYU as a commit to BYU.

And you see a lot of talent across the board when you get down to Bloomington and Illinois State. And I'm interested to see who I will be highlighted by. You know, this morning I was on conference calls heading into the show talking to 1A coaches about, you know, the impact that sports has on their schools. And one of the things that struck me is how one school was talking about how more people are following the girls basketball team everywhere they went this season

than the boys basketball team. And high school is kind of where that levels off. You can get just as much support as a player who plays girls sports as you do as boys sports because that's how community-driven, families and friends-driven it is at that level. And I really enjoy it.

I mean, obviously I talk about pro sports, college sports. I've covered them all, but I really do enjoy the grassroots level sports when it comes to high school sports. Supersectional is a great weekend, you know, with State on the line. That's always a really fun week and a really competitive week. And yeah, we look forward to the full report.

When you get back from Downstate, I know you've got the boys next week, the girls this week. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch. Yeah, last night it was one game. Next Monday, we got a supersectional double header from UIC over on the U. So it'll be fun. That is five on it here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie on this tag deadline day here on the show. And we mentioned we will keep a track, let you know what happens. That deadline is about an hour after we get off the show at two.

That's at three o'clock. And there was a report that came across Twitter yesterday. We didn't get to really spend much time on it. Where Jesse Rogers said, well, Craig Counsel's really letting his team hear it. He was letting him have it. And I'm like, wait, was there more to this? Not only was there more. Apparently, we found out what was going on.

So some hot goss that we tracked down next.