Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Luis Medina wants to see the Bears pursue Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris were joined by Luis Medina of Bleacher Nation to discuss the latest Bears storylines.

Rahimi Harrison Grody. Bears tight end, Cole Kamet. Cole, welcome to the party, pal. Well, thanks for having me. I heard it was a big day. So naturally, I dropped everything I had going on today. You've complained a lot through the years about not being able to hear the score on the 670 AM dial when you're inevitably cruising around downtown. And now that we have an FM signal, Cole, you can now hear the score all day, all the time, all you want. You can hear all the Bears hot takes you want.

Well, that's perfect. I'll make sure I blast that in the locker room. Beautiful back! Rahimi Harrison Grody, Midday's Tindal 2 on 1043 The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grody on 1043 the score. And what a day it has been. I've probably said 670 the score. I'm sorry.

We're still on 670. So if I've dropped that detail today out of habit because we're trying to get to everything, just know I'm sorry. This is from Brendan Moore. Brendan Moore 13 is his address on X. He is the Illinois Governor and Politics Reporter for Capital News, Illinois. This is from Governor Pritzker. Governor Pritzker adds that Kevin Warren

chose not to be in the meeting yesterday with the Bears and state officials and mostly agreed on a bill. The Bears, the governor said, was told his staff today that their statement, quote, was not some confirmation that they're moving to Indiana. Let's go to our hotline. 312, 64, 64, 60, 70, 67 is our number.

But we also want to hear from our friend Luis Medina, who is the senior writer at Bleacher Nation. He covers the Bears. Luis is an incredible amount of information. I used to work with him at NBC Sport Chicago. He was part of the Outside the Ivy Show, too. And Luis, what's your take on all of this before we get into some of the actual football talk? First of all, good afternoon. I'm so excited to be on the score.

I grew up listening to this station, and it was a caller at one point. So now to be on as a guest on this show is such an honor. As for the Bears, it's hilarious. First of all, it's kind of sad because I just see everyone arguing about they should go here and they should go there. In reality is the people that are arguing so much and so passionately about this are the ones who are getting priced out of no matter where the new stadium is. And that kind of bums me out to think about it. It's also kind of funny that Indiana and Illinois are going through all these hoops for the right to host a Super Bowl once every 20 years.

If you think about how the Super Bowl is rotated, once every 15 to 20 years is what you can hope for. And then it's also kind of funny with, I saw this on Capitol Facts with, you know, Illinois, like the bear's, the idea of the bears using Indiana trolls to kind of push this narrative, only to have to fight those trolls for themselves. Like, you couldn't have scripted this any better if you were trying to write a comedy

about a team trying to build a stadium. Luis, we're always happy to have you on. You do great work. So you're welcome on the score anytime. We're glad that this checked off a box for you. This is a moment. This is a moment for the history books. It's a moment all the way around, Louise.

Let's be honest in where we are in the day that you just happen to be on the show with us. So you're the senior writer at Bleacher Nation Bears. You can find him on the artist formerly known as Twitter at LCM-1986. She also joins us here on Twitch. Look, Louise, the bears have some decisions to make. We've already seen some players being offloaded by other teams. What ultimately do you think the bears will do in terms of waving players to perhaps create some cap room? Or are they going to stand pat and maybe just restructure everybody's contract. So I don't think they can stand pat based on what Ben Johnson said at the end of the year press

conference about how there's so much turnover every year. You're never going to get the same team again. So I imagine they'll try and restructure some contracts. Cole Kamet is high on that priority list because, you know, you see how often they run out of those two tight end sets. You see how he, how important he is as they run block or pass block or pass. catcher. So I think that's a guy. He's also a local guy. So he may take a hometown discount. DeAndre Swift has publicly stated how much he wants to stay. And to me, I read that as a please

give me an extension. Please give me a new deal. I'm willing to negotiate. After that, you're going to see some restructures, possibly with DJ more. But after DJ, DJ is kind of iffy. I don't think they want to trade him, but they might have to. It might be one of those lesser of two evil things. But a guy like Tremaine Edmins, who's got a big salary cap hit, I think he's a guy who's going to be like the big name who gets either moved or even cut. This is actually a cap casualty if that is how it goes down. Yeah, absolutely, Luis.

It's been something that we've been tracking. And the numbers dictate based on how the contract is. You know that that cap hit is not very much compared to the salary. There was also big news that would normally lead a show this. morning that came out from the bears that has nothing to do with the stadium. And I know you guys covered it on Bleacher Nation too. The Bears have made a decision as far as their assistant general manager and it is Jeff King. King, they hired from within so they're promoting from within the organization. I think this is good news for the bears that they continue to value the assistant GM

position and that they like their process from inside the front office at Hallis Hall. So I'm usually iffy on internal promotions because they can go 50-50. They can go either way. I really like the Jeff King promotion because he's a guy who's been here for more than a decade. I believe he's been here 10 years. He's worked for multiple general managers. And he started as an intern. And so when you see a guy make the rise from intern to assistant general manager,

that just doesn't happen often, especially in the pro sports world. and people forget or might not even know because he's kind of under the radar but Jeff King interviewed for the Los Angeles Chargers GM job a couple years ago so it's not like a promotion of a guy who just happens to be the next man up this is a guy that other teams had interest in

and I like that the Bears promoted from within for a change like usually that gives me the ick but this is one of the times that like oh this actually makes sense enough things giving the Bears fans the ick on a day like today So let's not do that to you as well. Okay, look, I'm not saying the Bears can or will get Max Crosby,

but I am curious to your thoughts on if they were to get him, how would they proceed to do so? And what are the chances of that happening? So I've gone back and forth on the Max Crosby thing. I think where I ultimately land is that they should try to get him. Look, if there's one thing that's been constant with the Super Bowl champions in recent years, it's pass rush dominance. The Eagles did it with waves of guys.

We've seen teams do it with interior pass rushers. Chris Jones from the Chiefs is a great example. But if you could add Max Crosby, who is also no slouch against the run, let's not forget that the bearer's run defense was so bad this year that it's a high priority. How to get Max Crosby is going to be difficult. It is probably something,

in between the Clio Mac Trade and the Micah Parsons deal. And I thought the Micah Parsons deal was light, relatively speaking. I thought that the Cowboys should have gotten more. And frankly, I'll never forgive Jerry Jones for giving Micah Parsons to the Packers on a platter. Amen. But I'm thinking multiple firsts, a player. It's something that, this is the kind of deal that could be a win-win for both sides. And those types of deals don't happen in the NFL often enough.

Because if the Bears get Max Crosby, they fill an obvious need. If the Raiders trade Max Crosby, they're going to get the type of draft capital that they need to, you know, start their rebuild. It's a much needed rebuild in a tough division. They got a new head coach. They have a new scheme. They have a new philosophy. Maybe they just need a fresh start. And they have a player in Max Crosby.

Who deserves better than what he's got? One playoff appearance in his career, he deserves better than that. We're talking to Luis Medina. he is the writer of Bleacher Nation who covers the Bears. He also was on Outside the Ivy with NBC Sport Chicago. He is tracking the story about Jeff King's promotion. If you want to check that out, that's on Bleacher Nation. I put it in our Twitch chat as well.

Twitch.tv. slash The Score Chicago. I know it's been one of the hottest topics there is, Louise. I feel like last year, you know, we talked about the pursuit of, say, Nick Chubb after the video that he posted showing how healthy he was, running back again, as you mentioned, is a big discussion. Do you think anything might override or take over the discussion about Max Crosby possibly being a Bears candidate for a trade that would supplant that idea? I think the one move that could take Max Crosby off the radar

is possibly signing Trey Hendrickson in free agency. I don't think he's getting franchise tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals. He is a guy who has a history with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. He's only one year removed from setting the world on fire with with as many, with leading the lead in Sacks. He had an injury shortened year. I think there might be questions about how hard he worked to get back this year, especially after how Joe Burrow worked his tail off to come back to a Bengals team that by the time he was back in action was pretty much out of contention. But, you know, when you're a guy who's played as many snaps as Hendrickson has and has been dealing with an injury and knows he's going to free agency,

maybe you can understand why he might have slow played his return. But this isn't to say that Hendrickson is a better player than Max Crosby. He isn't. But if you can get a high caliber pass rusher without trading the farm, that's a path you should probably pursue. Okay. It's interesting that we know that the Bears are, they need something at left tackle. what would you do if you were the Bears in terms of addressing the left tackle position for next year? I've been thinking about this because this is going to be a hot take right here.

I don't think the Bears need a lockdown left tackle. The Bears' offense thrived last year despite a rotating door of left tackles. You had Braxton Jones start the year and he wasn't great. He looked off. He looked like the injury that shelved him last year still hurt. you know then you're throwing theo bened it in the undrafted second year player then he gets hurt that opens the door for ozi trepilo he he looked rough in the early going in training camp and in preseason games at left tackle but you put him next to joe tuny now of a sudden he looked better but now he's hurt i'm willing to give theo beneditha another shot because i think ben jonson is good enough to scheme around a a tackle issue fact they threw they threw joe tuny out there at left tackle on a way him, and I don't think they'll do that again for a full season, but in a pinch, sure, if the bears keep their pick at number 25, it's not going to Vegas for Max Crosby. If there's a left tackle that you really like at that position or at that spot, take them, take them, put him at left tackle, develop him through camp, and don't worry about it.

Otherwise, mix and match, find a veteran on a minimum deal. Get creative. We want to pick your brain a little bit more in our weeks leading up to the draft, Louise. So I feel like that's a good time to do so because this draft becomes more and more crucial. So, Louise, thank you so much again for joining us on what is an absolutely bonkers day and bringing some football to the conversation. It's always a bonkers day covering the bears. Thanks, Louise. He's right.

That's the humor I miss at our office. Luis Medina, I recommend you check out his work at Bleacher. nation, joining us on Twitch.tv slash the score Chicago as well. He really did a nice article today, writing about Jeff King's promotion, because it's good that the Bears promoted the likely

guy for assistant GM and is promoting from within in their front office. As we had to break, can I give you some breaking-ish news? What? There's more breaking news. It's not Bears related. I, for one, I'm shocked. Wait, who's the sponsor for breaking-ish news? Did that... Whoa. Should we still take the North? Take the North

podcast. Wait, is it the side episodes of the Take the North podcast when Marshall and I fill in. Breaking news here on Rahimi Harrison Grotty is brought to you by the side episodes of Take the North when Marshall and I fill in. Yeah, so this from Joel Lorenzi, Bulls beat reporter and covering the NBA for the athletic. Friend of the show.

Friend of the show. We like Joel. Josh Giddy, Trey Jones, and Jalen Smith have all been upgraded to Probable for tonight versus Toronto. So just think about that when you're thinking about the tank tonight.

Take on. prison tomorrow. Yeah, I do. I'm back playing. I don't know why I think that's such a funny conversation. I think knowing Casey, I just know the smile on his face with which he asked it. Let me tell you something. I've heard people say the Bulls are going to win five of their last 27 games.

If they win tonight with that lineup, y'all and some people are not going to be happy about the tank and the direction is taking. Tank will remember you? Will you remember me? Don't let your tank pass you by. Grieve not for the memory. If they lose tomorrow, or if they win tomorrow, we got to play some tank. So play some tank, play some no limit, some Master P. Yeah.

You know, make them say, oh. Also, breaking-ish news also, brought you by the Take the North podcast. Side episodes. It's Adam Stodzinski's birthday. Happy birthday, Adam. Happy birthday, Stutz. Oh, my good. And you know who else it is?

Can we do another birthday shout out? Lou Cannellis. Happy birthday, Lou. Oh, Adam Studs on 219 Day when his beloved bears might leave his state. Dang it. Wonder how he's taking it. We need a setback sweetener for Studs. He deserves it.

Coming up next year on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, we missed a lot of your calls. So I think we need to open up the phone lines again. 3-1-2-644-67 and just get your opinions on what's going on. And the latest, we will also reset the information because there's a lot coming in. and do we have the J.B. Pritzker interview turnaround that has been released today? Can we get a turnaround? We are going to get it from our friends at WBBM, straight from Springfield. We are waiting.

Hold on. You mean that we are going to ask the news people in our office here to get it for? Right down the hall, yeah. Oh, those guys specialize in this. That seems like a good idea. So the latest on the evolving situation with the Bears, and your calls, 312, 644, 67, this is the score. Thank you.