Chicago Bears coordinators spoke with reporters Thursday at Halas Hall because the group prepares for Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.
Here are three issues we realized.
1. Special groups coordinator Richard Hightower congratulated kicker Robbie Gould on ‘a hell of a career.’
Gould, 41, introduced his retirement Thursday after 18 NFL seasons in a letter in The Players’ Tribune. He’s the Bears’ all-time main scorer with 1,207 factors in 166 video games over his first 11 seasons.
He additionally performed one season with the New York Giants and spent the final six years of his profession with the San Francisco 49ers, enjoying for present Bears particular groups coordinator Richard Hightower.
“Great competitor. Clutch in big moments when we needed him to be. Consistent,” Hightower mentioned. “(He) means a lot to the city of Chicago. … Wishing him the best in the next phase of his life. And I know if he attacks that the way he attacked his career, he’s going to be super successful at that as well.”
Gould made 86.5% of his profession field-goal makes an attempt and 97.5% of his extra-point makes an attempt within the common season. He ranks eighth in NFL historical past with 447 subject objectives and tenth with 1,961 factors.
He by no means missed a kick within the postseason (29 subject objectives, 39 additional factors) and performed in two Super Bowls with the Bears and 49ers however didn’t get a win.
In his letter, Gould mentioned his favourite kick got here in January 2022 in a playoff sport in opposition to the Green Bay Packers. He made a 45-yarder as time expired to ship the 49ers to the NFC championship sport, which Hightower known as “a special moment.”
“To hit a huge kick like that, on the big stage, to continue my streak of never missing a kick in the playoffs and to also make all of Chicago happy in the process by taking down its rival?” Gould wrote. “It was the best of both worlds.”
An undrafted free agent out of Penn State, Gould acquired the decision to affix the Bears whereas working a building job in Pennsylvania in 2005. He went on to develop into a key determine on a few of the higher Bears groups of this century and ranked 74th on the Tribune’s 2019 checklist of the 100 greatest Bears gamers.
Gould’s time with the Bears got here to an finish in 2016 when former common supervisor Ryan Pace reduce him earlier than the season. While Gould went on to have two of the perfect seasons of his profession in San Francisco, the Bears struggled to discover a dependable kicker for years after that till Cairo Santos arrived in 2020.
But regardless of the tough ending to their marriage, Gould spoke in his letter of his love for the group and town.
“From start to finish, I loved everything about my time in Chicago,” Gould mentioned. “Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo created a team-first tradition by assembling a locker room stuffed with future Hall of Famers. To be capable to go to work each day surrounded by guys like Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, Charles Tillman, Lance Briggs and dozens of different first-rate guys — it was the perfect soccer residence possible. We had some deep playoff runs, and we made a ton of recollections.
“The McCaskey family gave me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream, and it was an honor to play for them. Ultimately, I hope that we made Bears fans proud. They deserve it.”
2. DJ Moore mentioned of Justin Fields: ‘We want him here.’
Moore was requested about how Fields has dealt with the hypothesis about his future in Chicago.
Fields addressed the subject of the Bears probably transferring on at quarterback Wednesday, saying he’s “just focused on what I can control, and the rest is in God’s hands.”
Moore, who has 70 catches for 1,003 yards and 6 touchdowns by means of 12 video games, supplied an identical sentiment.
“You really can’t do too much but go out there and be yourself, and he’s a dynamic player, dynamic quarterback,” Moore mentioned. “We want him here. I’ve been having a great year with him, so that should speak volumes. Just leave what they do upstairs, upstairs at the end of the day.”
Despite the offense’s inconsistency this season, Fields and Moore haven’t had bother connecting. Moore is on tempo to have the perfect season of his profession. His excessive was 1,193 receiving yards in 2020.
“It’s just being on the same page with him week in and week out as best I can,” Moore mentioned. “And when he scrambles, get open and just doing what I do after I catch the ball.”
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy mentioned Fields has introduced the identical ardour and management each day, despite the hypothesis about his job.
“He’s an extremely humble young man that has purpose and passion,” Getsy mentioned. “The consistency that we deliver into the room each single day, he takes that and leads that as a lot as anyone.
“That’s extremely important that he stays that way — the kind of man he is first, but the kind of teammate he is no matter what the circumstances are.”
3. After struggling post-traumatic amnesia after the Bears sport, Carolina Panthers tight finish Hayden Hurst returned to observe this week.
Hurst posted on social media Thursday that he suffered a “nasty concussion” in opposition to the Bears on Nov. 9, apparently when his head hit the bottom after a fourth-quarter Jaquan Brisker deal with.
Hurst mentioned he doesn’t keep in mind as much as 4 hours after the sport and known as it “a scary situation.” Hurst’s father posted Wednesday that Hurst was identified with post-traumatic amnesia.
“While it was scary, it is NOT career ending,” Hurst wrote. “I’m starting my return to play this week, so fingers crossed I make it back for the last few weeks! God Bless & Keep Pounding!!!!”
Hurst missed the final three video games and has been restricted in observe this week.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com