Pro tip: don't put your bear spray in your backpack!

After some snoozers on Day 1 of March Madness, Day 2 got started with an epic battle.

The ninth-seeded Baylor Bears squeaked out a victory over No. 8 Mississippi State, 75-72, in a game that came down to the wire.

Baylor coasted for the first 30 minutes of the game, leading by as many as 11 in the second half. But Mississippi State chipped away.

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The Bulldogs stormed back and cut the lead to one with 29 seconds left after both teams exchanged buckets for several minutes. But the Bulldogs fouled V.J. Edgecombe with 9.3 seconds left, and the Big 12 freshman of the year made both free throws.

After Claudell Harris Jr. missed a game-tying three for Mississippi State, Baylor had a chance to put the game away with 0.5 seconds left. But Norchad Omier missed a 1-and-1, giving the Bulldogs a chance to call a timeout with 0.2 seconds left and gear up for a prayer.

The Bulldogs launched a Hail Mary from beyond half court that missed, giving Baylor the victory.

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Robert O. Wright III led Baylor with 21 points, and three others (Edgecombe, Langston Love and Omier) finished in double digits.

Josh Hubbard's game-high 26 points were not enough for the Bulldogs.

In all likelihood, barring a wild upset from Mount St. Mary's, the Bears will face Duke, the favorite to win it all.

Baylor entered the game having lost six of its previous 10 games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Well, free agency didn't last too long for two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. 

Just hours after the Atlanta Falcons released their fan favorite, the Chicago Bears came to Jarrett with the right deal and reportedly agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million contract, per NFL Network. 

A fifth-round NFL Draft pick in 2015, Jarrett has spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Falcons, where he developed into a powerful defensive tackle at the line of scrimmage. 

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A prime run-stuffer and someone who can also get the quarterback on the ground – 36.5 sacks over his 152 career games – Jarrett joins a Bears defense that showcased some solid play in 2024 despite the team's poor record. 

The defensive line was clearly a priority for Chicago's GM Ryan Poles this offseason as they also agreed to a deal with former Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Dayo Deyingbo for $48 million over three years, per NFL Network. 

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Jarrett has been accustomed to being the one tasked with getting consistent pressure in the interior, but the Bears employ Montez Sweat off the edge and Gervon Dexter Sr. should be next to Jarrett this season as well. 

Chicago also returns T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds at middle linebacker, while possessing a sometimes-suffocating secondary with Jaquan Brisker, Jaylon Johnson, Kevin Byard III and Tyrique Stevenson. 

As expected, the Bears have been busy elsewhere this offseason, desperately looking to build around the No. 1 overall pick from a year ago, quarterback Caleb Williams. 

To help Williams specifically, the Bears have added three new offensive linemen, including the top center in free agency, Jarrett's former Falcons teammate, Drew Dalman, on Monday. Ex-Kansas City Chiefs versatile veteran Joe Thuney and Los Angeles Rams tackle Jonah Jackson came before Dalman as well. 

With a tough NFC North division, the Bears are hoping to arm new head coach Ben Johnson, the offensive guru from the Detroit Lions, with players on both sides of the ball to compete for a playoff spot.

Adding a veteran presence like Jarrett on the defensive line seems to be another good signing for a team improving on paper.

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The Chicago Bears continue to fortify their offensive line. 

The Bears acquired two-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to multiple reports. 

For the Chiefs, trading Thuney was reportedly a financial decision as the 32-year-old guard has a cap charge of nearly $27 million, something they couldn’t afford. The Chiefs freed up $16 million in much-needed salary cap space to address other needs.

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Thuney slid over to left tackle last season for the Chiefs, offering much-needed stability for quarterback Patrick Mahomes down the stretch after other players struggled at the position. 

He has been an invaluable member of two different dynasties, as he won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and then two with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

While losing Thuney, the Chiefs franchise tagged right guard Trey Smith on Tuesday, ensuring the star lineman would not hit free agency.

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Mike Caliendo is a candidate for the Chiefs to replace Thuney at left guard, as Caliendo played left guard down the stretch after Thuney switched to left tackle. 

Thuney is the second offensive lineman the Bears have reportedly acquired in as many days. 

The Bears reportedly sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to acquire Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday. 

With the acquisitions of both Thuney and Jackson, the Bears have fortified their interior offensive line for quarterback Caleb Williams. 

The reinforcements are much-needed for Williams, as he was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL last season, getting dropped behind the line of scrimmage 68 times. 

Prior to playing last season with the Rams, Jackson spent four seasons with the Detroit Lions, where now Bears head coach Ben Johnson was his offensive coordinator in Detroit.

Johnson understands the importance of a strong offensive line, as his offense in Detroit was predicated on the strength of their offensive line. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Dick Jauron, the former head coach of two different NFL franchises, died Saturday. He was 74.

The Chicago Bears confirmed the death. Jauron was the Bears' head coach from 1999 to 2003. 

He was previously diagnosed with cancer, The Daily Item in Massachusetts reported.

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He became the Buffalo Bills' head coach in 2006, a role he maintained until 2009. The next season, Jauron was named the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive backs coach under Andy Reid.

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Reid and the Eagles will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans on Sunday for Super Bowl LIX.

Jauron was a two-sport star at Yale in the early 1970s, and he was drafted by both the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft and the St. Louis Cardinals in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. He ultimately made football his lifelong pursuit, beginning with five seasons as a defensive back in Detroit and three more with the Cincinnati Bengals before his retirement in 1980.

The well-liked Jauron moved into coaching and five years later was hired by the Bills as a defensive backs coach. He went on to coach defensive backs in Green Bay and became friends with Reid, who was an assistant offensive line and tight ends coach.

Jauron had just one winning record in five seasons with the Bears, winning the NFC North in 2001 before losing to the Eagles — then coached by Reid — in the divisional round of the playoffs.

He finished with a 60-82 record and one playoff berth over parts of 10 seasons as a head coach.

Jauron’s death came just two days after the Bears announced the death of Virginia Halas McCaskey, who inherited the franchise from her father, George Halas, and spent four-plus decades as the principal owner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Virginia McCaskey, the longtime principal owner of the Chicago Bears, has died. She was 102.

McCaskey controlled Chicago's NFL franchise since 1983, when she inherited ownership following the death of her father and team founder George Halas. George was also the first person to serve as the Bears coach. 

The McCaskey family provided a statement via the Bears, saying McCaskey lived a "full" life.

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"While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth," the statement read.

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"She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans." 

The Bears won the franchise's lone Super Bowl with McCaskey at the helm. Chicago defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 20, thanks in large part to the "Monsters of the Midway" — a nickname referencing the Bears' acclaimed 1985 defense.

She was born Virginia Marion Halas in 1923 in Chicago. She went on to study business management at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She married Ed McCaskey in 1943.

The couple eventually had 11 children together. Ed passed away in 2008. Virginia was the longest tenured owner in any of the U.S. major sports leagues.

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Eric Bieniemy appears to be returning to the NFL ranks. On Saturday, CBS Sports reported that Bieniemy agreed to become the Chicago Bears' running backs coach.

Bieniemy is the latest assistant to land with the Bears, as recently hired head coach Ben Johnson continues to fill out his coaching staff. Bieniemy spent last year handling the offensive coordinator duties at UCLA, during the football program's first season in the Big Ten Conference.

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Bieniemy was a standout running back in college before he became a second round NFL Draft selection in 1991. He also has experience coaching ball carriers, serving as the running backs coach at Colorado – his alma mater – from 2001-02.

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He took the same job at UCLA from 2003-04, before making the leap to the professional ranks when he was named the Minnesota Vikings' running backs coach in 2006. Bieniemy returned to Colorado in 2011 as the Buffaloes offensive coordinator. However, he largely rose to prominence as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator.

Bieniemy was a member of two Super Bowl-winning coaching staffs in Kansas City, but he opted for a change of scenery after the 2022 season. 

Bieniemy was named the Washington Commanders assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2023 and was given the opportunity to call plays. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid served as the primary offensive play caller during Bieniemy's tenure in Kansas City.

Bieniemy is now expected to bring his championship experience to Chicago. Meanwhile, Johnson selected former Denver Broncos tight end coach Declan Doyle as the Bears offensive coordinator, while Antwaan Randle El will serve as the team's assistant head coach. Randle El worked with Johnson in Detroit, handling the Lions wide receivers coaching duties.

 Bieniemy's former team, the Chiefs, will meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.

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Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown and the rest of his teammates will be heading into the 2025 season without two coordinators who helped turn them into a league powerhouse. 

Ben Johnson is the new head coach of the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, while Aaron Glenn became head coach of the team that drafted him in 1994, the New York Jets. 

St. Brown was closer to Johnson, the innovative play-caller who helped scheme a Lions offense that led the NFL in points per game in 2024.   

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When talking about Johnson’s departure for the Bears on his "St. Brown Podcast" with older brother Equanimeous, St. Brown said he spoke with his former coordinator after he signed his deal to head to the Windy City. 

And the message was pretty clear. 

"I told him, I said, ‘Two times a year, Ben, we’re going to f--- you up,’" St. Brown told his brother while laughing. 

LIONS LOSING BEN JOHNSON TO RIVAL BEARS IS BIG ‘BODY BLOW,’ SUPER BOWL CHAMPION SAYS 

Johnson, though, had a similar response for his former pupil. 

"I’m going to f--- you up," St. Brown recalls Johnson replying. 

The relationship is clearly one of mutual respect, and competitive banter is something that usually follows there. 

"OK, we’ll see," St. Brown fired back at Johnson. "I told him I know all the plays he likes to run. I know all his tendencies, and we were going back and forth messing around."

Though the jabs were playful, St. Brown and Johnson will have to turn their friendship to the side twice a year as long as Johnson is the head coach of the Bears. 

With the conference championship games being played this weekend to determine who plays in the Super Bowl, the Lions were expected to be back where they were in January 2024, when they had a second-half collapse against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game.

However, the Lions were eliminated in a 45-31 loss at Ford Field to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, and Johnson was heading to Chicago days later. 

Johnson has the Bears’ 2024 No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams, to mold alongside some solid offensive weapons like D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. St. Brown has also shown respect to Williams in the past, especially given their USC connection, but the Lions took down the Bears twice this season. 

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Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left the team to take the Chicago Bears' head coaching job Monday.

Super Bowl champion Lomas Brown talked about what Lions fans are going through losing their top coordinator after a crushing playoff loss during a recent appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich."

"I know it’s another body blow. You know that old game, body blow, body blow. … That was a big one yesterday," Brown said. "All of them on talk radio, that was the subject yesterday, Ben Johnson leaving. Oh my god, you got so many fans upset at Ben about taking the Chicago job. I think it’s more, not him leaving, but more of the job that he is accepting because of how bitter rivals we are with Chicago.

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"Now, we got to face him twice a year. That just made the division even harder with Ben Johnson going in there. And a lot of sentiment before he took the job was that Ben wouldn’t take that job because he knew he would have to go up against his good friend Dan Campbell twice a year. But he took it. A lot of people not happy with it around here."

The No. 1-seeded Lions were upset by the No. 6-seeded Washington Commanders, 45-31, Saturday.

Brown said losing Johnson, especially to a division rival, and potentially other top assistants make the loss to the Commanders hurt that much more. 

LIONS' DAN CAMPBELL CONFIDENT TEAM'S SUPER BOWL WINDOW REMAINS OPEN AFTER DISASTROUS LOSS TO COMMANDERS

"A lot of people not happy with it around here, and I think that it’s, again, I just think a lot of that’s from the results of the game, and just everything that’s going on the last few days around here. It’s culminating with Ben Johnson taking the job and, d---, we’re going to lose other assistants," Brown said. 

"I mean Aaron Glenn, you talk about maybe (offensive line coach) Hank Fraley. It’s other assistants that we’re going to lose off this team. That’s why this was the year for us to get it done."

Glenn was scheduled to interview with the New York Jets for the second time for their head coaching position Tuesday, according to NFL Network. 

Tuesday’s interview will be the first in-person meeting between the Jets and Glenn. 

Fraley is being interviewed for the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator position Tuesday, according to ESPN. It will be Fraley’s second interview with the team and their first in-person interview. 

Brown spent 18 seasons in the NFL and was with the Lions for 11 of them. Brown was a star left tackle and made the Pro Bowl seven consecutive seasons from 1990-1996. 

Brown won a Super Bowl in his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. 

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Devin Brown is now looking to be the top guy.

The Ohio State quarterback backed up Will Howard this season, and, on Monday night, he was on the sideline for the Buckeyes' national title celebration.

Earlier Tuesday, Brown announced that he would be transferring to Cal.

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Brown entered the transfer portal in December but stayed with the Buckeyes through their run to the national championship that ended with a win Monday night over Notre Dame.

It was a tumultuous tenure with the Buckeyes because Brown was the backup to not one, but two QBs in as many seasons. Brown lost a close competition to Kyle McCord in 2023 and was relegated to the back seat again when the Buckeyes brought in Kansas State transfer Will Howard for 2024.

In his lone start for the Buckeyes, which came in the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic, Brown left the game with an injury. He appeared in nine games this season, most of his action coming in garbage time.

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Brown is expected to compete with freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele for the starting job at Cal. Brown has two years of eligibility remaining.

Howard earned offensive MVP honors Monday night, going 17-for-21 through the air for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Howard's time with the Buckeyes is done, but former five-star recruit Julian Sayin is expected to start in 2025, which may have pushed Brown to the portal.

Cal went 6-7 in its first season in the ACC. Brown was ranked No. 81 in ESPN's Top 300 recruits for the class of 2022.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Chicago Bears have landed arguably the hottest head coach candidate for their vacancy, as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is reportedly heading to the NFC North rival. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report the hire, noting that the Las Vegas Raiders were hot on Johnson's tail as well. 

Johnson, who led a Lions offense that scored 33.2 points per game to lead the NFL this past regular season, saw an anticlimactic end to a historic season in the team's Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders at home this past weekend. 

This is a developing story. More to come…

The Chicago Bears relieved Matt Eberflus of his head coaching duties in November, just one day after he received considerable blame for mismanaging the clock in a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions. 

Eberflus' nearly three-year tenure in the Windy City was marred by a flurry of last-second losses and ended with a six-game losing streak. Thomas Brown became interim head coach.

The Bears are now searching for the franchise's next head coach and have already interviewed several candidates, keeping in line with general manager Ryan Poles' previous vow to cast a wide net during the search. 

But, according to a new report from ESPN, one of the ways the team explored filling its head coaching vacancy involved the acquisition of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin via a trade.

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The Bears recently contacted the Steelers to inquire about potentially gaining permission to speak to and possibly execute a trade for the Super Bowl-winning coach, according to the report. The Steelers rejected the request, sources told ESPN.

Conversations are not believed to have reached Tomlin, who recently responded to questions about potential trade offers from other teams with a simple message: "Save your time." Tomlin's contract reportedly includes a no-trade clause.

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The Steelers finished the regular season with a 10-7 record, which maintained Tomlin's distinction of never having a record below .500. However, the team ended its season on a four-game losing streak. 

Pittsburgh then got knocked out of the playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round. It has now been eight years since the Steelers have won a playoff game.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is believed to be one of the most sought after candidates this hiring cycle. Earlier this week, the Bears announced they interviewed Johnson. 

They also interviewed Arthur Smith, Brian Flores, Mike McCarthy, former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and several others.

Despite ending the season with a 5-12 record, Chicago's roster does have talent at key positions. The Bears' next head coach will be tasked with developing quarterback Caleb Williams, the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The coaching staff will also have the opportunity to work with wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore. 

Elsewhere, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is a two-time Pro Bowler, and Jaylon Johnson is a talented cornerback.

While the New England Patriots filled their head coaching vacancy in short order by hiring Mike Vrabel, the Bears, Jets, Saints, Jaguars and Raiders continue their respective searches.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said he was "fuming" after getting pranked by several kids into believing Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had accepted the Bears’ head coaching job. 

Williams went viral this week after a video surfaced showing a group of young kids texting him as Johnson. 

The rookie quarterback, believing the kids, jumped on a FaceTime call, where the prank was revealed. 

Williams appeared to laugh off the encounter on the call, but in an appearance on the "St. Brown" podcast with Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, he revealed just how upset he was after the prank. 

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"That whole night I was getting texts. I was obviously getting spam calls from all my friends, like, ‘No way,’" Williams recalled.  "I didn’t respond to one text. I was so mad. Pissed!" 

Williams said he knew the kids were filming and was "trying not to flip out," but it was a different story when he hung up. 

"When I got off the call, I was fuming. I wanted to smash some s---. I was fuming," he said, laughing about it. 

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Williams doesn’t know how they got his number, which he claims to have had at least 15 years. 

"The text was so official. Like I’ve gotten that text from college coaches and other coaches before getting drafted and all of that. … It looked mad professional," Williams said, adding he has since changed his phone number.   

"I don’t know. I’ve had the number for probably 15 years. I don’t have it no more. New number. But I’ve had it for 15 years and so. I don’t know. Somebody must’ve gave it to them. Somebody must’ve said something, or he got lucky and just dialed the number." 

Despite his immediate reaction to the prank, Williams did give the young fans some credit. 

"I ain’t gonna lie. It was a classic prank. It was a Grade A, S-tier prank. I gotta give them props. I wasn’t locked in in the moment." 

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Marcus Freeman’s stock has increased as he’s led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the brink of its first national championship since 1988.

The Chicago Bears appeared to have been watching Freeman closely.

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The Bears want to interview Freeman for their head coach position after parting ways with Matt Eberflus in the middle of the 2024 season, the NFL Network reported Sunday. The Bears have not made a decision on Eberflus’ replacement but have been going through the interview process.

Freeman first will have to game-plan for Notre Dame’s national title game against Ohio State. The Fighting Irish narrowly defeated Penn State to get there.

"Obviously unlikely he would entertain NFL overtures prior to that game – a week from tomorrow against Ohio State," NFL insider Tom Pelissero said on the network. "But the Bears have done extensive research for months on Marcus Freeman. He’s only 39 years old. It would not be a shock that at some point he at least considers going to the NFL."

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Chicago is still set to interview Minnesota Vikings’ Brian Floires, Washington Commanders’ Kliff Kingsubury, Baltimore Ravens’ Todd Monken and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Arthur Smith for the job, according to the NFL Network.

Freeman was named as Brian Kelly’s replacement at Notre Dame after the former head coach took the LSU job.

He is 33-9 as head coach of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are 14-1 this season after going 9-4 in his first full year in 2022 and 10-3 in 2023.

The Bears were 5-12 in 2024 with Caleb Williams in his first season under center.

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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might not be set on Mike McCarthy’s future in Dallas, but he’s sure the veteran coach won’t end up in Chicago. 

Sources told ESPN Tuesday the Cowboys denied the Bears permission to interview McCarthy for their head coaching vacancy. The news comes as McCarthy’s contract with the Cowboys is due to expire next week. 

The Cowboys closed out their season with a loss to the Washington Commanders Sunday. After the game, Jones praised McCarthy but stopped short of confirming McCarthy would return next season. 

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"Mike’s one of the best coaches that I think there is. He was made to coach here. He’s done absolutely nothing to diminish my opinion of him as a coach," Jones said, adding he hasn’t decided on an extension. 

"That’s what the next few days and weeks are about now."

McCarthy has expressed his desire to return, saying that, despite a 7-10 record this season, he has "a lot of confidence in myself as a head coach." 

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"​​All those things go into these decisions of whether you originally get the job or continuing to move forward. So, I’m definitely in position with Jerry to move forward. I mean, there’s no question about that in my mind."

McCarthy has a 49-35 record in Dallas. Before this season, he led the Cowboys to the playoffs with a 12-5 record three straight seasons. 

The Bears are in a desperate hunt to replace Matt Eberflus, who was fired a day after Chicago's Thanksgiving Day loss in Detroit. It marked the first time in franchise history a head coach was fired midseason, a telling move for a struggling team. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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The Dallas Cowboys’ decision regarding head coach Mike McCarthy may be speeding up after what the Chicago Bears did. 

The Bears have reportedly asked the Cowboys for permission to interview McCarthy for their head coach vacancy, and ESPN reported Jerry Jones has yet to respond. 

However, the Bears do not need the Cowboys' permission as they could interview the longtime NFL head coach after the exclusive negotiating window is up on Jan. 14. 

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McCarthy’s contract is set to expire with the Cowboys, but Jones has made it known that he is not going to just let the Super Bowl-winning coach just waltz into free agency. There is a chance that he could return, and players like Dak Prescott have been vocal about him remaining in place as well. 

However, the speed at which Jones and the Cowboys make their decision could be sped up now with the Bears, and possibly other teams, waiting to interview McCarthy for their own head coaching gigs. 

McCarthy has just finished his fifth season in Dallas, and after going 12-5 in each of the last three seasons, the Cowboys finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020 – his first year as head coach. 

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There were questions about McCarthy’s future with the organization before the 2024 regular season began, as players like Prescott and CeeDee Lamb received extensions, but the head coach’s future remained in limbo as he did not put pen to paper. 

Things were not looking good for McCarthy either, as the Cowboys were stagnant to start the year and then plummeted once Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in early November. 

However, it was clear toward the end of the year, as backup quarterback Cooper Rush got more comfortable in the starting role, that the Cowboys were not mailing it in, just waiting for the season to be over.

Dallas won four of its five games after snapping a four-game skid in early November, and despite a beatdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17, Dallas played hard until the end in Week 18, though the Washington Commanders had a game-winning touchdown with three seconds left to hand them their 10th loss of the season. 

NFL Network reported Jones and McCarthy were expected to meet Monday afternoon, though a contract offer was not mentioned. The report added that McCarthy wants to remain in Dallas if they would have him. 

"I don’t know that I am considering making a change is really what I’m trying to say," Jones told reporters about his coaching situation. 

Meanwhile, the Bears will be searching high and low for the right man to take over a team with loads of potential, but could not keep the ball rolling after starting the year 4-2. A Week 18 win over the Green Bay Packers snapped a 10-game losing streak to end the year on a high note, but Caleb Williams and company need to improve if they wish to compete in a loaded NFC North division. 

The Bears have already requested permission to interview several top candidates, including Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, New York Giants OC Mike Kafka and Steelers OC Arthur Smith, among others. 

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The Chicago Bears weren’t necessarily playing spoiler on Sunday when they took on the Green Bay Packers, but there was still a ton to play for as they wanted to finish the season on a high note. 

That’s exactly what happened thanks to Cairo Santos drilling a 51-yard field goal to beat the Packers, 24-22, snapping Chicago’s 10-game losing streak to end the season with a 5-12 record. 

It was also a historic kick made by Santos as the Bears finally defeated their NFC North foe, snapping an 11-game losing streak to the Packers. 

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The game-winning drive came after the Packers’ Brandon McManus drilled a 55-yard field goal to put Green Bay up 22-21 with 54 seconds left to play in the game. 

Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense knew they had one timeout remaining and needed the right yardage to get in range for Santos to walk it off. The drive didn’t start off well as Williams was sacked, but a costly penalty changed everything. 

A horse collar tackle was called, leading to a 15-yard swing that put Chicago on the 35-yard line instead of back on their own 13. The very next play saw Williams connect with fellow rookie Rome Odunze to put the Bears at midfield with 40 seconds to play. 

BEARS SHOCK PACKERS WITH PUNT RETURN TRICKERY FOR TOUCHDOWN

Then on 3rd-and-6 from Green Bay’s 46-yard line, Williams found D.J. Moore for 12 yards, but an illegal shift was called to negate the gain that would’ve given the Bears enough yards for Santos. 

So on 3rd-and-11 with 15 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, Williams dropped back and found Moore in the middle of the field for an 18-yard pickup. Chicago rushed to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with two seconds left, giving Santos the chance to win it. 

The kick was hit with enough distance and the right trajectory, and the celebrating ensued at Lambeau Field. 

And while the Packers were already in the playoffs, the loss, coupled with the Washington Commanders’ own game-winning drive, dropped Green Bay to the No. 7 seed in the NFC. They have to go to Philadelphia to face the No. 2 Eagles instead of going to Los Angeles to face the No. 3 Rams.

In the box score, Williams was 21-for-29 for 148 yards with a touchdown pass to Moore, who had nine catches for 86 yards. D’Andre Swift also found the end zone on one of his 20 rushes for 65 yards.

Chicago also had one of the league’s best trick plays of the season as Josh Blackwell ran back a 94-yard punt for the game’s first touchdown after going virtually untouched with the Packers thinking a second Bears punt returner was going to catch it.

For the Packers, Jordan Love initially started this game but was taken out as a precaution with what was called an elbow injury. Malik Willis took over and went 10-of-13 for 136 yards. Josh Jacobs found the end zone for Green Bay again this season as well.

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The Chicago Bears didn’t have much to play for on Sunday in Green Bay other than to ruin the Packers’ playoff seeding. 

But, with this being the final game of the Bears’ 2024 season, all the stops were pulled out… even on special teams. 

The first touchdown scored in this game was the result of some punt return trickery by the Bears, as Josh Blackwell scored from 94 yards away untouched after the Packers had no clue he even had the football. 

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That’s because the Bears sent out two returners near the end zone, and one of them was acting like the ball was going their way. 

Meanwhile, Blackwell was running back down the left sideline and saw the ball coming his way. So, as his teammate acted like he was just going to let the ball fall and hope it resulted in a touchback, Blackwell caught it and started running toward the end zone on the other end of the field. 

2024 NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: NFC'S TOP SEED, TWO FINAL BERTHS AT STAKE IN WEEK 18

It wasn’t until Blackwell had a load of blockers in front of him that the Packers saw what was going on, and only Green Bay punter Daniel Whelan knew what was happening. However, he didn’t have a chance to take down Blackwell, as two Bears players blocked him to seal the first touchdown of the game. 

Blackwell found some Bears fans in the back of the end zone and attempted a "Lambeau Leap" to pour a little salt in the wound for the Packers. 

While the Bears don’t have anything but the NFL Draft to worry about with a 4-12 record coming into the game, the Packers do have some seeding to look at in the NFC playoff bracket. 

The Packers are in the playoffs, but a win and a Washington Commanders loss would put them in the No. 6 seed instead of the final No. 7 wild card slot. Washington is in a close matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on the road at AT&T Stadium. 

Chicago’s 2024 campaign started with tons of optimism, most surrounding No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, and the team started 4-2, which brought up loads of playoff speculation. 

But the Bears have lost 10 straight games since, ultimately leading to the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles. Once again, they are thinking about the future as they aim to continue building around Williams. 

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Olympic gymnast Simone Biles caught heat before the start of the NFL season for showing up to husband Jonathan Owens’ preseason game with the Chicago Bears in an outfit sporting the safety's former team.

But on Thursday night, she silenced the critics. 

The decorated Olympian arrived at Soldier Field in Chicago before the Bears’ Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks wearing an outfit decorated entirely with photographs of her husband's face. 

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Owens reposted a photo of Biles to his Instagram Stories with the caption, "Ain’t she beautiful."

Fans received the outfit choice well this time around.

In August, before a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the gymnast irked some by wearing a jacket depicting Owens when he played for the Green Bay Packers. Unbothered by the criticism, Biles later shared the photos on social media with the message, "Bear down." 

SIMONE BILES CATCHES HEAT FOR WEARING JONATHAN OWENS-THEMED PACKERS JACKET TO BEARS' PRESEASON GAME

Owens signed a two-year contract with the Bears in March after spending one season with the Packers. He was excused from the start of training camp this summer to support his wife as she went on to make history at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Biles won four medals, including three gold, to bring her total Olympic medal count to 11 — the most by any American female gymnast. 

Her amazing rebound in Paris, following her well-chronicled troubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, earned her the runner-up spot for AP Female Athlete of the Year honors, just behind WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams isn’t prepared to take full responsibility for the enduring frustrations of the fans. 

During the Bears’ 6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, fans at Soldier Field broke out into boos and "Sell that team" chants. The low-scoring loss marked the team’s 10th straight loss.

When asked about the fans' reaction after the game, Williams pointed out to reporters that their frustrations go beyond his time in Chicago. 

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"It’s my first year. Their frustrations go way longer back than I’ve been here," Williams, who was the first overall pick in last year’s draft, said.

"My job is to go out there and win games. We don’t focus on the outside noise. The fans, they’re gonna cheer and maybe boo sometimes, and you can’t react to that. It’s not something that we react to." 

The Bears' offense struggled in their latest loss. 

C.J. STROUD RESPONDS TO FANS BOOING DURING TEXANS' DEMORALIZING LOSS: 'PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINIONS'

Williams was 16 for 28 with 122 yards, and the Bears finished with just 179 total offensive yards. For that, the rookie quarterback did take ownership. 

"I didn’t play well enough. I didn’t help put the team in a good position to win – a better position to win, and it’s what it is."

The Bears will close out the season on the road against the Green Bay Packers next week. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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