The phone is ringing. It’s George McCaskey and Ben Johnson on the other line. They have a one-time offer for you. You can sit down and have a beer with one Chicago Bears player. He has to be on the current roster. And there can be only one. Who are you choosing to sit down and clink glasses with? Let’s run down the five most likely options.
#1 Caleb Williams
I mean, he’s the obvious choice, right? The face of the franchise. The #1 overall pick. Our hope for NFL relevance now and in the foreseeable future. He’s also considered to be somewhat of an interesting guy. I hear he paints his nails? Appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine. Going into his second year with the Bears and the first in the new Ben Johnson offense. I mean, what isn’t there to talk about with QB 1?
#2 Jaylon Johnson
Arguably the best player on either side of the ball on the Chicago Bears roster. An all-pro level player at one of the most important positions on the field – number one cornerback. What’s it like to cover wide receivers like Davante Adams and Justin Jefferson? How does he feel about the new Dennis Allen defense? What would it mean to him to finally be part of a winning team in Chicago? So many things to talk about with JJ, he’s a pretty clear candidate for number two.
#3 Joe Thuney
The other player in the argument on “who is the best player on the Chicago Bears roster? – Joe has a unique perspective on the Bears – having just been traded to the team, and coming from, and having been a big part of, the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty. Again – some great topics to raise with Joe over a bottle of Old Style clearly come to mind: what do you remember most about playing in and winning the Super Bowl? What is Pat Mahomes like, and what did you like about him as your starting quarterback when tasked with setting the pocket for him? What similarities and differences do you see between Mahomes and Caleb? What convinced you to sign long-term with the Chicago Bears after they traded for you?
#4 Colston Loveland
The #1 pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2025 draft comes in at the four spot for my list of Chicago Bears players I’d love to have a beer with. Colston won a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, so he knows, at least at the college level, what it is like to be part of, not only a winning football team, but a team that won it all. He is expected to be a big part of the new Ben Johnson passing attack in Chicago – I’d love to hear about how he sees himself fitting into that offense.
#5 Luther Burden, III
I agonized over a number of possibilities for #5 here. I thought perhaps I’d talk to Swift about what the Ben Johnson running game is like and what makes it so dynamic. I gave some thought to talking with Montez Sweat about rushing the passer and what Dennis Allen has brought to the pass rush that is different from Flus. But ultimately, I had to go with my fellow alum from the University of Missouri, because I’m really fascinated by the idea of what he can do in BJ’s offense. He has said he has a chip on his shoulder since falling into the second round. What does that mean to him? Why does he think he dropped? What does he think he can do as a wide receiver / playmaker this season? What does he think his rookie numbers will look like?
Well – those are my candidates – who would you choose to have a beer with if you could choose any Chicago Bears player?