Bears

Coming off their first playoff win since 2010, Bears chairman George McCaskey reflected on the great year while expressing disappointment that they couldn’t win it all. Heading into 2026, McCaskey is excited about the roster and HC Ben Johnson’s ability to get the players to “fight like hell for each other.”

“It was a great run,” McCaskey said, via the team’s official website. “It was a miraculous run. Surreal run. But ultimately, we fell short of our goal. The goal is to win the Super Bowl. So there’s some more work to be done.”

“I think we have a good core of players. They fight like hell for each other. They fight like hell for their coach. I think they’re confident that he will find some way for them to win, and that’s a great and elusive ingredient in our great game. He’s already said that complacency is not going to be an issue. What do we have to be complacent about? We haven’t achieved our goal.”

Bears

Bears GM Ryan Poles explained why he believes HC Ben Johnson is the perfect person to lead the team, given his aggressive, competitive approach to the game.

“That’s what you want to play for,” Poles said on Hoge & Jahns. “You want to play for a guy that’s not scared, that’s aggressive, and someone that wants to compete. It raises the level of both organizations to be completely honest with you. We needed that. I think we needed that jump start. When I first got here, it was all about just getting beat by them a lot and it was this mountain to climb. Ben’s like screw it, we’re just going to take this head on and take this rivalry over and we’re not going to be scared to talk about it…..I think it makes it exciting and the NFL exciting. People want to see that. I’d be shocked if those games aren’t in prime time. Everyone wants to be tuned into that game.”

Lions

Lions GM Brad Holmes told reporters that he would keep his phone lines open as the draft approaches, as they currently hold the No. 17 pick, and that he will always be looking for a good deal to improve the team.

“Absolutely. Yeah, if it’s the right guy. You guys know me,” Holmes said during his predraft news conference, via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “If we have that kind of conviction for a player, absolutely. We’re going to go and get him.”

Lions

Lions GM Brad Holmes said adding OT Larry Borom and DE D.J. Wonnum in free agency means that the team won’t be pressed to reach for those positions in the draft as he views both players as starters.

“You’re talking about guys that have been starters in the NFL,” Holmes said, via PFT. “But just kind of look at where the trend is going, where the arrow is going the last time, they’re still young. But we feel good about both of them, so we don’t feel like it’s, you know, we have to supplement them if it doesn’t work out.”