According to ESPN's Seth Wickersham in his new book "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback", Williams father Carl described Chicago as "the place quarterbacks go to die" while Caleb Williams told his inner-circle before the draft "I don't think I can do it with [former Bears offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron."

The now-retired McMahon, who is 65 and lives in Florida, owned the mansion from the time it was built in 1988 until selling it in 2009.

Despite the ominous cloud of negativity that's inching its way toward Halas Hall after ESPN broke the story of Caleb Williams not wanting to play for the Chicago Bears before the 2024 NFL Draft, there's still a sense of optimism surrounding coach Ben Johnson and the 2025 iteration of this team.

The Bears will be finishing a stretch of 13 consecutive games without a break. They could be worn out and eliminated from playoff contention. If they’re not, though, the game becomes the most important of Johnson’s young coaching career — and the most meaningful game played at Soldier Field in five seasons.

FOX Sports host Colin Cowherd has been impressed with what the Bears have done this offseason, which prompted him to predict a high-place finish in the NFC North -- and their first playoff berth since 2020.

Last season, the Minnesota Vikings —Chicago’s Week 1 opponent here in 2025—swept the Bears by a combined score of (gulp) 60-39. Save for D.J. Moore ’s seven-catch, 106-yard, one-touchdown performance in their first matchup on November 24, no Bear offensive skill player comported himself particularly well.

Monday Night Football schedule kicks off with an NFC North showdown between the Vikings and Bears on Sept. 8, when Ben Johnson makes his head-coaching debut for Chicago.

The folks at FanDuel have released their odds for the first week of the season, and they show the Vikings as being a 1.5-point underdog to the Chicago Bears for their Monday Night Football matchup at Soldier Field.