MATT NAGY

Patrick Mahomes threw for 60 yards and a touchdown on Kansas City’s first possession, then watched as the Chiefs lost to the Chicago Bears 19-14 in the preseason opener.

The contract standoff between the Chicago Bears and Roquan Smith continued Thursday with the star linebacker watching practice from the sideline and new coach Matt Eberflus saying he expects healthy players participating on the field.

Chicago Bears star linebacker Roquan Smith is requesting a trade, saying the team hasn't negotiated in good faith for a contract extension.

Two people familiar with the negotiations confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that the Los Angeles Chargers have found another pass rusher to pair with Joey Bosa: defensive end Khalil Mack from the Chicago Bears in exchange for two draft picks.

A person with direct knowledge of the situation says former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is the new head coach of the Chicago Bears.

From the NFC North to the AFC East, the firings began almost immediately after the NFL’s first 17-game season concluded.

The Chicago Bears have fired general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy, hoping new leadership in the front office and on the sideline will lift a struggling franchise.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Kirk Cousins threw for two touchdowns, and the Minnesota Vikings beat the struggling and short-handed Chicago Bears 17-9.

The NFL has updated its protocols in reaction to an increase in COVID-19 cases around the league, and it is pushing booster shots as the most effective protection against the coronavirus.

Justin Fields is set to return to the Chicago Bears’ lineup.

Cairo Santos made a 28-yard game-ending field goal to give the Chicago Bears a 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday.

Maybe the NFL teams set to play on Thanksgiving got caught looking ahead to the holiday extravaganza.

When the reigning league MVP and several other key players enter the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, it clouds the numbers that indicate significant progress made in protection against the coronavirus.

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields nearly had his moment in the spotlight on “Monday Night Football,” as he almost led his team to a comeback victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy will miss Sunday’s game against San Francisco because of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol.

Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy says he has tested positive for COVID-19.

After resisting the move in the past Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy has made Justin Fields his first-string quarterback going forward and has moved Andy Dalton into the backup role.

The Chicago Bears' offense has dealt with adversity from injuries since the second game of the season. It will only worsen heading into preparation for their game Sunday at Las Vegas against the Raiders, because now the injuries include running backs as well as quarterbacks. The knee injury suffered by running back David Montgomery in a 106-yard effort during a 24-14 win Sunday over the Detroit Lions will be an uncertain situation to watch going forward.

A historically bad effort by the Chicago offense has coach Matt Nagy rethinking his approach after only the third week of the season. It could all lead to a change in who calls the plays or even who the quarterback is as the Bears prepare to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field. “Again, just to keep it super simple, everything’s on the table,” Nagy said.

Justin Fields is set to make his first start for the Chicago Bears.

It was a rough day for NFL quarterbacks.

Matthew Stafford passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns in a dynamic debut for the Los Angeles Rams.

Justin Fields outshined his fellow first-round quarterbacks in their preseason openers.

The Chicago Bears are now without both of their top two draft picks. Coach Matt Nagy on Wednesday said quarterback Justin Fields was out of practice due to a groin injury, while second-round pick, offensive lineman Teven Jenkins, was facing back surgery. The injury to Fields is considered minor but Jenkins has been out all of training camp after suffering back injury symptoms during the four days rookies were allowed to practice just before the start of regular training camp.

Rookie quarterback Justin Fields came off the bench in the second quarter and rallied the Chicago Bears from a 13-0 deficit to a 20-13 win over the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field to start each team's preseason.

Bears moved up to take Justin Fields at No. 11 in the NFL draft, trying to make up for lost ground at QB since passing on Patrick Mahomes in 2017.

Patrick Surtain II and Mac Jones had the spotlight at Alabama's Pro Day, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)DeVonta Smith was there for quarterback Mac Jones once again, this time it was at Alabama's latest pro day. “He didn't have to do that,” Jones told the SEC Network, which aired the pro day. '”Jones showcased his arm strength a week after participating in the Crimson Tide's first pro day. “Mac was just on me like, ‘Bro, come catch, come catch, come catch,’” Smith told the network.

Bieniemy has become the cause celebre when it comes to minority assistants who have been denied the opportunity to become head coaches in the NFL. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)Eric Bieniemy has become the cause celebre when it comes to minority assistants who have been denied the opportunity to become NFL head coaches. “I did not ask be the poster boy of this particular situation that I have experienced,” Bieniemy said Tuesday. “I don’t understand everything, I am not an owner, I don’t sit in those meetings to interview head coaches,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. Bieniemy isn’t alone when it comes to minority coordinators in the Super Bowl who didn’t get a head coaching offer this offseason.

– Tyreek Hill was thrilled to hear that his first wide receivers coach, David Culley, was going to be an NFL head coach. After interviewing for six openings, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy ultimately was passed over during the annual coaching carousel. That became official when the Houston Texans hired Culley, the long-time Andy Reid assistant who had been the assistant head coach in Baltimore. “I mean, I'm not a GM or anything but I will say, Coach Bieniemy has helped me a lot,” Hill said Thursday, after the Chiefs finished their first real practice for the Super Bowl. He wants to be a head coach.

FILE - Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace walks the field before an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Chicago, in this Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, file photo. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears plan to keep general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy for at least another season. Chicago won the NFC North at 12-4 in 2018 — Nagy's first season. The Bears have two playoff appearances and a 42-54 regular-season record in six years under Pace, while Nagy is 28-20. There was speculation Pace or Nagy could be on their way out when the Bears lost six in a row this season — their worst skid since 2002.

Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards, connecting with Michael Thomas and Latavius Murray for touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 21-9 in an NFC wild-card game Sunday. Brees' first touchdown pass in the opening quarter was 11-yards over the middle to Thomas, back from a three-game absence to help heal a nagging ankle injury. The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year missed nine games this season and had not caught a touchdown pass since December 2019. That marked the second time this season a Bears player was thrown out for action taken against Gardner-Johnson after the whistle. The Bears have reached the playoffs twice since Pace took over in 2015, both times under Nagy, who was hired in 2018.

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)The NFC playoff field features the usual cast of quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 45, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6, 2011, at Arlington, Texas. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 48, 43-8 over the Denver Broncos on Feb. 2, 2014, at East Rutherford, N.J. Last year: No. The Bears’ leading tackler left in the first quarter of the Green Bay game with an elbow injury. DBs Buster Skrine, rookie Jaylon Johnson and Deon Bush missed the loss to Green Bay.

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2019, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy greets a player during the second half of the team's AFC championship NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)NEW YORK – The New York Jets kicked off their coaching search by interviewing Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on Wednesday. He was promoted to Kansas City's offensive coordinator in 2018 after Matt Nagy left to become the Bears coach. Under Bieniemy, Mahomes has become one of the NFL's most dynamic and productive players and the Chiefs' offense has thrived. Kansas City has finished no worse than sixth in yards and points per game in Bieniemy's three season in charge of the offense.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)While Matt Nagy gets to coach Chicago in the playoffs despite a middling 8-8 record that could help save his job, former Bears coach Lovie Smith can only wonder if the extra team in the postseason could have helped him eight years ago. Smith’s Bears teams from the beginning of last decade are near the top of that list. Chicago lost five of six and missed the postseason as the seventh seed with an 8-8 mark. The tough-luck missing playoff team that season was the Giants, who missed out the year before Eli Manning and Co. won their second Super Bowl under coach Tom Coughlin.

The Green Bay Packers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC by beating the playoff-bound Chicago Bears 35-16 on Sunday. “This is a special season," Rodgers said. And the Packers beat Chicago again after pounding the Bears at Lambeau Field to start their win streak. Green Bay then drove 76 yards, with Jones scoring from the 4 to make it 28-16 with 3:47 remaining.

Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson (39) celebrates at the end of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Minneapolis. Cairo Santos, who converted all four of his kicks, stretched his streak to 22 straight field goals made. The Bears then intercepted a last-snap heave by Cousins into the end zone to drop the Vikings to 3-5 at home this year. When the Vikings beat them 19-13 five weeks ago in Chicago, the Bears managed two first-half field goals and needed a kickoff return touchdown by Cordarrelle Patterson to stay competitive. Vikings: play at New Orleans on Friday.

___Utah State’s men’s basketball team is pausing full team activities and has canceled its game against Weber State on Saturday due to positive COVID-19 tests within the program. Texas (6-3, 5-3) returned three positive tests after blowing out Kansas State last week, prompting school officials to shut down practice. ___Citing a surge of positive COVID-19 cases and contact tracing in the football program, West Virginia has paused all football activities for the next seven days and will not host No. ___South Carolina has called off its men’s basketball game at George Washington on Monday because of a positive COVID-19 test. ___Georgia has canceled its women’s basketball game against Radford because of a positive COVID-19 test within the Highlanders’ program.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO – Darrell Bevell had a hard time processing everything from his first game as an NFL coach. They fired general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia while elevating Bevell, their offensive coordinator, to interim coach. But the Lions turned things around down the stretch, sending the Bears (5-7) to their sixth straight loss. The Lions came out on top after losing four of five, and Stafford gave Bevell the game ball.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, in Chicago. Cousins threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns, and the Minnesota Vikings overcame a 104-yard kickoff return by Chicago’s Cordarrelle Patterson to beat the Bears 19-13. “We’ll try to keep building on it now, and it’ll be so important to keep stringing these together if we can. It was the longest kickoff return in franchise history, surpassing Gale Sayers’ 103-yarder against Pittsburgh on Sept. 17, 1967. Cousins completed 25 of 36 passes with two touchdowns to Thielen, who has nine on the season.

(AP Photo/Terrance Williams, File)All NFL games are on for this weekend while teams deal with COVID-19 issues. The Cincinnati Bengals kept players away from their training facility, while tackle Fred Johnson and defensive back Trae Waynes were placed on the COVID-19 list. “The whole reason we’re doing it is to get guys to the game,” coach Raheem Morris said. Everybody wants to play the game.”A Miami Dolphins assistant coach, also unidentified, tested positive for COVID-19 and was quarantined. The Houston Texans returned to their facility a day after it was closed following a positive COVID-19 test by a player.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Green Bay Packers placed linebacker Krys Barnes and reserve quarterback Jordan Love on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is for a player who has tested positive or has been in close contact with an infected person. The Bears canceled practice and closed their facility Thursday after another player tested positive. ___The Atlanta Falcons canceled practice and worked virtually Friday after a member of the football staff tested positive for COVID-19. “The whole reason we’re doing it is to get guys to the game,” coach Raheem Morris said.

(Jose Sena Goulao, Pool via AP)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Detroit Lions have put safety Jalen Elliott on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is for players who either test positive or have been in close contact with an infected person. ___UConn has suspended all men's basketball activities after a player tested positive for the coronavirus. The confirmation of a positive COVID-19 case occurs when a player receives two consecutive positive test results. He was placed on it because he had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive.

Hamler (13) celebrates his game-tying touchdown with teammates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Denver. “Division rival, close game,” Chargers running back Justin Jackson explained, adding, “We weren’t too happy with 22′s hit on Buster,” referencing safety Kareem Jackson’s unflagged blasting of running back Troymaine Pope in the second half. “I’ll never watch something weak like that happen to a defenseless teammate and not defend him,” Anderson added. Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins jumped on Wims and soon players from both teams rushed in to break up the ruckus. Wims emerged from the pileup clapping and smiling as he was ejected and escorted to his locker room.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims and New Orleans Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) fight in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO – The NFL suspended Chicago Bears receiver Javon Wims two games Monday for punching New Orleans Saints safety C.J. The penalty against Wims pushed the Bears back to a second-and-20. Bears coach Matt Nagy said Wims was “apologetic” when they spoke Monday and understands “you can’t do what he did.” But Nagy would not say what led to the altercation. Wims has three business days to appeal the suspension, under the collective bargaining agreement between the league and players' union.

“I don’t ever remember having our own defense score more than our offense,” Nagy said. “That’s that’s that’s hard to do. But the offense has averaged 16 points per game in Foles’ four starts since, and he’s getting little help from the players around him. The offensive line struggled against the strong front of the Rams (5-2), producing just 2.9 yards per carry. Foles was sacked four times, twice at the hands of former Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd, and he threw two interceptions.

“To join a team and to be embraced the way that I’ve been embraced — it’s been amazing for me,” Brady said. Brady threw for 369 yards and five touchdowns and helped Tampa Bay overcome a 17-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 38-31 last week. Indianapolis won 11 games that season, with Arians going 9-3 as interim coach while Pagano was battling leukemia. Getting it back in gear won't be easy this week, considering Tampa Bay ranks second against the run. “That happened to be a game there, where we were just struggling to get it going," coach Matt Nagy said.