The Chicago Bears have had a doozy of a start to their 2023 season.
The team began the year 0-2, losing both games by double digits. Quarterback Justin Fields has been disappointing to begin his third pro season, notching a meager 70.7 passer rating and averaging just 31 rush yards per game. When asked to explain his subpar play, he was quick to critique his coaching staff.
Then defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned abruptly, citing “personal issues.” Soon thereafter it came to light (per The New York Post) that law enforcement raided Williams’ home and Bears HQ at Halas Hall in “connection with an undisclosed incident.”
That’s enough headaches for most franchises to begin a season, but the Bears wound up in yet another bizarre headline today.
$100,000 Worth of Equipment Stolen From Soldier Field
What a week it has been for the Chicago Bears
– Disgusting allegations surrounding Alan Williams who resigned abruptly
– Justin Fields calls out the coaching staff (then corrects himself)
– Has $100,000 worth of equipment stolenAll while the team is 0-2 pic.twitter.com/bYreGXrBbm
— Justin Fields Fan Club (@JustinFieldsFC) September 22, 2023
The Bears had a large amount of expensive equipment burglarized from their home stadium, Soldier Field, overnight Wednesday into Thursday. Luca Serra, director of marketing and public relations at Soldier Field, confirmed that bizarre headline to ESPN.
MORE: PFN Life — Off-the-Field Content
The equipment taken was not of the football variety, the Bears should still have shoulder pads and helmets ready to go for their Sunday clash at Arrowhead with the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead, a number of ride-along mowers and John Deere Gator utility vehicles were nabbed from Chicago’s home field.
Much in this bizarre story remains unclear. For instance, did the actors have a trailer or at least a couple of flatbeds to stow their coupe in (or on)? Or did they ride away on the motorized horses they captured? And Soldier Field isn’t exactly secluded. How did these thieves manage to go undetected in the heart of a bustling metropolis like Chicago?
The actors ripped down a protective fence to get after the equipment they coveted. And as noted above, the thieves got away with six figures worth of lawn care equipment. If there’s any leads as to the actor’s whereabouts, they’ve not been released to the public. Speaking of the public, they’ve expectedly had a field day with the Bears’ multitude of misfortunes.
The Chicago Bears had over $100,000 worth in equipment stolen from Soldier Field overnight on Wednesday. A fence modeled after their offensive line was tore down and a truck drove right out of the facility. pic.twitter.com/cZ5HHKGJPg
— At The Buzzer (@AtTheBuzzer1) September 22, 2023
Justin Fields is regressing and blames coaching.
The defensive coordinator resigned out of nowhere and no one wants to say why.
$100,000 worth of equipment got stolen from their home stadium.
It's only week three.
What is happening with the Chicago Bears?!
— Chris Hilling (@cityonahilling) September 22, 2023
Justin Fields stole $19mil from the Bears and they're worried about 100k worth of equipment? Lol.
— Dovak Njokovic (@suns816) September 22, 2023
Found the culprit who stole $100,000 of equipment from Soldier Field. @ChicagoBears https://t.co/zhesVva8U5
— Troy Lampert (@tlampfr3sh) September 22, 2023
Chicago will now attempt to refocus and, ahem, bear down in hopes of getting back on the right track ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the … Kansas City Chiefs. That is the undefeated, reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs; quarterbacked by a young man in Patrick Mahomes who the Bears once famously passed on in the 2017 NFL Draft.
That old adage about rainfall portending heavier rainfall rings especially true in Chicago right about now.