CHGO Digest: Bears game day, Pedro Grifol's job security

Good morning, friends!

It’s here. It’s finally here.

Caleb Williams’ professional career won’t begin tonight in Canton, but I may have dreamt last night that it ends there with an enshrinement ceremony years from now.

Even without Caleb playing, we’ll still be able to tune our televisions to ABC at 7 p.m. and watch the Chicago Bears play a football game.

Football’s back!

— Patrick Norton

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Caleb, DJ, Devin & Mongo.

Caleb Williams and the rest of the first-teamers won’t see the field in tonight’s Hall of Fame Game. When asked how he told the rookie quarterback he wouldn’t play, Matt Eberflus kept it short and sweet: “You’re not playing.”

Williams said on Monday he wouldn’t fight the coaching staff’s eventual decision. “I always think there’s more pros than cons in anything, especially for a young guy like myself,” Williams said. “It’s really important, and we’ll see about these preseason games coming up, how they play out.”

But Williams isn’t the only Bear in the headlines ahead of tonight’s preseason opener.

• On Tuesday, DJ Moore and the Bears agreed to a 4-year contract extension worth up to $110 million that keeps the wide receiver in Chicago through the 2029 season. After signing the deal, Moore celebrated his guaranteed future with… Popeyes. The order? A regular 8-piece family meal with mashed potatoes.
  
• While tonight’s game serves as an unofficial kickoff to the NFL season, it’s hardly the highlight of the weekend in Canton. On Saturday, Devin Hester, Steve McMichael, and Julius Peppers become immortalized. Hester still holds the league record for most punt return touchdowns in a career with 14. McMichael required the Hall of Fame’s Senior Committee’s election to receive a long overdue enshrinement.
  
• Jonathan Owens won’t participate in the Hall of Fame Game, but for good reason. The Bears’ defensive back is in Paris, where on Tuesday, Simone Biles — Owens’ wife — became the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympics history.
  

📖 READ | CHGO Bears’ Mark Carman on DJ Moore’s reaction to becoming a member of the Bears last year.

🏈 TONIGHT | Bears vs. Texans — 7 p.m. on ABC/ESPN

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Tee off at the CHGO Kickoff!

Hit the links and compete with your friends and favorite CHGO personalities at Cog Hill on August 23rd for the second annual CHGO Kickoff Classic!

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Pedro Grifol’s job security following trade deadline

17 consecutive losses isn’t the worst stretch in baseball history. It is the worst in White Sox history… by three games… topping a record set by the club earlier this season.

While Bob Nightengale reported in June that Pedro Grifol was unlikely to be removed from his managerial post before the conclusion of the season, things have somehow only gotten worse. Grifol’s career record at the helm in Chicago is an abhorrent 88-185.

Could the organization reverse course on what was reported in June?

• Chris Getz didn’t exactly have a ringing endorsement for Grifol when speaking with the media after the trade deadline passed on Tuesday. When asked if Grifol’s job is still secure by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Getz said, “We just wrapped up the deadline. Just wanted to focus on that, and we’ll get through tonight and kind of debrief, look at the players we acquired, and move forward from there.
  
• On Wednesday, after the White Sox extended their losing streak to 17 with a 10-3 loss at home to the Royals, Rogers tweeted, “Lots of rumblings about Pedro Grifol’s job status here at the park.”
  
• Who takes over if the White Sox part with Grifol before the season ends? Bench coach Charlie Montoyo makes the most sense as an option with managerial experience. However, Tony La Russa is still with the organization as a special advisor to baseball ops.
  

🎧 LISTEN | The CHGO White Sox Podcast reacts to the 17th consecutive loss for the South Siders, and Getz’s failure to endorse Grifol.

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Roundup: Jed Hoyer’s ‘risk-averse’ nature

• Jed Hoyer didn’t make as many moves as some anticipated at the trade deadline on Tuesday, but he did what he said he would: look toward 2025 and beyond. On Wednesday, when asked about his reluctance to dole out $300 million contracts while appearing on 670 The Score, Hoyer said, “I’m not fundamentally opposed to it. I do think that I’m probably more risk-averse on those kinds of deals. Those are the deals you sign the truly elite.”

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Mardi Gras in July with Cajun Nation!

Huge thanks to @CajunNationCo for fueling our @CHGO_WhiteSox watchalong🤝

Tune into @Sean_W_Anderson & @Ecnerwal23 hanging out postgame‼️

WATCH: https://t.co/5r5EwAYqSZ pic.twitter.com/o2wi4xL3Pb

— CHGO Sports (@CHGO_Sports) July 31, 2024

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Join us for an upcoming CHGO event!

⚾ 8/9: CHGO White Sox Crosstown Takeover at Guaranteed Rate Field!
⛳ 8/23: Kickoff Classic Golf Tournament at Cog Hill!
⚾ 9/6: CHGO Cubs Takeover for Anthony Rizzo’s return to Wrigley!
🏈 9/8: CHGO Bears Tailgate in Chicago! – Week 1 vs. Titans