ArticleScore 100
NFC Notes: J.J. McCarthy, Matthew Golden, Bears, Packers, Vikings
Apr 16, 2026Jonathan ComeauxNFL Trade Rumors
Getting things ready
Loading Fantasy Red Zone…
Player mentions
Article text
Bears Bears GM Ryan Poles said DB Coby Bryant ‘s championship pedigree was a big reason why they opted to sign him in free agency. “ He knows what it takes to get to that point, ” Poles said, via The Athletic . “ So when he’s talking about how hungry he is to re-establish that, it gives you a ton of hope. That competitiveness, the passion for the game, we took that into consideration as we built our free-agent board. ” Former Bears C Drew Dalman ‘s abrupt retirement caught the team off guard, but Poles is happy with how the organization responded. “ We talk about what we can do, rather than what the problem is, ” Poles said. “ It’s something I’m proud of — just the level of communication and collaboration. It’s problem-solving. The hard part of this job is not the things you expect and that you anticipate. It’s the unexpected. I think that’s where you can have those wins that help you progress as a football team. ” Bears CEO Kevin Warren credited Poles for remaining calm after Dalman’s retirement and trading WR D.J. Moore this offseason, which helped the organization remain steady in the face of adversity. “ One of the things I saw in Ryan is that his preparedness allowed him to make really strong and solid decisions, ” Warren said. “ You can imagine, if your starting Pro Bowl center, who you just signed 10 months ago in free agency, retires and then you’re trading DJ Moore and then (facing) a lot of these other decisions, if you weren’t prepared, those would be difficult decisions. But him being so prepared allows him to remain calm. And when he’s calm, everyone around him is calm. ” Packers Packers GM Brian Gutekunst is excited to see WR Matthew Golden enter his second year in the NFL and thinks he can make a significant jump. “ With all the opportunities we gave him, I thought he did an excellent job, ” Gutekunst said, via ESPN . “ I would have loved to have seen him get more opportunities through the year. It didn’t work out that way. But when he did, he performed, and he performed at a high level. I’m really excited to see where he goes in Year 2. I think his ceiling is very, very high. We’re very, very excited about what he’s going to do for our football team moving forward. ” Former Packers WR James Jones admitted that Golden has way more natural ability than what he had and believes that he’ll settle in within the scheme. “ He got way more than I had — way more juice, way more moves, ” Jones said of Golden during a recent appearance on the annual Packers Tailgate Tour. “ I may have had the ability to go get the ball a little bit more, but the dude’s going to be a superstar. We’re talking about when I was a rookie, yeah, I had 47 catches, I was out there with Brett Favre , but my head was spinning. It’s still spinning. I could remember back to when, I would come out of games … with like 15 missed assignments. I’m calling the wife like, don’t unpack yet, because we gonna mess around and get cut. We’re just here for a little bit. But like, my head was spinning. I was making a couple plays. But for him, I just think it’s all about finding ways to get him in a groove, and I think with [Doubs and Wicks] out now, you’ll see him have a bigger role, you’ll see him get some chemistry with Jordan Love . But he got everything you want in a wide receiver.” Former Packers WR Randall Cobb acknowledged that while expectations are high for Golden being a first-round pick, he believes the ceiling is also high for him as well. “ Yes, he was a fir…