Sports newsletter
Want to bet? Bears favored in 7 of 17 games — including 1 on the road.
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sports

Friday, May 16, 2025

Good morning, Chicago.

Caleb Williams wanted nothing to do with the Bears as last year’s NFL draft approached, and the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and his father looked into how they could have a hand in which team selected him, according to a book to be published in September.

In “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback,” author and ESPN reporter Seth Wickersham describes how Williams and his father, Carl Williams, asked attorneys to find a workaround to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, explored signing with the United Football League and considered publicly ripping Chicago and the Bears to create an untenable situation for the team.

“Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” Carl Williams said ahead of the draft, according to the book.

But Williams resigned himself to being drafted by the Bears, and after a pre-draft visit to the team facility, he believed he could help lead a turnaround.

“I can do it for this team,” Caleb told his dad, according to the book. “I’m going to go to the Bears.”

Stay connected with us all day: Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest news in your inbox. And you can follow us on social media: X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Not a Tribune subscriber? Here's our latest offer.

For a trio of Cubs, the City Series represents the other side of the rivalry with the White Sox

Cubs players Chris Flexen, Nicky Lopez and Brad Keller are looking forward to experiencing the other side of the City Series rivalry with the White Sox.

Read more →

Want to bet? Chicago Bears favored in 7 of 17 games after 2025 NFL schedule release.

The full NFL schedule is out, and so are very early betting odds. The Chicago Bears were installed as the favorite in 7 of 17 games.

Read more →

From many Ben Johnsons to Minecraft and Mario Kart: How NFL teams revealed their schedules on social media

From Minecraft to Mario Kart, plenty of NFL teams had younger fans in mind while revealing schedules in the growing tradition of videos on social media.

Read more →

Chicago Sky’s 2025 season is all about change and growth — ‘but the goal is to make the playoffs’

The Chicago Sky’s Tyler Marsh doesn’t want to hear any caveats or excuses in his first year as a WNBA head coach. But he also knows winning can’t be rushed.

Read more →

Today in Chicago History: NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Jordan says, ‘Maybe I’ll never have another season like this’

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on May 16, according to the Tribune’s archives.

Read more →

Kasparas Jakučionis feels ready for the NBA draft — and excited for Illinois’ new wave of ‘Balkan Ballers’

Kasparas Jakučionis hopes to sell NBA teams on the one thing he promises to provide any team that calls his name on draft night: “All-out effort.”

Read more →

Chicago White Sox lose 7-1, falling short in bid to sweep Cincinnati Reds. 3 takeaways from the series win.

The Chicago White Sox gave up three home runs Thursday in a 7-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, falling short of a sweep. Here are three takeaways from the series.

Read more →

Broken records and good vibes as Northwestern advances to its 16th Final Four in women’s lacrosse

Northwestern junior Madison Taylor broke the NCAA, Big Ten and school single-season scoring records as the Wildcats beat Penn 17-12 in the quarterfinals.

Read more →
<