DETROIT — New Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer wore a maroon and gold stocking hat on Saturday — practical given winter and illustrative to how he’s trying to get cozy with his new team.

Max Brosmer

The graduate transfer from the University of New Hampshire traveled to Minnesota midweek and hopped on another flight with the team to Michigan for the Quick Lane Bowl on Tuesday.

While Brosmer (pronounced BRO-smer) won’t play until the 2024 season, he’s displaying the level of investment he plans to bring daily to the Gophers — even while he’s only able to practice this holiday season.

“We’ll celebrate after the 25th,” Brosmer told the Pioneer Press about spending Christmas with family. “But being with this team and molding into this culture is really important for me. It jumpstarts me.”

Life has come fast at Brosmer this year. After leading FCS with 3,464 passing yards in the 2023 season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal in November but didn’t do the popular thing and announce the decision on social media.

“I wanted to kind of keep it on like the (down low),” Brosmer said.

That proved naive. What happened next is a reflection of both college football in 2023 and Brosmer’s value on the market.

Programs reached out within minutes of Brosmer’s name appearing on the portal database. Direct messages flooded in on the X social media app.

“It was like one minute and 35 seconds or something crazy,” Brosmer said of the first DM. “All of a sudden, bang: He’s in the portal.”

The Gophers got in early, thanks to the work from the U’s director of player personnel Marcus Hendrickson and director of recruiting John Schaekel.

“It’s a mini NFL organization now,” Fleck said of college football. “That’s what you have to really look at internally in your program.

“It used to be just, put on the assistant coaches to do a lot of the work. Still is, but now we have a whole, if you want to say, recruiting department or personnel department, which we’ve always had. But they’re doing more and more of just that job, the true evaluation piece, the portal piece.”

The Gophers knew they were going to seek competition at quarterback toward the end of the regular season. Brosmer posted about his offer from the U the Monday after Minnesota’s regular-season finale against Wisconsin. Come that Tuesday, last year’s starter, Athan Kaliakmanis, exited via the transfer portal.

The Gophers pursued Brosmer because of the way he played in 2023 and how it could be a realistic fit, meaning name, image and likeness (NIL) funding wasn’t a driving factor. The Gophers’ collective, Dinkytown Athletes, has made huge strides in funding, but they aren’t in the $1 million sweepstakes for a QB in the portal.

“They weren’t looking for the highest bidder,” Fleck told the Pioneer Press about the Brosmer family. “They weren’t looking for the most money, they weren’t looking for any of that. They were looking for the opportunity to come in, compete, but have an open quarterback room to do it.”

Brosmer wanted to stay fully invested in his UNH team this fall before considering his next step.

“It would have been doing my team an injustice, a disservice, if I was thinking about it in season,” Brosmer said. “I wouldn’t play my best.”

Brosmer was considered one of the best in FCS last season. He is one of 30 finalists for the 2023 Walter Payton Award, given to the FCS national offensive player of the year. He completed 64 percent of his passes (294 of 459) for 3,464 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games. He added five rushing TDs.

He played his best against FBS school Central Michigan in September, throwing for a career-high 493 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in a 45-42 road loss.

Fleck demands his starting quarterback be an assured leader on the team. And Brosmer explained how his leadership starts with work ethic.

“If you’re not working your butt off every single day,” he said, “how do you expect the team to respect you?”

Brosmer said at New Hampshire the only times he was not at the football facility was when he was going to class or getting something to eat. He said he met with his position coach and offensive coordinator multiple times each week before the wider position meetings.

“I’m grateful they allowed me to do that and allowed me to be a part of the game plan,” he said.

Brosmer’s move to the Big Ten is part of a progression to test himself against the best. He wants to take the next step to the NFL as well.

“I work like a pro; I want to be treated like a pro; and that’s what I found here (at Minnesota),” he said.

Brosmer has also been committed in the classroom. On a pre-med path, he earned an undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences in December 2022 and then started work on a Masters degree in exercise science/kinesiology last January. Fleck said Brosmer’s grade-point average is above 3.8.

Part of Brosmer’s interest in medicine came through his own injuries. He tore the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee at Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga., and then injured his anterior cruciate ligament at New Hampshire in 2021.

He notes he’s now fully healthy, adding “best shape in my life.”

“I make connections with my surgeon in that case,” Brosmer said. “I got to go in and watch them during surgery and shadow. Watching a surgeon do surgery is like a quarterback on the field. It’s so cool, working together in a unit.”

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During the 17 years that Zygi and Mark Wilf have owned the Vikings, the team has made the playoffs seven times. A loss on Sunday to the favored Detroit Lions would make the postseason unlikely. Going forward, the Wilfs face difficult spending decisions.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) loosens up during warm ups before the start of a NFL Wildcard Round game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2022. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Foremost will be quarterback. It’s unclear whether the underwhelming play of Vikings backups will improve Kirk Cousins’ free agency market, which could reach $40 million next spring.

It seems likely that had Cousins not been lost for the remaining nine games due to Achilles surgery, the Vikings would have won a couple more games and been a legitimate NFC North contender with the Lions.

But Cousins isn’t expected to be fully recovered in March when free agency begins. The draft isn’t until April, and there’s no guarantee the Vikings could get an elite QB. There’s also the risk that Cousins, 36 next year, could reinjure the Achilles. That risk will affect how much money the Vikings would be willing to guarantee in a contract.

The Vikings can’t go into next season with Nick Mullens, Josh Dobbs or Jaren Hall as their starter.

It’s unclear whether the Wilfs are willing to pay Justin Jefferson the mega-deal he wants (anticipated $150 million for five years). Will they re-sign free agent Danielle Hunter ($65 million or so for three years)? Hunter turns 30 next season.

With Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson signed, would the Vikings dare trade Jefferson for draft picks to take a quarterback?

Going forward, there are multiple intertwined pieces to the Vikings’ puzzle for the Wilfs to try to figure out.

—Best free agent bet for Cousins, if the Vikings don’t re-sign him, seems to be the Atlanta Falcons, who could have $50 million in salary cap space after some anticipated player cuts, including QB Taylor Heinicke, the ex-Viking.

—If the Lions (10-4) have already clinched the division and don’t have a lot to play for in the final game against the Vikings in Detroit on Jan. 7, they could rest some starters to protect against injury and prepare for the playoffs.

—The Vikings this season are the 17th-oldest team in the NFL. The Packers are the youngest. The Lions rank No. 11.

—Joe Mauer needs 75 percent from among nearly 400 baseball writers for Hall of Fame election in the former Twin’s first year of eligibility. With nearly 10 percent of ballots this month known, tracked unofficially by Ryan Thiboudaux, Mauer on Saturday was trending at 76.3 percent.

The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class will be inducted on July 21 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

—A children’s book centered on Joe Mauer, “The Right Thing To Do” about the Twins great’s kindness off the field by KSTP-TV’s Joe Schmidt, will be launched at a party at Target Field on Jan. 20.

—Defenseman Brock Faber, the ex-Gopher who is a rookie with the Minnesota Wild, is on pace to receive a maximum $1 million in incentive bonuses this season. That would be more than his salary.

Faber, from Maple Grove, has four contract levels of production worth $250,000 apiece: top-four Wild defenseman in ice time; 10 goals or 25 assists; all-NHL rookie team, and top-two defenseman in blocked shots. He also is among the top-three team defensemen in plus-minus on ice, but only four categories count toward the $1 million in bonuses.

Faber, 21, has an entry-level contract with a base salary of $832,000.The Wild acquired Faber in the Kevin Fiala trade with the Los Angeles Kings. A left winger, Fiala, 27, has 29 points in 29 games this season.

—That was ex-Gophers men’s basketball coach Dan Monson leading Long Beach State to its recent 84-79 victory over Southern California, which featured the college debut of LeBron James’ son, Bronny. That made Long Beach State the only team in the country this season with road victories against teams in the Big East (DePaul), Big Ten (Michigan) and Pac-12 (USC).

—Max Shikenjanski, the former Stillwater QB star who suddenly as a Gophers freshman is backup to Cole Kramer for Tuesday’s Quick Lane Bowl game against Bowling Green, is unfazed that Minnesota has three incoming QBs in its 2024 recruiting class and couldn’t be more excited about his status.

—Deephaven’s Tim Herron of the Champions Tour underwent Dupuytren’s contracture hand surgery the other day so he can practice without pain, which has limited his play.

—Some Target Center courtside seats for Timberwolves games are $1,500 per ticket. In Los Angeles for Lakers and New YOrk for Knicks games, courtside seats approach $4,000 apiece.

—The Timberwolves are 17th in the 30-team NBA in attendance, averaging 18,024 per game.

—Coach Chris Finch considers Karl-Anthony Towns the Timberwolves’ best shooter and said he’s also among the best in the NBA.

—A 2005-06 game-used Timberwolves No. 21 Kevin Garnett jersey has received a $1,500 bid on a VSA national auction. A 1991 Kirby Puckett autographed 1991 No. 34 jersey has fetched a $5,000 bid.

—Minnehaha Academy grad Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City ranks No. 9 on NBA Social’s top-10 most viewed players. No Timberwolves are among the top 10.

—Late Vikings-San Antonio Spurs owner Red McCombs’ grandson, Joseph
Shields, is buying into the Spurs as a limited partner, per sportico.com.

—The Minnesota Myth — the latest local Arena Football League team — begins training camp on April 1, with the first game later in the month at Target Center. An open tryout camp will be Jan. 20 at the University of Minnesota, where the coach, Rickey Foggie, starred under Lou Holtz (1984-85).

Foggie, who played quarterback for eight seasons for AFL teams and coached for five seasons in the AFL besides coaching at Park Center, Red Wing, St. Thomas Academy and DeLaSalle high schools, said the new 16-team league will play 10 games.

“The first year is always hard in any sport, so we’re just looking to coach the young men up and put a good product on the field and see what happens,” Foggie said.

Foggie, 57, who resides in Burnsville, said he’s working on finding a quarterback.

“Can’t find anyone better than me yet,” he said with a laugh.

Foggie said the interesting part of the team is that it has a woman owner, attorney Diana Hutton, who is wife of Lee Hutton, also a lawyer and a former Gopher who is the league’s commissioner.

“Diana wants to do a lot of stuff in the community off the field, and the good part of it is that she’s going to let me run the football side,” Foggie said. “So it couldn’t be any better than that.”

—In five seasons coaching football at St. Thomas Academy, Dan O’Brien’s teams were 49-5 with five straight state tournament appearances. A year ago, O’Brien left for a new challenge, Holy Family, which had lost its previous 25 games.

This year, with a hall of fame staff, O’Brien’s team finished 7-4, losing to Minneapolis North for a chance to advance to the state tournament.

“To be honest, if someone had said before the season, would you take 7-4, I would have taken that in a second,” O’Brien said. “The kids worked hard — I was happy for them. It’s been a nice turnaround.”

O’Brien, 59, and his staff will return to Holy Family next season.

“I’ve got the two legends — Jeff Ferguson and Dave Nelson — locked in for another year and they are fantastic,” he said. “I learned a lot from them. Nellie called the offense and Fergs helped on defense with Jeff Moritko.”

O’Brien’s son Casey coaches quarterbacks. Casey, 24, the celebrated former Gopher who has courageously fought back from osteosarcoma — a rare bone cancer — has undergone three lung-related surgeries the last four weeks but is cancer free. Casey has had more than 30 overall surgeries.

“The good news is there’s no cancer,” his dad said.

—Daniel Oturu, the former Gopher from Cretin-Derham Hall, has been dominant playing basketball in Istanbul, Turkey, and could get another chance in the NBA by the all-star break in February.

—Top infield prospect in the L.A. Dodgers system is second baseman Michael Busch, 26, from Simley. He’s also the No. 5 overall prospect combined as an outfielder.

Busch, who hit .167 with two home runs in 27 games for the Dodgers last season and is spending the offseason working out in Minneapolis, is naturally excited about the Dodgers’ signing of Shohei Ohtani, who received an astounding $700 million contract.

“Quite a bit of money there; it’s awesome that he’s part of the organization,” Busch said. “Pretty cool.”

Excited to be a teammate?

“Who wouldn’t be,” he said.

—Dallas Mavericks’ top assistant Sean Sweeney, the former Cretin-Derham Hall and University of St. Thomas basketball star, led Dallas to a 130-106 victory over Houston as acting head coach when Jason Kidd was out for sickness last month.

—Stars for the Providence Academy girls basketball team are Maddie Greenway, sophomore daughter of ex-Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, and eighth grader Ari Peterson, daughter of ex-Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

—Former Minneapolis North basketball star Khalid El-Amin has Anoka-Ramsey off to a 6-5 start in his first season as the Golden Rams’ men’s coach.

—Most popular jersey at the Vikings Locker Room store at Mall of America is Justin Jefferson. T.J. Hockenson is No. 2.

—High-energy 5-foot-8 former Stillwater outfielder-pitcher Brayden Hellum is transferring from Kirkwood JC in Iowa to the Gophers.

—Sports power lunch at Yard House in St. Louis Park last week: Bob Hagan, Dave Lee, Patrick Klinger, Dan O’Brien, Pete Eckerline, Jeff Munneke and Randy Handel.

—State golfers posted nearly 90,000 more rounds played in 2023 than in 2002, per the Minnesota Golf Association.

Don’t print that

—Some Gophers boosters the other day came forward with some substantive name, image and likeness packages for football. Meanwhile, six Big Ten men’s basketball teams this season have raised at least $1 million for NIL deals. The Gophers are not among them.

—The 15th player on the No. 1 Purdue’s basketball roster is getting $100,000 this season, with 7-4 center Zach Edey collecting $1.1 million.

—A new NIL deal for Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark, who plays the Gophers on Feb. 28 before a sellout at Williams Arena, is a multi-year endorsement with Gatorade. Other Clark NIL deals, which total in excess of $1 million: Nike, Buick, Topps and H&R Block.

—The Gophers say 85 percent of NIL contributions actually go to their athletes. The rest is operating expenses.

—Gophers football has the 38th-best 2024 recruiting class, per 247sports. Wisconsin is No. 22, Iowa No. 33.

New Big Ten 2024 teams recruiting rankings: Oregon No. 6, USC No. 18, Washington No. 36 and UCLA No. 62.

—The Twins have released VP-assistant GM Rob Antony, 58, after 35 years with the organization. Antony was an invaluable talent evaluator and contract negotiator for younger players.

—There would be a tremendous backlash from alumni who have financially supported the Gophers baseball program (including a major upgrade of Siebert Field) if the university dared discontinue the sport following the retirement of hall of fame coach John Anderson at the end of next season.

For several years, Bethel coach Brian Raabe, the former Gopher-Twin, has been considered Anderson’s successor-in-waiting, provided there would be adequate support from administration, which Anderson has never received. Dan Wilson, the former Gopher-Mariner, is a name mentioned in past years.

Although Anderson is the all-time leader in Big Ten victories, he is paid half of what Ohio State’s Bill Mosiello and Michigan’s Tracy Smith receive.

—There are 41 football bowl games. The worst, No. 41, is the Quick Lane Bowl featuring the Gophers (5-7) vs. Bowling Green (7-5) in Detroit on Tuesday, per assorted rankings. Minnesota is the only bowl participant with a losing record. Still, Gophers coach P.J. Fleck gets a $100,000 bonus for making the bowl.

Among Quick Lane Bowl player gifts: $175 Amazon gift cards and Harman wireless headphones (value $100).

—Pending Timberwolves-Lynx co-owner Alex Rodriguez has had trouble finding a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) with which to merge, per the “Hustle,” but as the Pioneer Press reported this month, the sale of the teams to Rodriguez and Marc Lore is now on track to soon become official despite Glen Taylor offering a second deadline extension.

—Rodriguez, 48, on his business approach, per Sports Illustrated: “Any business that we own, we think about owning it for 100 years.”

—Joe Rossi, 44, gone as Gophers defensive coordinator for the same job at Michigan State, owes Minnesota $330,000 via a buyout. But the Spartans, not Rossi, are expected to pay.

—There’s whispering that the University of St. Thomas is interested in having its basketball, hockey and football games in a broadcast package on WCCO-AM. The school has had its football games aired on KSTP-AM since 2021.

—There’s little doubt that the University of St. Thomas men’s basketball team, which came within six points of upsetting No. 7 Marquette in Milwaukee the other day and scored 104 against Wisconsin-River Falls, would be a legitimate challenge for the Gophers.

—People close to the Gophers will be surprised if sophomore basketball guard Braeden Carrington from Brooklyn Park doesn’t enter the NCAA transfer portal.

—It wouldn’t be surprising if Mike Zimmer, 67, fired as Vikings coach two years ago, returns to the NFL as defensive coordinator after his contract expires this year to work for Arizona coach Jonathon Gannon.

Fired with Zimmer, ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman is a NFL draft evaluator via the X social platform.

—Gersson Rosas, fired two years ago as Timberwolves basketball president, has ended up as senior VP with the N.Y. Knicks.

—The University of Minnesota, conceptually, has considered either renovating Williams Arena or building a new arena in the parking lots north of the arena.

Overheard

—Fast-working Twins pitcher Louie Varland, on baseball’s pitch clock: “I pride myself on a fast pace. It turned into a strategy because the players behind me love it, the coaches love it, the fans love it. Everybody loves the fast pace except for the batter — they don’t have time to think.”

The Chicago Bears (5-9) look to rebound from yet another fourth-quarter collapse and loss when they host the Arizona Cardinals (3-11) on Sunday at Soldier Field (3:25 p.m., Fox-32).

As kickoff approaches, here’s our snapshot look at the game.

Players in the spotlight

Bears running backs

In the aftermath of a 20-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Bears coach Matt Eberflus pointed to the run game as one reason the offense managed just 10 points. The Bears rushed for 88 yards, their third-worst output this season.

Now the Bears, led by running backs Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson, face the Cardinals, whose 31st-ranked rushing defense gives up 139.6 rushing yards per game.

Eberflus put the onus on an offensive line that will be without left guard Teven Jenkins (concussion), saying “you’ve got to be able to move people at the line of scrimmage.”

Herbert and Foreman have been hobbled by injuries this season, and Foreman is listed as questionable because of a personal issue. Herbert missed five games midseason while on injured reserve with an ankle injury and has not had the same production since he returned. But Eberflus said he has seen Herbert’s burst return in practice.

“We’re excited to see it in the game, and so is he,” Eberflus said. “He’s been working hard at it. The scheme is good this week. We’ve got some good plays in there for him and the other guys to get the ball on the perimeter as well as inside.”

If the Bears can bounce back in the run game, that should also help quarterback Justin Fields rebound against a Cardinals defense that doesn’t rank particularly well in any facet.

Eberflus said coach Jonathan Gannon, who worked under him with the Indianapolis Colts, helps direct a defense that does a good job with their disguises.

“They do a lot of the sim pressures, have that five-DB shell at the back end of the defense,” Fields said. “They hold their shell for as long as possible, give you some messed-up looks, so it’s going to be important for the guys to confirm coverage post-snap.

Pressing question

Will the Bears still play hungry with their playoff hopes all but over?

Bears safety Eddie Jackson said it has been a while since he had an emotional reaction quite like the one he had after the game against the Browns, who trailed by 10 points early in the fourth quarter.

“I feel like everyone was sick,” Jackson said. “I haven’t cried from a loss in I don’t know how long. That one brought tears to my eyes, so it really cut deep.”

The Bears collapsed twice before in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions — and won games the week after those losses. But Jackson said the latest was so crushing because the players harbored playoff hopes, with an easier schedule down the stretch after the Browns.

“We knew what we were fighting for,” Jackson said. “We knew we had it. And to go out and lose it like that. It was like, ‘Oh, man, it happened again.’ ”

The Bears’ chances of making the playoffs are now minuscule, so that begs the question of whether the team can maintain its focus without the carrot of the postseason.

“I don’t think it’s hard at all, I mean, if you take pride in winning,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “Just knowing the guys that we have, it’s not hard to bounce back. It’s not hard to continue to fight adversity. That’s what the game is about.”

Keep an eye on …

Kyler Murray’s ability to extend plays

In five games since returning from a December 2022 ACL tear, Murray has completed 105 of 169 passes (62.1%) for 1,075 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions with 14 sacks. He has rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns.

Jackson said Murray is still “very, very mobile” after the injury, and Bears defenders worked on the scramble drill during the week as they plan to stop him from extending plays.

“They keep him moving, especially when the pocket falls, he has these holes he can escape through,” Jackson said. “He likes to attack the edges when it’s time for him to get out of that pocket. He’s fast and he’s elusive, and he’s a smaller guy. So you’re not on top of him, you have to have the right tackle angles to get him on the ground. But he definitely makes things happen with his feet.”

A Bears defense that has become top six in the NFL in takeaways with 23 looks to continue its surge. But Murray presents a new challenge, not only for Bears players but for coaches.

“We’ve got to be able to keep him in the well or in the chute there,” Eberflus said. “That’s difficult to do. He’s very athletic. He’s very quick, and you have to have a plan for him for sure. You have various ways of doing that. You rush four, you have a guy looking for him. You might have two guys looking for him. You game up your rush to move him a certain way and have somebody waiting for him.”

‘Mad as hell’

Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney hasn’t stayed away from social media this week despite the firestorm of commentary on his Hail Mary drop against the Browns.

His friends have sent him things about the game, which ended when the winning Hail Mary touchdown pass bounced out of Mooney’s grasp after he fell to the ground in the end zone.

“That stuff doesn’t bother me,” Mooney said. “At the end of the day, like I said, I tried to catch the ball. I’m falling. I got pushed out of the pile. If I would have caught it, it definitely would have been a good thing. We still have some things to work on at the end of the game besides the Hail Mary. I’m not holding on to it.”

Don’t mistake those comments for Mooney not caring that his season hasn’t been up to par.

In a contract year, Mooney has just 29 catches for 409 yards and a touchdown — with just two catches on eight targets for 14 yards against the Browns.

“There have been some pissed-off moments for sure,” Mooney said. “I’ve been mad as hell. I’m human. I expect a lot more out of myself. I expect to have a stellar season. I expect to be a playmaker on my team. That has not been the case this year. I believe in myself. My guys believe in me as well. … I’m going to keep working, and we’ll see where the chips fall.”

Injury report

Along with Jenkins, the Bears declared out wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (pectoral) and linebacker Noah Sewell (knee).

Tight end Cole Kmet was limited in practice Thursday and Friday with a quad issue and is questionable, but Eberflus said Kmet is trending in the right direction. Along with Foreman, running back Travis Homer (hamstring) is also questionable.

For the Cardinals, top wide receiver Marquise Brown (heel) and cornerbacks Garrett Williams (knee) and Bobby Price (quad) are out.

Safety Andre Chachere (shoulder), linebacker Victor Dimukeje (foot), wide receiver Greg Dortch (shoulder) and cornerback Antonio Hamilton (calf) are questionable.

Predictions

Brad Biggs (10-4)

The Bears would have been OK last week had they not run into one of the better defenses in the league, maybe the best they will face all season. The Cardinals are in the early stages of what will be a long rebuild. They rank 31st against the run and have had a rough go defending the pass as well, with opposing quarterbacks combining for a 103.8 passer rating, also 31st. While the metric isn’t perfect, there’s a large sample size entering Week 16, and the Cardinals are the eighth opponent the Bears will face who rank in the bottom 10 in passer rating. Add it up and the Bears will have 11 games against teams currently in the bottom 10. They should be able to produce on offense.

Bears 28, Cardinals 13

Colleen Kane (9-5)

Because the coach-quarterback conversation feels as complicated as it can get, the Bears probably will win the next two, making it even more unclear just how team brass should proceed this offseason. But I’m not picking the Bears because I’m rooting for social media chaos. I’m picking them in part because it felt like a genuinely normal locker room this week despite the crushing loss to the Browns. The Bears have bounced back from such collapses before this season to beat bad teams — topping the Commanders after the Broncos loss and then beating the Vikings after the Lions collapse. I think they will do it again, with Justin Fields and the offense looking quite a bit better against a defense that is nowhere near what they faced in the Browns. And the Bears defense should have another opportunity to continue its takeaway parade. Merry Christmas, Bears fans.

Bears 27, Cardinals 20

Dan Wiederer (9-5)

Give this Bears team credit. Even the most dispiriting of losses don’t seem to linger. And this team has again had a positive week resetting emotionally after Sunday’s collapse in Cleveland. The Bears also return home to face an inferior opponent with a vulnerable defense. It sets up to be a stress-free afternoon and a potential wire-to-wire victory. Happy holidays, Chicago!

Bears 26, Cardinals 16

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WMVP-AM weekday afternoon co-host and former Chicago Bears wide receiver Tom Waddle and his wife, Cara, on Nov. 1 paid $1.5 million for a five-bedroom, 6,818-square-foot mansion in Long Grove.

The purchase came more than five months after Cara Waddle and her husband, who played for the Bears from 1989 until 1994 before going into broadcasting, sold their five-bedroom, 8,000-square-foot mansion in Lake Forest for $3.1 million.

Built in 2006, the couple’s new home in Long Grove has been renovated and has 5½ bathrooms, two fireplaces, high ceilings, hardwood floors, intricate moldings and millwork, designer lighting, arches and columns, and a renovated kitchen with custom cabinetry, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, marble countertops and an island with seating. Other features include a great room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, a sunroom, a private office with built-ins, a turret area and a primary bedroom suite with heated floors, a sitting area with an antechamber and dual walk-in closets.

The mansion also has a finished basement containing a recreation area, a dedicated theater, a wine cellar, an exercise room and a bar with a fireplace. Outside on the 0.83-acre property are a patio and a fire pit.

The Long Grove home had been listed for $1.49 million in mid-September, and it went under contract to sell to the Waddles just two days later.

In Lake Forest, the couple had paid $2.15 million in 2015 for the 8,000-square-foot mansion. That means that on paper at least, they booked almost a $1 million profit in their sale in May, although undoubtedly offsetting some of that gain is the fact that they redecorated the mansion in 2019 and 2020. Built in 2002, the three-story brick and limestone house has five full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, a newer DaVinci roof, a grand foyer with a double staircase and a chandelier, 10-foot-high ceilings, 8-foot-high doors, hardwood and travertine floors, and tray and barrel ceilings.

The Lake Forest mansion also has five fireplaces, skylights, extensive moldings, wainscoting, a finished third floor with a kitchenette and a cedar closet, a heated four-car garage and radiant heated floors on the main level, in the second-floor guest suite and in the primary suite’s bathroom. Outside on the 1.8-acre property are an in-ground saltwater pool with a spa and an electronic pool cover, a circular drive with a fountain and a shed.

The Waddles first listed the Lake Forest mansion in real estate agents’ private listing network in March, for $3.25 million. They then publicly listed it in early April, and they found a buyer a few days later.

Real estate agent Mona Hellinga, who represented the Waddles both in their Long Grove purchase in November and in their Lake Forest sale in May, declined to comment.

The Waddles’ new Long Grove house had a $37,345 property tax bill in the 2022 tax year, while their now-former Lake Forest mansion had a $53,490 property tax bill in the 2022 tax year.

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

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