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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- One day after sending a 2024 second-round pick to Washington in exchange for edge rusher Montez Sweat, Bears general manager Ryan Poles said the team is in the process of working out a contract extension for the 27-year-old defensive lineman, who is playing on the final year of his rookie deal.

"I feel really confident that we can get a deal done," Poles said.

Since being drafted in the first round in 2019, Sweat is one of six players to notch at least five sacks in each of the last five seasons. This season, he has 6.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for loss. Of the Bears' league-low 10 sacks, only five have come from their defensive ends, along with 13 quarterback hits and 11 tackles for loss combined.

"I think it's capitalizing right now because you start to lose opportunities," Poles said about trading for Sweat. "If you look at the free agent stack now, it's going to look very different by the time you get to that point of the year because there are so many different opportunities that can pop up in terms of extensions, tags, different things like that. So, we decided with that type of player we wanted to capitalize on that now."

Shortly after passing his physical on Wednesday, Sweat said he was letting his agents handle contract negotiations and that he would need to account for multiple factors before agreeing to sign an extension with the Bears.

"I think all that goes into play from financial to the people around me to the players in the building, all that type of stuff like that," Sweat said. "I just got here. I'm still trying to figure out where I'm going to lay my head at tonight."

The move for Sweat comes one year after Chicago sent the No. 32 overall pick to Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for wide receiver Chase Claypool, who was traded to Miami Dolphins last month along with a seventh rounder after appearing in just 10 games with the Bears.

Poles said he wasn't deterred from making another aggressive move at the deadline because of the talent he believes Sweat possesses to be a "multiplier" for their defense.

"I try to take a lot of pride in it. You look at things that you do, if they fail or you make mistakes, you look back at why and address those," Poles. "I think the key is that sometimes you become a little bit shy to make aggressive moves as you go forward. That's not how we're wired.

"I took a lot of those things from that situation [with Claypool] and kind of went through that process and said, 'OK, here's where we may have messed up this.' Then for this one, it's not making the same mistake."

Poles also remained open to the idea of working out an extension for 24-year-old cornerback Jaylon Johnson. The general manager said he was anticipating getting an extension done after meeting with Johnson's representatives in Los Angeles on Sunday.

According to Poles, after the Bears returned from their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Johnson's representatives reached out requesting to explore a trade, which the team granted.

"Here's the thing. I don't want to lose Jaylon Johnson," Poles said. "If I were to lose Jaylon Johnson, I would like to have a high percentage of hitting on another Jaylon Johnson, which to me, is a late first and into early second [round draft pick]. Really simple there. That didn't happen. We are still open to getting a contract done. I know we're going to follow Jaylon's lead on how he wants to go about doing that but we're still open."

Johnson did not think he would be showing up to Halas Hall for work on Wednesday after the trade request was granted. The cornerback said he was disappointed when nothing had materialized before the 4 p.m. trade deadline on Tuesday.

"Nothing I want has happened so far as contract, trade, anything like that," Johnson said. "Maybe the timing wasn't there. Again, I've always said I'm gonna let God take the wheel on it and I don't want to try to force anything. Since it didn't happen, I feel like there's a reason why some things haven't happened yet. I'm just gonna continue to play ball, continue to grow, and see what happens after that."

Poles was surprised that negotiations had taken a turn after the two parties were "working to close the gap" because he felt neither side had reached an impasse. While the Bears had previously extended offers, a best and final had not been put on the table.

Last week, Johnson said he was looking for "respect and security" in the form of a new contract and did not believe both sides were on the same page.

"There's a difference between talking and trying to work things out versus trying to get things done," Johnson said. "Up until this weekend, nothing was done. I figured I wanted some different opportunities to see what else was out there for me. Really, other than that, that's about it."

Johnson maintains he's not asking for a contract that will "change the market or break records," but he believes the way he's played this season has increased his value and potential earnings.

"I feel like, for one, I've played my best year that I've played at the Bears," Johnson said. "I feel like my impact is greater that it has been. ... I feel like I'm the best corner in the game right now. Just going off that and continuing to play at a high level, that's not gonna change. I feel like for me, that only increases my value. And it so happens that you strike iron while it's hot. That's what it's about."

In six games this season, Johnson has two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown, a forced fumble, seven run stops and a passer rating of 37.3 allowed.

Given the way negotiations with the Bears have unfolded, Johnson smiled when asked if he is eager to test free agency when his rookie contract expires in March.

"One hundred percent," he said.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears fired running backs coach David Walker, coach Matt Eberflus announced Wednesday morning.

A source told ESPN that Walker's dismissal was because of his behavior in the workplace. Walker had been previously reprimanded by the Bears' human resources department for workplace conduct, according to the source, and a second such instance led to his firing.

"As the head coach, we are building a program and have standards to uphold to as a staff and organization both on and off the field, and those standards were not met," Eberflus said.

Eberflus added that Walker's dismissal was "disappointing from my vantage point."

"We have a standard to uphold to," he said. "When that standard is not met, we act. We act accordingly, and that's what we did today."

Walker, 53, is the second Bears assistant coach to leave the staff this season. Former defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned Sept. 20, citing the need to "take care of my health and family."

The Bears' HR department also was involved in the decision that led to Williams' resignation, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter, but that instance is not related to Walker's firing.

Eberflus said the Bears made the decision to fire Walker collectively with the support of general manager Ryan Poles, president/CEO Kevin Warren and team ownership.

Although Eberflus expressed disappointment over the firing, he also doubled down in his belief that the Bears do not have a culture issue despite the abrupt departures of two assistant coaches and other off-field matters that have surfaced throughout the first eight weeks of the season.

"The culture in our building is outstanding," Eberflus said. "The guys work hard every single day. The relationship piece is there. We care about each other. We're working diligently to get this thing turned. We're 2-2 in our last four. One game was real close, we had a chance at that one. We really feel we're turning the corner there, and we are excited about this week.

"But to answer your question, our culture is awesome."

When asked to describe the specific "standard" he referenced multiple times, Eberflus pointed to the set of guidelines he says he addressed with the entire team when he was hired.

"It's really clear, in terms of how we treat each other with respect," Eberflus said. "Being on time and working hard -- that's the first thing I laid out to everybody in the building. That's the standard that we operate in. And then we have standards on the field, for operation in terms of performance. Your standard of performance on the field is based on effort, based on focus, based on intensity, and we measure every one of those every single day, in practice and in the games, relative to the players' performance. But yeah, it's very clean-cut."

General manager Ryan Poles said Wednesday that he remains confident Eberflus is the right coach for the team, despite a 2-6 start and mounting off-field concerns.

"What I see every day, where I see him address the team and I see his approach through adversity, it is stable, man," Poles said. "And I know in the outside world it doesn't look like that. And I know it looks like we're far away. But this dude comes in every day and just keeps chipping away. He has high integrity. The people that he brings in here, he's done the work to make sure that they're the people they're supposed to be. Again, we hold that standard. If it doesn't follow that and people aren't acting that way, they're not here. But the way he holds everything down here is incredible for how loud it is, how tough it is.

"This team, you watch them, they fight. I know this past weekend wasn't great, but you can't watch that team and be like, oh, they're going to fold. Most teams fold, and they're not folding. It's been hard. It's been really hard, especially from where we started last year, trying to build this and do it the right way. What I see from him on a daily basis and how he gets this team ready on a weekly basis, to me, I see a grown man that has leadership skills to get this thing out of the hole and into where it needs to be."

Eberflus said that there were no red flags with Walker's behavior and that he takes pride in the process he used when hiring coaches onto his staff.

"I would just say that when you look at things, you've got to make sure you look at everything, and I think we did that," Eberflus said. "I know we did that. Again, this is a process where something happened and then we're taking action on it. We all came together to do it. It was good."

Bears assistant coach Omar Young, who has been working with wide receivers and quarterbacks, will take over coaching Chicago's running backs.

Montez Sweat was walking to the practice field with his Commanders teammates Tuesday when he found out he was being traded to the Bears.

A whirlwind 24 hours later, the veteran defensive end arrived at Halas Hall after passing his physical and addressed the Chicago media.

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"I'm grateful, blessed, happy to be here," said Sweat, who hopes to play Sunday when the Bears visit the New Orleans Saints. "I'm just happy to be here and ready to get to work."

Asked to describe himself as a player, the 6-6, 262-pounder said: "I think I'm a very strong, hard-working, tenacious player who just really wants to get better every day. I know I've still got a long way to go, but I'm happy to be the player I am."

The Bears are just as happy to add Sweat. The 27-year-old led the Commanders with 6.5 sacks through eight games this season. He's also one of six NFL players to record at least five sacks and 10 quarterback hits in each of the last five seasons, joining Brian Burns, Maxx Crosby, Chris Jones, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt.

Sweat is more than just a pass rusher, however. He's also excelled against the run since being selected by Washington with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2019 draft out of Mississippi State.

"We expect him to come here and help our entire team get better," said general manager Ryan Poles. "We see him as a long, fast, explosive, relentless defensive end that can help us both in the run and in the pass game, and really, I see him as a multiplier. He's going to allow everyone to play better; our entire defensive front, our corners, our safeties."

Poles was motivated to acquire a player of Sweat's caliber before the trade deadline rather than waiting until free agency in March.

"It's capitalizing right now because you start to lose opportunities," Poles said. "If you look at the free agent stack now, it's going to look very different by the time you get to that point of the year because there are so many different opportunities that can pop up in terms of extensions, tags, different things like that. So we decided with that type of player, we wanted to capitalize on that now."

Poles added that Sweat likely would have been traded to another team Tuesday if the Bears didn't make such a strong offer.

Sweat arrives in Chicago in the final year of his rookie contract. In terms of an extension, Poles told reporters that he's "really confident that we can get a deal done," adding: "It's hard to put a timeline on it, but I'm hoping it won't take too long."

Sweat is letting his agents work on a potential new contract while he focuses on assimilating to his new team.

"I'm sure my agents are talking about it," he said. "My agents and them are talking about something. But I'm not really in any of it right now. I'm just ready to get to work.

"Obviously, a player always wants to have security playing the sport that we're playing, but I mean I'm sure everything will work itself out."

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A special Chicago City Council meeting about the city's status as a sanctuary city spiraled into chaos Thursday.

The meeting was called by Aldermen Anthony Beale, Ray Lopez and others to discuss and vote on a non-binding referendum to add to next spring's ballot that would decide Chicago's sanctuary city designation. But already, some alderman encouraged others not to show up.

"All I'm asking is to give people a voice on this issue," Ald. Beale said.

"That is what is frustrating about the 'debate,' because people who are attacking the Sanctuary City Ordinance don't know what they are talking about," said Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa. "It has nothing to do with the refugee resettlement or the current crisis."

Ald. Ramirez Rosa said the Sanctuary City Ordinance only refers to law enforcement and government officials not cooperating with ICE. He said providing resources to migrants is about the city's values; it's not written in the ordinance.

Ramirez Rosa claimed the meeting violated state law as well, and tried to stop it by sending out a group text telling alders not to show up so there's wouldn't be enough for a quorum.

Alderman William Hall and many of the mayor's strongest supporters did not show up.

"I'm leaving now because I have potholes, trees to get trimmed and I have other things the residents of the 6th Ward want me to deal with," he said.

But after two tries there was quorum, and the meeting started. It never came to a vote, though, because of confusion and debate over the rules, Ramirez Rosa claiming one thing and Beatle and Lopez claiming another.

"They were so worried about losing and putting this question before the voters that they were willing to bend every rule in the book to get of out here as quickly as possible," Ald. Lopez said.

And how the meeting legally ended is up for debate as well. The lights went out while some city council members claimed the meeting wasn't officially over.

Ramirez Rosa said it was adjourned and the sanctuary city referendum will not be taken up. Beatle and Lopez aid the meeting is in recess and will continue Tuesday morning.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- City Hall was tight-lipped Wednesday about reports the Johnson administration has toured the shuttered museum in the River North neighborhood as a potential shelter for migrants.

Mayor Brandon Johnson didn't give a direct answer when asked a yes or no question about the city's efforts to explore the former Chicago Museum of Broadcast Communications to possibly house asylum seekers.

Earlier this week, Ald. Brendan Reilly released a statement saying the mayor was considering a migrant shelter at the Marina City complex, where that museum used to be, on State Street just north of the Chicago River.

Originally, Johnson's office said, "There are no plans to convert Hotel Chicago, 333 N. Dearborn, into shelter for new arrivals."

Since then, CBS 2 has learned it could be a different address at the same complex the mayor is considering as a possible migrant shelter – the shuttered Museum of Broadcast Communications at 360 N. State St.

Wednesday afternoon, Reilly released a statement saying he was "incredibly disappointed the Mayor's Office was not forthright when asked if the Marina City Complex in River North was being considered for a migrant hotel that could house up to 1,000 migrants."

"While the Administration was correct when they said 333 North Dearborn was not being considered to serve as a migrant facility, they chose to omit the fact that they are considering another address at Marina City for migrant housing at 360 North State Street," Reilly added. "This morning, my staff contacted the new owners of the former Museum of Broadcast Communications located at 360 North State Street and confirmed that members of the Johnson Administration did recently tour the facility and expressed a strong interest in potentially using the site for future migrant housing."

"The Administration's careful use of semantics; dishonesty by omission; and total disregard for public transparency around potential sites for migrant housing is not good government, it is wrong. The residents of Chicago should not continue to be left in the dark when impactful decisions are being made regarding potential migrant housing facilities in their communities," Reilly added. "Mayor Johnson's failure to create and implement a comprehensive plan to manage the migrant crisis isn't just disappointing, it is totally unacceptable."

Johnson was asked repeatedly about whether his office is considering the museum site, but would not answer directly, only saying that his administration is assessing multiple sites across the city.

"There has been some confusion. Everything that I've said, I've meant, and so if you haven't heard it from me, then you don't have to be confused about it," he said. "What I've said repeatedly is that we're looking for locations throughout the entire city, and when we put forth an idea or particular location and space, nothing we do is done surreptitiously. So we do it out loud."

The possibility of a migrant shelter at the former Museum of Broadcast Communications comes as Johnson's plans to build a migrant tent camp at 115th and Halsted streets were stalled on Wednesday, when the City Council delayed a final vote on plans to purchase the site for $1, in the face of objections from Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st) and several other aldermen who refused to go against Mosley's wishes.

The Ramova Theatre’s renovation, announced four years ago — before the novel coronavirus — will soon debut with a restaurant that resurrects a long-lost South Side chili recipe. In addition, the project brings in Other Half Brewing, a popular beer maker from New York.

The Ramova dates back to 1929 as a movie theater and has remained closed since 1985. The Bridgeport venue carries a special place for many locals and Tyler and Emily Nevius, co-founders of the reimagined music hall, are full of South Side pride in unveiling the venue which comes with an estimated 1,500 capacity. Officials hope to program 150 events a year. Tyler Nevius, formerly a senior finance executive in the entertainment industry who spent time in the Army, recruited the Other Half to create a beer destination in Bridgeport. Other Half Ramova will have about 80 tap lines overall, with about 20 in the taproom.

“When we when started in New York, one of our big goals was to bring IPA to the East Coast,” Other Half co-founder Sam Richardson says. “There wasn’t a lot of it at the time, and that’s kind of been our wheelhouse the whole time. We make a lot of different beer styles, but I think that the expectation is we’ll have IPAs, and in a venue like this also, we’ll be making lagers.”

It proved a delicate process, as the team from the Other Half holds a deep respect for the city’s brewing community — they didn’t want to barge into Chicago and impede local talent. But after a back and forth, the parties realized that Other Half was uniquely equipped to handle the $23 million project. The restaurant component, called Ramova Grill, closed in 2012 after an 82-year run. The food at the 20-seat restaurant will be handled by chef Kevin Hickey of the Duck Inn, a Chicago native with fond memories of the space. Tribune critic Louisa Kung Liu Chu spoke with the chef about the chili and his connection with the building. The team is reluctant to provide an opening date. The Trib reports the team is hopeful for November.

Other Half, which also has breweries in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., is already familiar with Chicago and have even established a relationship with Rare Tea Cellar, one of the most revered suppliers of gourmet ingredients to Chicago restaurants. They plan on using some of those goodies in the beer. The venue will also feature cocktails from Duck Inn partner Brandon Phillips with Sarah Loberg serving as director of food and beverage for the venue.

The brewery replaces a second-floor gym. Other half co-founder Matt Monahan describes it as a “super clean, modern looking space” with an all-glass back bar. The goal is to make enough beer to support the venue and not to brew beer to stock at Chicago liquor stores.

But Other Half’s involvement is unorthodox. Shortly before the trio of Richardson, Monahan, and Andrew Burman founded the brewery in 2014, Tyler Nevius lived in New York. His brother, who lived in the Pacific Northwest, sent him an Other Half IPA. The siblings regularly engaged in beer exchanges so they could try out-of-market brews.

Tyler Nevius, who grew up drinking Goose Island Beer Co.’s Honker’s Ale, provides a simple explanation why he wanted Other Half in the Ramova space: “They’re the best brewer, the best beer I’ve ever had,” he says.

When he eventually made the short trip to Other Half’s brewery, Tyler Nevius was impressed by the vibe, the hip-hop music, and energy. The brewery has been part of Ramova’s plans for five years. Preserving that connection between music and beer ranks high as a priority for Other Half. Plans are in motion for collaborations between artists — special beers to mark appearances at the Ramova.

Sometimes, ordering a drink at a show can be cumbersome, but Tyler Nevius says they’ll utilize a combo of mobile bars and phone ordering. Monahan says they want to listen to Chicago drinkers.

“With any brewery that you open, you know — the first few months really are dedicated to sort of dialing in and making sure that you’re able to continue what you do best,” Monahan says. “But I can’t overstate that we are really looking to have the neighborhood in the clientele through the front door really dictate what we serve.”

Other Half Ramova, 3520 S. Halsted Street, targeted for a November opening.

After taking a closer look at the film from the Bears loss to the Chargers, rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent is remaining focused on his preparation and details ahead of his third NFL start this weekend in New Orleans.

"I think just obviously continuing to hone in on the weekly process," Bagent said. "Just getting everything completely nailed down, and once you get out onto the field, just being able to read and react and just trust what you see and go through your progressions, and value the ball above all else."

Last Sunday night against the Rams, Bagent threw for 232 yards and completed 25 of 37 passes attempts. While the rookie's longest completion in his first start was a 17-yard pass to running back D'Onta Foreman, Bagent looked for more deep ball opportunities against the Chargers. On the first play of the game, he connected with receiver Darnell Mooney for a 41-yard gain. While Bagent believes he missed another opportunity to get a deep ball to receiver DJ Moore, the QB was content with his pass selection.

"The one that sticks out to me, DJ had a read route there early in the second quarter," Bagent said. "Other than that I thought I took advantage of some deep shots and was able to go through my progressions pretty smoothly. But that one does stick out, and that's just eye discipline and having my body and eyes aligned to where I'm supposed to be at the right time."

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After rushing for 160+ yards in four straight games, the Bears offense totaled just 73 yards on the ground against Los Angeles.

Bagent attributed the dip in rushing production to the offense's slow start.

"I think that can have an effect on the offense," Bagent said. "It's just with early hiccups that we had. Then I think later on in the game we had a crease, a couple runs there. But it's all about that quick start. Pass game or run game, if you get out to a hot start with either one of those, that can usually carry into the second and third quarter at least. So being able to start a little faster was my biggest take."

While last Sunday marked Bagent's first start on the road, he said there wasn't much of a difference in his operation aside from using a silent cadence, something he didn't utilize during his college career.

With the Bears headed to the Caesars Superdome, Bagent and the offense are preparing for an even louder environment than what they experienced at SoFi Stadium.

"Just [need] great communication, thorough communication, re-emphasizing communication at a more extent level," Bagent said. "Then just listening up, no talking in the huddle and being as loud as I can."

While Bagent, his coaches and teammates have all expressed confidence in his ability to perform at the NFL level, additional reps in live situations will only increase that comfort level. Bagent is looking forward to that additional time on task.

"Repetition is the mother of all learners, so the more reps I can get at this full speed in the game, I'm sure the more comfortable I'll be," Bagent said. "So it's always good to continue to get reps and I'm just looking forward to continue to develop the best that I can through this time."

The Bears have agreed to a trade to bolster their pass rush. A source confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago that the team acquired defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a second-round pick.

Sweat is one of the premier pass rushers in the game and will help the Bears defensive line, which has struggled to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Sweat has 6.5 sacks, 10 TFLs and has forced two fumbles this season. Meanwhile, every defensive line player on the Bears has combined for 6.5 sacks, 21 TFLs and one forced fumble this year. Yannick Ngakoue leads the group with two sacks.

Sweat is playing in his fifth NFL season now and has 35.5 career sacks, 47 TFLs and nine forced fumbles. At times Sweat benefited from rushing opposite the uber-talented DE Chase Young. However, when Young has missed time due to injury, Sweat has still produced at a high level. There's no reason to believe Sweat won't be able to maintain that production working opposite Ngakoue now.

Defensive end was a position of need heading into this season since the Bears ranked last in the NFL with 20 sacks in 2022. GM Ryan Poles tried to address the issue by signing Ngakoue, DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green over the offseason, but it wasn't enough to make progress. After eight games the Bears rank dead last in the NFL again, with 10 sacks. That includes all the teams who have already had their bye weeks and have only played seven games. Acquiring Sweat now is an emphatic move to bolster the unit.

Sweat is playing on the last year of his rookie contract right now- the Commanders picked up his fifth-year option back in 2022- so if the Bears want to keep him around long term, they'll have to sign him to a new deal. Since Sweat was set to hit the open market after this season trading for him now sends a message that the team is trying to win now, not tank for a higher draft pick. It also could give Poles a leg up on reaching a long-term deal with Sweat. The Bears will now have a chance to offer him a contract extension before he becomes a free agent.

According to Spotrac, the Bears have $95.7 million dollars in cap space in 2024, which is the most in the league.

Poles is no stranger to splashy deadline moves. Last season, he made several franchise-altering trades including the decision to send Roquan Smith to the Ravens in exchange for a second-round pick and the decision to acquire Chase Claypool from the Steelers in exchange for a second-round pick.

The trade deadline ends at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

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The Chicago Sky have named Jeff Pagliocca as their general manager, the organization announced Tuesday.

The announcement comes after the hiring of head coach Teresa Weatherspoon earlier this month. Weatherspoon and Pagliocca replace James Wade, who served as the organization's head coach and GM from 2019 until July 1, when he announced he was leaving for an assistant coaching role with the NBA's Toronto Raptors.

Pagliocca -- the first standalone GM in Sky history -- had assisted with player development and advising the head coach for the past four seasons, including most recently serving as director of skill development in 2023. He also owns a company in the Chicago area that trains top high school, college, WNBA and NBA players.

"We are delighted to welcome Jeff Pagliocca as the Chicago Sky's new General Manager to identify and build the roster that will be a model for sustained success," Sky president and CEO Adam Fox said in a statement. "Jeff's expertise in player development and data driven talent evaluation, sophisticated basketball IQ, and his incredible relationships with players make him the perfect choice to complement Coach Weatherspoon as we strive for another championship in Chicago."

"I am beyond grateful to be named the new General Manager of the Chicago Sky," Pagliocca added. "I'm very proud to partner with Coach Weatherspoon and the Sky front office to shape a championship-caliber roster. With a strong background in strategy, player development, and tenure with this team, I am eager to build upon our tradition of excellence, hard work, and winning, in this energizing new chapter of Sky basketball. Expect us to bring unmatched toughness, grit, and relentless competitive spirit to Chicago."

The Sky have Kahleah Copper, Marina Mabrey, Elizabeth Williams, Isabelle Harrison and Dana Evans under contract for next season, but do not have a 2024 first-round pick. The team gave pick-swap rights to the Dallas Wings for their 2025 first-rounder in the trade Wade orchestrated in February that brought Mabrey to Chicago.