WARE, England – The Bears knew it would take some time for general manager Ryan Poles to create a healthy football team capable of sustained success. Going through that process is never fun, especially when making short-term sacrifices for the long-term health of the franchise.

That led to lean years, in the 2022 season especially, followed by a brutal start that essentially sunk the 2023 campaign. The Bears started emerging from that funk at the end of last year, with newfound optimism heading into 2024 centered on No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams at quarterback.

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Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey went through those lows with the fan base, but believes better is on the horizon.

“It has been difficult,” McCaskey said Thursday in a meeting with the Chicago press at Hanbury Manor, where the Bears are prepraring for a Week 6 clash with Jacksonville in London. “It has been very frustrating for all Bears fans. Now we’re seeing signs of it coming together and hope it just keeps going the way it’s going.” 

McCaskey has been through ups and downs his entire life, knowing well-intentioned rebuilds don’t always work.

Williams brings a different feel to this attempt, armed with the talent, smarts and demeanor to lead an NFL franchise.

McCaskey has preached patience with Williams in the past and that remains the case even after a strong start to the season. He said Thursday that he has enjoyed getting to know the player and the person who is now the Bears’ public face.

“Especially when the season starts, I try to stay out of the players’ way,” McCaskey said. “They’ve got things to do and they’re into each other. But you’ve seen him. He’s an irrepressible spirit, and if he wants to get to know you, you don’t have a choice in the matter. It’s been a lot of fun. He always says hello. He’s always friendly. And he’s fun to watch.”

It has been important the organization, which has invested in highly-drafted quarterbacks before and had things not work out, to surround Williams with the coaching, supporting cast and infrastructure to help him thrive.

“I think it’s gone very well,” McCaskey said. “We wanted to have a structure in place for him to succeed, and a lot of that was protecting him from the inevitable distractions when you’re the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Everybody wants some of your time and, unfortunately, in order for him to do his job properly, he doesn’t have time for everyone. We have to protect him, we have to act as buffers and I think we have a good support system in place for him.”

McCaskey touched on several other topics important to Bears fans during a 10-minute meeting with the press. Here are highlights of what he addressed:

On trying to sign Tom Brady in 2020

Quarterback Tom Brady reached free agency back 2020, and several teams were linked to him during that process. The Bears were not one.

Brady said on a recent FOX broadcast – he’s a color commentator/analyst for the network – that he seriously considered signing with the Bears before ultimately choosing Tampa Bay.

McCaskey acknowledged the Brady pursuit but didn’t dive into great detail about it.

“Well, that seems like ancient history at this point,” McCaskey said. “I do remember we were interested in pursuing him. It didn’t work out for us. Worked out great for him in Tampa.”

The Buccaneers signed him and won the Super Bowl that season.

McCaskey said he wasn’t directly involved in the effort to bring Brady in, and that the Bears were moving forward with several options available to improve the team at that point.

“Any time you’re in a situation like that, you’re not putting all of your eggs in one basket,” McCaskey said. “So, you’re looking at alternatives. It’s the same in free agency. It’s the same in the draft. If the person you’re targeting isn’t available, you want to make sure you’ve done your due diligence on all other options, so that was one option we were looking at.”

On Bears stadium pursuits

Bears president Kevin Warren has focused the organization’s quest for a new stadium on museum site in Chicago in close proximity to where Soldier Field currently sits.

That marks a shift from previous attempts to build a stadium in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., where the Bears purchased a large parcel of land in Feb. 2023.

“We want to go where it’s the best deal possible, where it’s the most feasible,” McCaskey said. “Financially. Politically. Geographically. The lakefront is an excellent site and we think that a roofed stadium just south of Soldier Field can be great for Chicago, for the region and for the state of Illinois.” 

Warren reiterated in a Wednesday press conference that the franchise would like to start construction in 2025, despite there being several economic and political hurdles to clear before turning hope into reality. Acquiring a commitment of public money to the project ranks among the biggest. So is political approval for the project.

“Yeah, so there’s a veto session in November, there’s a lame duck session in January and then there’s a spring session right after that,” McCaskey said. “So, at some time in one of those sessions we’re going to have to have some sort of enabling legislation to allow the project to move forward.”

Asked if he shared Warren’s confidence in breaking ground at some point next year, McCaskey said, “We’re confident in Kevin.” 

On Hard Knocks

The McCaskeys have been resistant to the prospect of having the Bears featuring on the long-running documentary-style show featuring one NFL team each training camp, but were among the teams that couldn’t turn it down if selected.

The experience was ultimately a positive for the organization, which was satisfied with the final product.

“The Hard Knocks crew was fantastic,” McCaskey said. “(NFL Films producer/director) Shannon Furman and her people were professional. They were flexible. They were cooperative. They understood. And in the end, I thought they put together a great series. I didn’t know that thing like pet ferrets would capture the nation’s attention, but I thought they did a great job telling human stories. And I thought they also humanized Ryan and Matt. You could see how much they care about our players. And I thought they cast the greatest city in the world in a great light.”