Photo: Jamie Squire
The Chicago Bears' tumultuous week keeps getting worse.
On Friday (September 22), a Soldier Field manager told ABC 7 Chicago that more than $100,000 worth of equipment was stolen from the stadium earlier in the week. The incident reportedly took place sometime overnight on Wednesday (September 20), with thieves breaking down a security fence to drive the items -- including gators and lawn mowers -- out of the stadium's garage.
The Bears were away from Soldier Field in preparation for Sunday's (September 24) game against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The alleged incident is the latest in a series of unfortunate events for the winless Chicago franchise.
On Monday (September 18), quarterback Justin Fields went viral for seeming to suggest that his "robotic" play may have been caused by a disconnect with personnel and coaches.
“Of course, things that I didn’t like, I felt like I wasn’t necessarily playing my game. I felt like I was kind of robotic and not playing like myself,” Fields said before later softening his comments.
On Wednesday, defensive coordinator Alan Williams announced his resignation, claiming he intended to focus on his family, while also denying what his attorney called "false rumors" made on social media about a possible raid that took place at Halas Hall, the Bears' facility and his home.
On Thursday (September 21), former Indianapolis Colts punter turned ESPN host Pat McAfee claimed that "sources told us that an FBI raid did occur on Alan Williams' house." McAfee, who acknowledged that he would be careful with the information after previously being sued -- specifically by Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre in relation to commentary about his Mississippi welfare scandal -- noted Williams had served as the Colts' defensive backs coach during his first three seasons with the team.
"I would like to say as somebody that played on a team where Alan Williams was a coach, I could never have expected what some of these outcomes could be from him but I don't think anybody ever expects that from somebody that is successful and potentially gets caught up in a situation with houses getting FBI raided," McAfee said during Thursday's live broadcast of the Pat McAfee Show.
The former All-Pro punter speculated that the raid could have been over drugs, based on Williams' resignation statement that he planned to focus on his health, but emphasized that he didn't have an exact answer. Authorities have not yet publicly confirmed whether a raid took place in relation to Williams.
The veteran coach had been away from the team since last week due what the Bears referred to as a personal reason. Head coach Matt Eberflus took over defensive playcalling duties during Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had previously said he'd continue to do so for Chicago's Week 3 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs should Williams continue to be away from the team prior to his decision.
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