Episode 4 of Hard blows with the Bears was an improvement and the most memorable of the summer up to that point.

Best moment: Improved insights into practice

This season of Hard blows was disappointing and lacking in energy by many standards, but last night’s episode was clearly the best of the entire season. It offered more depth and drama, but beyond that, the glimpses of practice earlier in the episode were much better than before. We saw undrafted rookie running back Ian Wheeler being coached, and he responded by taking a big hit himself later in practice to lower the boom, which got everyone excited. We hadn’t seen much competitiveness up to that point, so it was an improvement over the season.

Worst moment: Ian Wheeler tears his anterior cruciate ligament

Unfortunately, Wheeler – who continued a strong summer, including a touchdown reception that was taken back – injured his knee in the final preseason game against the Chiefs. He knew something was wrong when he came off the field limping, and it turned out to be a torn ACL, ending his rookie season before it had even begun. In what was probably the most real moment of this season from Hard blowshe hugged his mother Beaura for a while after the injury. One bright spot was that Wheeler had a good meeting with GM Ryan Poles and they discussed that this will be a redshirt situation for him – and that he is part of this team and can try to make the roster in 2025.

Funniest moment: Austin Reed’s speech

Much of the episode was about backup quarterbacks Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien and Austin Reed – including a trip to the Willis Tower (better known as the Sears Tower) in Chicago, where theyFerris Bueller’s Day Off. But the funniest moment was when Reed dissected the offense before the Victory Lineup went out, sarcastically comparing the Bears, who were 4-0 in the preseason, to some of the best teams in NFL history. The backup quarterbacks did a good job, and they all seemed to have a good relationship with their teammates.

Underrated moment: Following in the footsteps of Adrian Colbert

Another storyline that offered much more depth this week was that of veteran safety Adrian Colbert, who has played for 10 NFL teams since being selected in the seventh round in 2017. Colbert talked about being hit by a car while riding his bike as a nine-year-old – he was told he would never play football again, only to get to the NFL and stay there. Colbert clearly has great character and perspective, and he showed off in the season finale with a fantastic pass defense on a long ball intended for Kadarius Toney.

Best quote: Ryan Poles to Ian Wheeler

“My door is always open. My phone is always on. If you want to talk, if you want to cry – whatever you need to do – I’m here for you.”

Best Player: Velus Jones Jr.

The transition to running back went very well for Velus Jones Jr., and he was used a lot as he tried to earn a spot on Kansas City’s roster. A day that included 13 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown was capped off with a 39-yard touchdown run that showed off his quickness in a zig-zag. Chicago could use Jones at his new position.