The National Football League season is in full swing, with the competing teams laying the foundation of what they hope to be successful campaigns.
Out in the NFC North, the Chicago Bears got their season off to a strong start, trouncing the Carolina Panthers , 59-37. Quarterback Caleb Williams showed the way for the team in the win, throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns and running for 65 yards in what was the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history.
While hopes were high that the Bears would sustain the momentum in Week 2, they were hard-pressed against NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings , losing 9-3. The visitors effectively shut down the Chicago offense to earn their seventh consecutive win at the Bears' home of Soldier Field.
While it is still early in the NFL season, it did not stop former NBA guard and Chicago native Patrick Beverley from expressing some concerns over the mixed results that the Bears had in their first two games.
He shared them on "The Pat Bev Show," highlighting how the loss to their fierce rivals, the Vikings, was simply unacceptable. Like other Bears fans, he was expecting more consistency from the team, especially coming off a big win in their season opener.
"We like blue. We like orange. We like the Bears. I can't believe we got smoked by Minnesota again. Then I got all Minnesota people sending me DMs, saying, 'Pat, you should root for Minnesota.' Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I ain't rooting for no Minnesota, man. I love the Timberwolves, though. I'm a wolf at heart. But I'm a Bear, too, though," Beverley said .
"And it's sad, man. We had so much good energy going around and next thing you know, we have some fluky stuff happened. I'm talking about stuff you would be like, 'What is going on, man?" he added.
Making the loss to the Vikings even more stinging was Williams' failure to finish the game after suffering a right hamstring injury midway through the fourth quarter. An MRI on the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, however, showed he suffered a low-grade strain, allowing him to avoid a major or season-ending injury.
A native of West Garfield on the West Side of the Windy City, Beverley, now 38 years old, has always been proud of Chicago and never fails to showcase it whenever he gets the opportunity.
As much as possible, he tries to embody some of the qualities the city exudes, including resilience, hard work, passion and loyalty, in his various endeavors both on and off the court.
Back in the 2022-23 NBA season, Beverley got to play briefly for his hometown Bulls after signing with the team following a contract buyout with the Orlando Magic. He played and started in 22 games in Chi-Town, averaging 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while savoring the opportunity to represent the city he grew up in.
"I am Chicago. I'm from Chicago. I bleed Chicago. I really think I can help the city. I think I can save the city. I inspire already. And I'd be a great inspiration just walking around the city of Chicago, knowing I'm from there, knowing that someone made it out and you can go and do the same," Beverley shared about the experience.
As a true supporter of the Windy City, the Bears and the Bulls, for that matter, will continue to hear it from Beverley if he believes there is a need to call out the teams. They can, however, rest assured that it will always come from a genuine place of love and support.
Related: Patrick Beverley revealed Darvin Ham wanted Russell Westbrook's number to apologize
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
