The Chicago Bears’ rough week just got even worse.
A manager at Soldier Field in Chicago told ABC7 that more than $100,000 of equipment was stolen from a parking structure at the stadium overnight on Wednesday. Suspects allegedly stole lawn mowers and Gator Utility Vehicles, and tore down a security fence in order to drive the equipment out of the garage.
The Bears are on the road this week and will take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
The incident is just the latest issue for the Bears this week. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned from his post on Wednesday amid a flurry of rumors. He had been away from the team due to a personal matter and missed last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He said in a statement that he was stepping away to “take care of my health and family.” The 53-year-old was in his second season in Chicago and had been a defensive assistant in the league for more than two decades.
Both the Bears and Williams’ attorney denied rumors that federal officials had raided the team’s facility at Halas Hall in connection to Williams. The league is not involved despite rumors to the contrary, per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, nor is former Bears defensive back-turned-FBI agent Charles Tillman.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields spoke about his struggles on Wednesday, too, after their 0-2 start to the season. He said he’s felt like he hasn’t been playing like himself so far, and “felt like I was robotic.” He seemed to be blaming the Bears’ coaching staff initially, though he insisted later that wasn’t the case and tried to blame the media for taking his quote “out of context.”
Fields went 16-of-29 for 211 yards in Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Buccaneers. He threw a touchdown and ran one in himself, but he threw two interceptions in the game, too.
The Bears will take on the Chiefs on Sunday in Week 3. They will return to Soldier Field next week to host the Denver Broncos, who are also still searching for their first win.
