From the Locker Room to the Therapist’s Office: Bears’ New Mental Health Program Shocks the NFL by Exposing the Silent Battles of Legends
Chicago, Illinois – 12/13/2025
The NFL was shaken on Saturday morning when the Chicago Bears — one of the league’s most storied franchises — unveiled the first comprehensive mental-health support program designed specifically for the team’s former players. This wasn’t a PR move, nor a charity gesture, but a painful acknowledgment of the invisible battles many Bears legends have been forced to fight alone after walking away from the game.
An accompanying internal report revealed an alarming number: nearly 70% of former Bears players have dealt with depression, career-related trauma, anxiety disorders, or identity collapse after retirement. Some were icons at Soldier Field, warriors defined by toughness, yet quietly fell apart without the roar of the crowd holding them up.

Today, the Bears chose to break that silence.
“We used to believe the battles ended when they walked out of the stadium,” a Bears representative said. “But many of them only begin the biggest fight of their lives once they return to the real world — without cheers, without teammates, without cameras. It’s time we step beside them and show that the Bears family never leaves anyone behind.”
The new program, called the “Monsters of Support Initiative” — inspired by the legendary “Monsters of the Midway” — includes one-on-one therapy, advanced neurological evaluation, financial and legal counseling, cognitive recovery training, dedicated wellness spaces in Chicago, and mentorship groups led by icons like Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman, and Lance Briggs.
According to team leadership, the goal isn’t just assistance — it’s restoration of dignity for the men who sacrificed their bodies and futures to keep Chicago’s pride burning bright.
As more former NFL players publicly share their struggles, the Bears have chosen to lead — not in the standings, but in the most human fight the league has ever faced.
And once again, Chicago sends a clear message:
The Monsters of the Midway deserve protection long after the lights go out.
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