When the first rumor circulated linking former defensive end Trace Armstrong to the Chicago Bears, he shot it down immediately.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported on December 12 that the Bears had been in conversations with Armstrong about a possible position in management, and the ex-Bears defender responded in a hurry.
“I have the utmost respect for the Chicago Bears organization, the McCaskey family and [team president] Ted Phillips,” Armstrong wrote on Twitter regarding La Canfora’s report. “However, any assertion that I have engaged in conversations with them about joining the club in any capacity is simply not true.”
But now, an arguably more tuned in source has doubled down on the Armstrong rumors.
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Peggy Kusinski Ignites Armstrong Rumors All Over Again
Peggy Kusinski, a native of Chicago’s Northwest Side, has been with local affiliate NBC 5 as a sports reporter since 2000. She has provided in-depth sports coverage for NBC 5 ever since, and she had some interesting things to say about the situation via Twitter.
“I am hopeful the reason #ChicagoBears haven’t fired #Nagy & #RyanPace yet is because they are busy negotiating with Trace Armstrong to become Director of Football Operations & then HE CAN CLEAN HOUSE,” Kusinski tweeted on December 21.
When a fan followed up and asked her if this was merely her opinion, or whether she was revealing information she had received from a source, she responded: “Both.”
It’s notable Armstrong didn’t pipe up to deny Kusinski’s tweet the way he denied La Canfora’s report — at least not yet.
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Armstrong Has Strong Ties to Chicago, But This is Still Just a Rumor
Those getting their hopes up about Armstrong coming to Chicago in a management capacity should slow their roll. Right now, we have to go off what Armstrong initially said, which is that he’ll remain an agent and won’t be joining the Bears. Much of the interest in him could stem from the fact that the 56-year old Armstrong is the agent for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, who has an obvious connection to Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields.
Day himself addressed rumors he might head to the NFL a few days after La Canfora’s report. “There’s nothing to that,” Day said on December 15, via Sports Illustrated. “There’s no truth to it. I love Ohio State, and I love being the coach at Ohio State.”
Kusinski is a credible source, but it’s possible her source was wrong. It happens.
A first-round pick for Chicago in 1989, Armstrong has strong ties to the team, so there could be a bit of wishful thinking in play here, as well. Armstrong spent six seasons as a defensive end with the Bears from 1989-94, also playing for the Miami Dolphins and then-Oakland Raiders. He was in the NFL for 15 years and has spent the bulk of his time since retirement from the league as a sports agent.
He has repped the likes of former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer, former Michigan Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke and current Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. As of now, his plan is likely to remain an agent.
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Bears Analyst Adds Smoke to Rumors Ex-Player Could Take On Significant Role