The odds are against Rashard Mendenhall becoming a Bear, but the team wants to get to know the Illinois running back better anyway. So he’ll visit Halas Hall on Thursday in one of a series of meetings with NFL teams in advance of the April 26-27 draft (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text).
“They’re my hometown team,” said Mendenhall, a Niles West graduate. “Growing up I was a Raider fan, but as I got older I was a Bears fan. It’ll be cool to talk to [coach Lovie Smith].”
Mendenhall is also visiting the Bengals, Jets, Cowboys and Panthers, but not scheduling a visit doesn’t mean a team isn’t interested. The Lions, Texans and Bucs could also be in the market for a first-round running back.
Mendenhall, the winner of the Tribune’s Silver Football as the Big Ten’s MVP in the fall, helped his stock at the NFL combine with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and could be the second running back chosen, behind Arkansas’ Darren McFadden.
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For the Bears and other teams, the meetings are a follow-up to interview sessions at the combine, where Mendenhall interviewed with more than 25 teams for 20 minutes each.