Radio appearances by current and former players are "commonplace in NFL markets across the country," but the "sheer number of them is unique" to the Bears, according to Patrick Finley of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. A total of 14 Bears players now "claim media deals -- from five-minute radio hits arranged by the team to hourlong radio shows and half-hour TV sit-downs negotiated by their agents." That does not include Bears WR Brandon Marshall's weekly appearance on Showtime's "Inside the NFL." Bears GM Phil Emery said, “It’s a good thing for the player because obviously it helps them grow outside of football. ... We have to trust them that they don’t take it too far and get involved in too many things, but so far I haven’t seen that happen." Finley notes in a sport in which players "increasingly care about their branding, paid media deals scratch the itch" and players get to "control their message." Prices for players "vary drastically, from a few hundred dollars for weekly five-minute phone calls to radio stations to an estimated $10,000 to $15,000 per episode" for Bears QB Jay Cutler’s hour-long remote radio show. Bears S Ryan Mundy said, “You get exposure. It helps you to kind of build your brand. You’re able to get out there and let people know sometimes what you’re about outside of football." He added, "It's not like this everywhere. In Pittsburgh, a few guys had a few TV deals, a couple radio deals, but nothing like here." Bears K Robbie Gould: “You want to have a platform in which you can share your story. The other part is, you want to be maybe be at that next level where you want to start your broadcasting career. So these are opportunities that you take" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/31).
