The 2026 NFL training camps have kicked off around the league, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. The Chicago Bears' camp is taking place in Lake Forest, Illinois, and Bears reporter Courtney Cronin has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and, of course, the quarterbacks room.
What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at Bears camp. We will update this file often. Will the defense step up and lead the Bears back to the NFC North title? Who are the breakout players to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?
Dive into all the updates and be sure to check back for more information until the first full week of the preseason begins Thursday.
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Aug. 11
Tuesday's practice was about "creating evidence" for the coaching staff to be able to evaluate where players stand in specific roles and who is climbing their way into the 53-man roster.
"Up to this point, it's been a lot more get the plays in, let's get them repped once or twice and now they can actually execute and go out there and play ball," coach Ben Johnson said. Coaches sent out a game plan Monday night for players to study in hopes of seeing who could play fast and adjust to not knowing what was coming their way.
With the offense and defense having 98% of their installs in, the 11th practice of camp opened with focusing on short-yardage goal line team drills to build the intensity and competition that Johnson envisioned carrying over to the rest of practice. The starting offense dominated that period with chunk runs from D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who each scored. In the first move-the-ball period, Swift got loose and found his way down the right sideline for a 62-yard TD.
Quarterback Caleb Williams and the starters aced a tough test towards the end of practice with the offense backed up at its own 1-yard line. The goal for the drill was to get two first downs, which Williams accomplished by creating space to find Rome Odunze for a 50-plus yard catch-and-run followed by a big gain to Scotty Miller.
Both the first and second-team offenses weren't as crisp in the situational drills at the end of practice, but Williams exited practice feeling confident in his ability to adjust on the fly and stack strong practices throughout the first two weeks of camp.
"I just I want to keep getting better for the guys," Williams said. "I want to be faster with my process, to be able to help the O-line throughout you know long games and things like that, they're sitting in their stances, be able to get the communication throughout, you know whether it's on the ball or whether it's in the huddle, just be smoother and faster and everything so that I can be better for the guys and ultimately that helps us win."
More observations:
Johnson dropped a major injury bombshell before practice and announced safety Coby Bryant will be out four to six months after undergoing knee surgery. According to that timeline, the Bears would hope for a Bryant return in the playoffs.
While the Bears are being cautious with Luther Burden III's groin injury and holding him out for the rest of the preseason, Johnson expressed optimism about left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, who is recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon. Months ago, Bears' brass thought they might not have Trapilo at all in 2026. Now, there's a chance, according to Johnson, that he could return at the end of training camp.
Safety Cam Lewis returned to practice for stretching and individual drills but went inside during 11-on-11. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had a solid day and may have thought he came away with an interception (the officials did not call the play dead despite the ball touching the ground) but was not on the field for the final period, as he was replaced by Malik Muhammad.
Jedrick Wills Jr. and Kiran Amegadjie both got reps with the first-team offensive line, but it's hard to tell who is separating themselves in the left tackle competition between the two. Braxton Jones remains out after getting injured last Thursday.
The Bears practiced a fire-drill field goal, which went wide ride (44 yards). Cairo Santos connected on kicks of 43, 48 and 53 yards during the field goal period.
Williams and the starters had another clean practice with no turnovers while the backup units accounted for three turnovers. Linebacker Devin Bush picked off Tyson Bagent, who also threw an interception to Skyler Thomas on the final play of practice. Roschon Johnson was popped inside the 1-yard line by DB Dontae Manning, and linebacker Jon Rhattigan recovered the fumble.
Aug. 9
Practice No. 10 of training camp -- the Bears' fifth in pads -- moved indoors after a lengthy lightning delay and opened with physical, downhill run drills. D'Andre Swift has looked terrific through the first two weeks and was seemingly everywhere Sunday: in the run game, passing game and taking a direct snap during 11-on-11 reps.
Swift picked up two big runs as the Bears repped their four-minute offense at the end of a two-hour session.
Luther Burden III missed practice because of a groin injury and is expected to miss "a little bit of time," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. In Burden's absence, Jahdae Walker had back-to-back solid practices and hauled in the best catch of the day from Caleb Williams on a busted-coverage deep ball.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen worked in his dime package and emphasized blitzes/different pressures in 11-on-11 reps. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who battled through injury during Saturday's practice, picked off Williams' pass on an out route to Rome Odunze.
In addition to Burden, the Bears were also missing Cam Lewis, Montez Sweat, Braxton Jones, Jaylon Jones, D'Marco Jackson, Terell Smith and Coby Bryant.
Rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas appeared to injure his knee during 7-on-7 drills. He left practice with a trainer and did not return.
Other observations:
Kiran Amegadjie got first-team reps at left tackle. The Bears continue to rotate Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr. at left tackle with the ones, twos and threes and have yet to get Theo Benedet in the mix.
Allen said he didn't think Lewis' injury would sideline the DB for long but did not have a timetable on his return. Lewis was injured Saturday as the Bears repped an end-of-game situation toward the end of practice.
Newly signed DB Xavier Woods filled in for Lewis at safety opposite rookie Dillon Thieneman. Woods laid a heavy hit on Colston Loveland over the middle and made a strong impression on his second day with the Bears.
Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II had his best practice of training camp. He has been getting more reps in Jackson's absence.
The long-snapper competition appears to be over. Luke Elkin was waived Sunday before practice, leaving Beau Gardner as the sole long snapper on the 90-man roster.
Malik Muhammad continues to get a sizeable workload at nickel with the first-team defense. With Jaylon Jones sidelined and Josh Blackwell seemingly behind Muhammad on the depth chart, the rookie has stood out to coaches and shown signs of being able to hold his own at one of the most difficult positions for a young player. "The biggest challenge you've got is you got a big bull's-eye on your back and they're [opposing quarterbacks] going to be challenging you," Allen said. "They're going to be coming after you. The best corners have really short memories because everybody at some point in time has been beaten, and so it's just can you come back the next play and have the same mentality in terms of how you challenge and how you compete, and he's shown that he's got the ability to do that."
Aug. 8
The Bears were already without defensive end Montez Sweat, left tackle Braxton Jones and cornerback Jaylon Jones when they suited up for Saturday morning's padded practice. The injury hits kept coming during the 105-minute session.
On the final rep of red zone one-on-ones, wide receiver Luther Burden III and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson got tangled up while the defensive back broke up a pass from Caleb Williams. Stevenson landed awkwardly on his back while Burden appeared to sustain a lower body injury.
After several moment where Stevenson laid on the ground in visible pain, the cornerback was helped to his feet and received treatment on the sideline from a trainer, who rubbed ointment on the lower right side of his back. Stevenson fought through pain to finish practice despite having to pull himself out of an 11-on-11 period.
Burden, on the other hand, walked gingerly toward the weight room under his own power flanked by a trainer. He did not return to practice.
Chicago can't afford another injury to its secondary that has been without nickel corner Kyler Gordon (calf) all of training camp and lost safety Coby Bryant for an expected eight to 10 weeks Monday. Backup safety Elijah Hicks remains on the PUP list with a calf injury.
Cam Lewis, who is filling in for Bryant at safety, left practice during the final period with an apparent leg injury. Lewis was guarding wide receiver Rome Odunze in the red zone when he got hurt and rode away on the back of a cart. Lewis was replaced by Skyler Thomas at safety.
Other observations:
Jedrick Wills Jr. got first-team reps at left tackle with Braxton Jones sidelined. He struggled during OL/DL one-on-ones, getting beat twice and false starting once.
With Jaylon Jones sidelined, rookie Malik Muhammad was once again with the first-team defense at nickel. Muhammad broke up a pass during 11-on-11 and almost came away with an interception later.
Sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg was a part of the rotation with the first-team defense during low red zone drills. He excelled with his bull rush against center Logan Jones during one-on-one drills. "I think he's going to be a hell of a football player," defensive tackle Neville Gallimore said.
Colston Loveland caught two touchdown passes from Williams while covered during 7-on-7. His second TD grab came in the corner of the end zone with a defender draped over him as he dove to catch the ball.
The focus at the end of practice was three end-of-game situations. Tyson Bagent dropped a dime into Jahdae Walker's hands on fourth down for a touchdown. Williams ended practice with an exclamation point when he bought time upon dropping back with 12 seconds on the clock before throwing a 17-yard laser to Odunze in the back of the end zone. Odunze caught the pass with multiple defenders around him.
Aug. 6
The longest practice of training camp to date was also the most physical. The Bears were in pads Thursday for 130 minutes and commenced team periods with old-school 9-on-7 and 9-on-9 running drills. With music blasting across the practice fields closest to Halas Hall, the physical, downhill running session turned up the temperature in practice between the offense and defense with a handful of shoving matches after plays were blown dead.
"Shoot, we love it," defensive end Austin Booker said. "That's our mentality this year: We're getting off the ball, we're being aggressive and getting in the backfield."
The intensity carried over to one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines. Two days after becoming the highest-paid right tackle in NFL history (four years, $116 million), Darnell Wright won all three of his reps taken against defensive end Montez Sweat.
Braxton Jones, who began practice at left tackle with the first-team offensive line for a fourth straight day, sustained an injury during his second one-on-one rep with Booker. Jones threw his helmet and was visibly upset as he tried to walk it off before heading inside with a trainer. The initial belief is that Jones didn't suffer a long-term injury.
Caleb Williams finished practice on a high note after the offense struggled with operation issues in 11-on-11. There were multiple false starts, and when Rome Odunze slipped on a route, the ball headed in his direction landed in cornerback Tyrique Stevenson's hands for an interception.
The Bears closed out practice with a two-minute drill. Williams marched the offense 65 yards downfield in 1:41 and went 6-of-6 while connecting with Odunze, Colston Loveland, Kalif Raymond, D'Andre Swift and Luther Burden III. Despite having time left on the scoreboard, practice ended immediately after Burden's touchdown in the back of the end zone given the session was right at the 2 hour, 10 minute mark.
Multiple players exited early with injuries including Sweat, who was seen walking into the building under his own power. Defensive backs Dallis Flowers and Gervarrius Owens sustained significant leg injuries.
Cairo Santos went 6-for-6 during the field goal period and connected on kicks from 56, 50, 40 and 33 yards.
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner, who is on PUP while recovering from ACL surgery, appeared at practice for the first time in training camp and worked with a strength and conditioning staffer off to the side.
Kaden Davis continues to impress with his opportunities. The former Division II receiver had several big catches, including a touchdown in the corner of the end zone from QB Case Keenum. Davis punted the ball in celebration and was immediately flagged.
Rookie corner Malik Muhammad played nickel during the two-minute drill. He had several reps with the first-team defense.
Raymond, a 10-year veteran, believes Zavion Thomas' work habits reflect that of an older player. Two nights ago, the rookie wide receiver sent Raymond a series of ankle mobility exercises to help strengthen the muscles in his lower leg and foot. "It's a vet-type mindset to be disciplined and do something like that," Raymond said. "And when he showed me that video, I was just happy to know that that's who he is."
Ben Johnson said there is no update on Kyler Gordon (calf), who is on PUP, and when he might return to practice. "We're just continuing to rehab," Johnson said.
The Bears signed 10-year veteran safety Xavier Woods and worked out nine defensive backs.
Aug. 5
One day after becoming the highest-paid right tackle in NFL history, Darnell Wright got ribbed by coach Ben Johnson, who congratulated Wright on his four-year, $116 million extension ($93 million guaranteed) in front of the team before practice.
Johnson joked that Wright "owed" offensive line coach Dan Roushar a loan. Wright agreed with Johnson's assessment and credited his position coach for helping him reach the point of his career where he's played his way into earning life-changing money.
"[Roushar's] consistent every day in what he does and what he says," Wright said. "He's consistent in what he's telling you. ... Some coaches I've had in the past or some coaches in the league, they're not very good teachers. They see a guy with talent and blah, blah, blah, but they can't really convey what it is and teach you. You still need to be taught. So I think he is such a good teacher and he does it with such good -- he's not yelling at you, he's not screaming at you, he's not demeaning you, he's telling you what's good about the rep and he's telling you what's bad about the rep so you can see both sides.
"If you have a coach that tells you just what you did was wrong with the rep so maybe the next rep, you just change everything. Now, you have a different result and you have no consistency to stack on top of each other, where as Dan he shows you what you did good with the rep so you can, you know, keep doing the good things and fix the bad things he tells you."
During training camp in 2025, Roushar told reporters that he didn't see Wright playing with a consistently high motor. Wright said he appreciated the honesty and path Roushar laid for the right tackle to improve. That constructive criticism paid off as Wright earned second-team All-Pro honors while playing through an elbow injury.
Wright was the inaugural first-round draft pick by general manager Ryan Poles in 2023. The Bears traded back one spot, from No. 9 to No. 10, which allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to draft defensive tackle Jalen Carter, while Chicago snagged its franchise right tackle.
Proving to Poles that he made the right decision is something Wright internalized over the first three seasons of his career. Seeing how the investment made by the GM went far beyond a financial commitment motivates Wright to continue to progress.
"[Poles] really invested in me [by] helping me get more one-on-one time with the coaches, one-on-one time more with the strength staff, one-on-one time more with [assistant strength and conditioning coach] Mark [Phillipi] in there doing core strength," Wright said. "...Even when I was a young player, it's hard for you to go up to a coach and want to demand their time. I know you're a first-round pick and blah, blah, blah, so they would probably be obliged, but sometimes it's hard for a player to approach a coach and want to take all their time when they've got stuff to do ... but he was invested in me at a really early age, beyond what you'd think a GM would do."
Defense welcoming T.J. Edwards and new safety Marlen Sewell to camp with up-downs. pic.twitter.com/Wj7dnZMeJm
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 5, 2026
The Bears were in shells for a practice that lasted 90 minutes and had just a handful of team periods conducted at walk-through speed.
The highlight of the morning came during a 7-on-7 period when Caleb Williams completed 9 of 10 attempts. Wide receiver Kaden Davis was on the receiving end of the best catch of the day, a one-handed sliding grab in the corner of the end zone from Williams.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards (calf) was activated off the non-football injury list before practice and got his mandatory 40 up-downs done as the defense looked on.
For a third straight day, Braxton Jones took his reps as the first-team left tackle.
Left guard Joe Thuney and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett were given veteran rest days. The Bears will be in pads Thursday for their fourth practice of the week.
Aug. 4
After the offense got off to a fast start during the Bears' first week of training camp, the defense has caught up and set the tone the last two days.
Tuesday's two-hour practice featured a heavy dose of 11-on-11 periods and live tackling. The emphasis was on 13 personnel (3 TE, 1 WR, 1 RB), which leant itself to the offense establishing the run game early on.
But the offense looked the sloppiest it has during any of the team's first six practices. There were dropped passes, pre-snap penalties and timing issues between quarterback Caleb Williams and his receivers.
During the final period, the first-team offense began on its own 47-yard line trailing 28-23 with 54 seconds on the clock. After back-to-back false starts, Williams found himself being chased down by linebacker Devin Bush, who blitzed off the edge.
Williams had three straight completions to Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland and Kalif Raymond but could not finish the drive in the end zone.
With 3.2 seconds remaining, Williams launched a ball down the seam, where Burden went up in traffic to complete the play through multiple defenders and was subsequently blown up by Bush.
"It was a last-minute play," Bush said. "Take a shot at the end zone. Our responsibility is to not let them in the end zone. Offense's responsibility is get the ball in the end zone. So just a competitive play and finished our practice in the two-minute drill."
Burden was slow to get up but walked off the field on his own flanked by Williams and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. A practice like this is an anomaly for the offense, but the lack of execution is something players know will be drilled down on in Tuesday afternoon meetings.
"We're gonna go in there, clean up the film," Burden said. "You know, every day not gonna be a great day. I mean, you can strive for that, but it's camp. It's gonna be ups and downs. So that's the good part about it. We get to come back and watch it. We come back, be better, talk about it. Come back tomorrow, have a better day. That's what it's about."
Braxton Jones was the first-team left tackle for a second straight practice. That's the first time since late last week when the Bears began rotating who would be with the starting O-line that a player got multiple days in a row with the first-teamers.
Cam Lewis will focus on playing safety while Coby Bryant (knee) is sidelined. Lewis, who was playing at nickel corner in place of Kyler Gordon, will be replaced by Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell and Malik Muhammad in the slot. Jones got the nickel reps with the 1s on Tuesday.
Dayo Odeyingbo worked from the interior of the D-line for most of the practice on pass rushing downs. He came away with an interception on a Tyson Bagent pass that was batted at the line of scrimmage.
Kyle Monangai worked his way back into team drills while recovering from a soft tissue injury. The running back got a handful of carries with the first-team offense in 11-on-11.
The first scuffle of training camp occurred between rookies Caden Barnett and Jordan van den Berg. The two were tangled up after a play at the end of practice when van den Berg tackled Barnett to the ground.
Running back D'Andre Swift called Williams his most improved teammate: "Just seeing his poise right now and his process," Swift said. "I get there pretty early, so I see the little things he's doing on the daily in his second year in the system. I just like his approach right now and his focus."
Former Saints and Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead took in practice Tuesday. Armstead trained several Bears linemen, including Darnell Wright, Kiran Amegadjie and Theo Benedet this offseason.
Aug. 3
The Bears got substantial injury news during the first padded practice of training camp.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks after injuring his left knee Monday.
Bryant went down during receiver/defensive back one-on-ones and appeared visibly upset as he walked to a cart under his own power before being taken back into the facility. The Bears were practicing on the fields farthest away from Halas Hall, so getting carted back into the building isn't always indicative of an injury's severity, but according to Schefter, Bryant hyperextended the knee and sustained a bone bruise and small fracture.
Bryant signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Bears in free agency. With Elijah Hicks on the physically unable to perform list, Chicago is extremely thin at safety. Bryant's injury forced Cam Lewis, who had been taking most of his reps at nickel with the first-team defense, to shift back to safety opposite rookie Dillon Thieneman.
More observations:
Coach Ben Johnson was eager to begin seeing who is standing out in the left tackle battle between Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Kiran Amegadjie. One-on-ones will allow for coaches to determine who is separating from the pack. "We're judging the ability to block these defensive ends one-on-one, and then, you know, the ability to cut off on the back side of our wide zone scheme is huge for us," Johnson said. "There's things in and out, and I think each one of those guys is probably a little bit stronger in certain areas than the other guy. I think when we look at it, who is the most consistent player that we feel like is going to help us on a weekly basis?"
Shortly after Johnson announced Kyle Monangai's soft tissue injury, the running back returned to practice and went through stretching and individual drills. Johnson said Monangai's rehabilitation will be "on the shorter side."
Luther Burden III dominated his one-on-one matchups. Two catches made against great coverage stood out Monday, most notably a deep ball he caught with CB Tyrique Stevenson draped over him. "He'll give you everything," Stevenson said of Burden. "If you're too high and he wants to get under, he'll get up under and now you're chasing him across the field. If you're too low, he'll take the top off. Luther, to me, is a complete receiver. And he's aggressive to the ball. I would say he's just a complete receiver when it comes with the ball in his hands after the catch and everything."
Running back Salvon Ahmed continues to put his speed on display and broke off a big run during 11-on-11 work with the second-team offense.
Center Garrett Bradbury is earning rave reviews from Johnson, who called the eight-year vet "extremely impressive" with "elite" communication skills that allow him to be loud, decisive and dictate what he's seeing with the defense. "We're cooking right now with him out there," Johnson said.
Aug. 1
Weather forced the Bears to begin practice inside the Walter Payton Center before moving outdoors for team drills while the rain tapered off to a drizzle.
QB Caleb Williams and the first-team offense were less on the money than in previous practices. Safety Coby Bryant had an interception and two pass breakups, and cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell all came away with pass breakups.
While the defense held the upper hand during Saturday's rain-drenched session, the challenge that the offense presents to Dennis Allen's unit is felt throughout.
"Honestly, this is probably the best offense I've had in seven years as far as going against them for sure," Johnson said. "They've got a lot of speed and then really just, Caleb's the best quarterback I've had since, maybe Nick Foles if you want to go back that far. Just as far as slinging it, he's doing his thing. You can see the accuracy. You can see the confidence throwing the ball in tight windows is something that's stood out to me. I just feel like top to bottom, they're a confident group. ... And it's what we need to go against on defense. ... It's going to be a fun camp."
The veteran cornerback feels a "night and day" difference physically after using the offseason to recover from the core muscle surgery he underwent last September. Despite returning in Week 13, Johnson battled through pain constantly and only felt pain-free months later during the Bears' playoff loss to the Rams.
"I easily could have sat on my ass and not played and just watch it be what it was, but for me I felt like what I had to give was enough to contribute to the team," Johnson said. "Of course, it wasn't nowhere near who I could be. I feel like people know that. For me it was just going out there competing, just wanting to be there."
Another practice, another left tackle running with the first-team offensive line. Jedrick Wills Jr. got the nod with the starters Saturday, while Braxton Jones was with the second-team unit and Kiran Amegadjie was with the threes.
More observations:
Running back Kyle Monangai missed his third straight practice with an undisclosed injury. He was the only player not on the physically unable to perform list or non-football injury list who was not practicing.
One day after tweeting that he wanted to attend a Bears practice, longtime NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson took in Saturday's session near coaches and player personnel members.
Zavion Thomas caught a touchdown pass from Tyson Bagent during the two-minute drill at the end of practice. The on-field chemistry is building between the veteran QB and the rookie. "Every time I have a question before practice or after practice, I go to him," Thomas said. "Whatever it is, he always tells me: 'If you ever need something or ever want to know something, just come to me.' Him making me feel comfortable and good. That relationship with him has been good."
July 31
The left tackle competition took a turn on Friday.
After taking every rep with the first-team offensive line from spring workouts through July 30, Braxton Jones now faces competition as the Bears look for their best option to protect quarterback Caleb Williams' blindside.
Former third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie took the majority of first-team reps during 11-on-11, while Jones and Jedrick Wills Jr. rotated with the second and third-team units.
The switch didn't come as a surprise to Jones.
"I assumed that it would be like that," Jones said. "Obviously they left it at it is a competition at the end of the day. Regardless of that, wherever we're put, ones, twos, threes, you've got to go perform and do your thing."
The former fifth-round pick from FCS Southern Utah went through a similar competition last year that involved four players vying for the left tackle job. Jones won that spot to start the season but was benched before halftime of the Bears' Week 4 win against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Jones attributes part of his struggles to rehabbing an ankle injury that put him behind the 8-ball throughout the 2025 offseason. He didn't trust that his ankle would hold up and found himself second-guessing his abilities, which is no longer the case now that he has a clean bill of health.
"Oh, night and day," Jones said regarding how much better he's feeling physically. "Last year I mentally wanted to be there but I physically was not. That battle, a lot of people would never understand. I'm so blessed for that battle and I just thank God, genuinely, for showing me his light."
More observations:
Right tackle Darnell Wright believes getting a contract extension done with the Bears is a matter of when, not if. "Obviously, I know I'll be here for a long time, hopefully my whole career," Wright said. "Those things kind of just handle themselves but I mean, I just have to stay focused on the main things. That's just getting better, consistency every day."
The first-team offense continues to stack strong days. Friday highlighted Williams' connection with tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Rome Odunze, who caught back-to-back deep balls in the first 11-on-11. Odunze came away with an impressive one-hand grab during a move-the-ball drill.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson picked off Williams in 7-on-7, which was the first interception thrown by the QB in training camp.
The defense had the upper hand in the first red-zone period. Defensive ends Austin Booker and Montez Sweat recorded "sacks" on back-to-back plays. Loveland finished off the drill with a TD.
Coach Ben Johnson said the two-minute drill in end-of-half situations is a "huge emphasis" in training camp. "We were not good two-minute, end-of-half," Johnson said. "We weren't very good in the second quarter in general. We didn't score as many points as the other quarters. We gave up more points in that quarter as well. We talked about that as a team ... and [Friday] will be our first chance to work that situation at two-minute before halftime." The two-minute drill at the end of practice forced the offense to drive 61 yards down field in 1:37 with two timeouts and the score tied 10-10. Williams connected with Loveland four times, including on a tight window throw that resulted in a 14-yard touchdown.
Running back Kyle Monangai was absent for a second straight practice. His reps went to Salvon Ahmed behind D'Andre Swift.
July 30
Rome Odunze poured cold water on the idea that the left foot injury he sustained during last fall will hinder him in his third season.
Odunze suffered a stress fracture in his foot that cost him five games during the regular season and caused his production to dip in early November. During OTAs, the wide receiver said he was getting used to a "new normal" with his foot, which raised concerns about how effective Odunze would be upon returning to game action.
"I really didn't articulate it well, honestly," Odunze said. "That's not really what I meant. I just kind of meant that I had an injury. That's it. That's football. My foot feels great. My foot feels amazing."
Odunze looked the part during the first two days of practice. He had two catches during team drills on Thursday, including a deep ball hauled in on the sideline that was called back due to a holding penalty. He believes "without a doubt" that he's capable of being a top-tier No. 1 receiver and set goals for himself to reach 1,000 yards, 100 catches and double-digit touchdowns in 2026.
Those are lofty expectations considering how much competition surrounds Odunze for targets. Luther Burden III is making his case to become Caleb Williams' top target while tight end Colston Loveland is coming off a rookie campaign in which he led the Bears in receiving.
Still, Odunze has his sights set on a career year and believes the issues he had with his foot are firmly behind him.
"Honestly, it's not even really something that I think about anymore, which I think is the best thing I think you can have after an injury," Odunze said. "I know 'new normal,' that has a bunch of connotations of chronic and severe, like it's never going to be the same. It's not like that at all.
"I'm completely fine. I went through my process of recovery and rehab and it's been great. Obviously I do my due diligence and all those things. Being out sucks. That really is the No. 1 thing as a football player, any athlete, you all know, you don't want to be out -- practice, game, whatever it is. Went through my process of getting that right and I feel amazing."
More observations:
Williams was perfect during 7-on-7, which included a diving catch from Loveland.
Defensive end Montez Sweat participated in his first practice after being activated off the non-football illness list on Wednesday.
Veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond had the catch of the day during 11-on-11 when he sped by defenders and hauled in a 50+ yard touchdown pass. "He's quick," Odunze said. "You guys saw him today. He can get over the top of the defense."
Entering Year 12, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is subscribing to the belief that the Bears are not yet the hunted: "We're always the hunters and that's the mindset. Because it doesn't really matter about what anybody else is doing. It's about how we're going about our process and what we do. We're always the hunters. That's the mindset we've taken."
July 29
Caleb Williams showed up to training camp looking and feeling different, a credit to the 10 to 15 pounds the quarterback says he dropped this offseason by consistently eating well, not eating past 7 p.m. and prioritizing his sleep.
"I'm excited about that to be able to move a little bit better, be smoother," Williams said.
His physical attributes are part of what Williams believes will help him take the next step in his second season in Ben Johnson's offense. His mental aptitude to grasp more of the playbook and take on more responsibility is another factor in his projected growth.
The quarterback noted that Johnson is adding more to his plate in terms of coverage recognition, and he is handling more checks, kills and pre-snap responsibilities. The shared goal of Williams and Johnson of a 70% completion percentage remains a focus for training camp.
What's clear from the first two days of players and coaching being back inside Halas Hall and plotting a path forward for the next six weeks of camp is how much Johnson and Williams are in lockstep.
"I know we have a real common goal and it's to find a way to make the Chicago Bears champions at the end of the day," Williams said. "So everything he says and what he says to me, I'll do it at 200% and won't look back. That's kind of how it is now. If he yells and curses at me or anything like that, I know it's for the greater good of the team, and so whatever it takes is what it's going to take."
More observations:
As is tradition under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, all defensive players practicing on Wednesday kicked off training camp with 40 up-downs.
The Bears plan to look at several contingency plans at nickel corner while Kyler Gordon is on the PUP list. Reserve DBs Cam Lewis, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell and rookie Malik Muhammad are all expected to get reps in the slot.
New safety Coby Bryant has quickly become the standard for the type of player Allen wants in his defense. "I love his play style," Allen said. "I think it epitomizes the way that we want to play the game. He plays fast. He plays violent. He's smart. He's instinctive. He just does a lot of really good things. He was an impressive guy to watch on tape, and I think when you watched him on their defense, I thought his play demeanor was contagious, and that's kind of what I'm hoping that he brings, and I believe he will bring that type of mindset to our team."
July 28
General manager Ryan Poles reiterated his desire to keep right tackle Darnell Wright in the fold long term as veteran players reported to Halas Hall on Tuesday. The Bears typically like to get contract extensions done before the team is in the thick of training camp, like they did with tight end Cole Kmet in 2023 and wide receiver DJ Moore in 2024.
Poles said he believes there is a window to do the same with Wright, the 10th pick in the 2023 draft, and intimated the sooner the two sides come to an agreement, the better.
"At the end of the day I don't want any distractions or anything like that, so when it's time to go play football, we'll go play football and keep it moving," Poles said. "But, yeah, he's a guy we would like here for a while."
Wright earned second-team All-Pro honors last season despite playing with an injured elbow for more than half of the season.
One piece of news that could drive up Wright's contract demands is the four-year, $96 million extension signed by two-time Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl tackle Brian O'Neill on Tuesday. O'Neill became the second-highest paid right tackle in the NFL ($24 million per year) behind Philadelphia's Lane Johnson ($25 million).
More observations:
There is no timeline on Kyler Gordon being activated off the physically unable to perform list after the cornerback had a "delay" in his recovery from a calf injury.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards sustained a calf injury while training away from Halas Hall during the summer. The Bears do not expect him to miss too much time despite starting camp on the non-football injury list.
Defensive end Montez Sweat reported to camp with an illness that is expected to sideline him for only a few days.
The Bears expect a competition at center between Garrett Bradbury and Logan Jones, but it might take a while for that position battle to form. "From a physical standpoint, [Logan Jones is] in a really good place," Poles said. "But obviously as a young center, this game's a lot different at this level."