I highly doubt we’re going to be seeing many starters playing in PS games going forward. As such, these ‘joint practices’ essentially replace PS games for all intent and purposes. The ones square off against their ones. The HCs kinda plan out what they want, maybe even ask the other to maybe blitz this guy, or double him, or play certain coverages…to test out their guys. It’s a bit like joint military exercises with friendly albeit real competition with the ultimate goal of both parties improving. Iron sharpens iron.
For instance, we’re not going to see a PS game where DT/NT Dexter Lawrence battles C Garrett Bradbury or even rook C Logan Jones, but in this joint practice, sure. Perhaps this is a good thing since by most accounts 350 pound Dexter Lawrence absolutely destroyed our interior and even managed an INT. I know many of us [esp moi] wanted Lawrence, but Bengals traded the 10th overall, a pick the Bears couldn’t really match.
Other major takeaways from Bears@Bengals Joint Practices.
S Dillon Thieneman impressed hauling in an INT
WR Tee Higgens balling vs our MASH secondary
Caleb/Loveland/Swift sharp esp in Redzone
Big Dex juggernauted Bears interior
LT still up in air. Braxton, Theo rotating at LT. Yikes
Willis, Kiran at RTs with 2s [I doubt Kiran makes the 53]
Dline flashed but didn’t dominate vs suspect CIN oline
WR Kaden Davis & DE Kromah may stick
CB Muhammad may be the slot til Glass-Gordon heals
Gonna be the QB Miller Moss show this Sat
Bengals, a high powered O, Offense-oriented HC, young hot-shot QB with an underpowered D in a tough div. Sound familiar?
WEEK 1 Ā· Sat 08/15 Ā· 12:00 PM CDT: Chicago Bears Network on FOX32; ESPN Chicago (English) | WVIV (EspaƱol)
Friendly reminder, NFL only has 3 [not 4] PS games now, and a majority of teams tend to sit everyone.
Used to be. Game 1, starters get a couple drives. Game 2, starters play at least 1 QTR. Game 3, starters play til 3 QTR to get used to halftime. Game 4, all starters sit, scrub bowl.
Now it’s a bit less formulaic and more idiosyncratic. Ben Johnson specifically prefers sitting most projected starters. He apparently rides them hard in practice, so perhaps this is his way of balancing it out.
As such, Caleb is sitting vs Browns, and Burpee Champ Tyson Bagent is set to start.
āEvery rep that I can get out there is an absolute dream come true to me.ā
Not sure we’ll see much of Caleb this PS, and if BJ isn’t going to roll out the starting Oline, that’s the way it should be.
That being said, it’s not as if our Oline is rock solid either. Last year it was the same 5 – set it and forget it. This year much more question marks.
The only bright side is that Trapilo seems ahead of schedule on his INJ, but WTH knows what that means?
Due to the shocking Drew Dalman retirement, Center murky too.
Garrett Bradbury was the FA insurance, but I’m certain BJ wants to get a loooong look at rook Logan Jones.
I know Theo Benedet is all but forgotten, but he did start at LT, and I’m curious how he’ll perform. Maybe he bulked up or gained more power after a year of an NFL diet and training?
Since Mr. Glass-Gordon is out at NB, Cam Lewis will go. I’m not expecting much TBH. Most think he’s a CJ Gardner-Johnson jack-of-all-master-of-none archetype [sans the penchant for turnovers].
Naturally, like everyone, I’m esp excited to gauge the rooks, specifically SS Dillon Thieneman. Camp chatter espoused that he looked the part. Scouting reports frame him as a vet-type rook. Wanna see how smart and fast he plays.
Speaking of fast, same goes for SWR Zavion Thomas. Hopefully, his speed transfers to the next lvl AND ideally he can, you know, CATCH the ball. If a ball bounces off his hands, we’ll all get Velus Jones/Tyler Scott flashbacks. It would also make sense for Thomas to get return reps.
TE Sam Roush is another investment siphoned away from Dline, so he better not debut like Kellen Davis or Adam “Baby Gronk” Shaheen.
But the Belle of the Ball may be 3T Jordan van de Berg. Been hearing how he’s tearing it up all summer; well, now we get to witness if he’s a hit or hype. To say we desperately NEED dline fortification is an understatement. Who was the last Bears’ DT to out-play his draft grade?
Ben Johnson wants to have the highest scoring offense in NFL history š¤
PUP List: LT Ozzy Trapilo, NB Kyler Gordon, S Elijah Hicks, LB Keyshaun Elliot, LB Noah Sewell, DL Shemar Turner [fuck, forgot about him].
Ironically, might be more intrigued by the Browns – specifically, the shit show which is their QB room. Shedeur Sanders, Watson, Dillon Gabriel…supposedly their WRs have been popping in PS, so should be a good test vs our MASH secondary.
Also get to watch S Emmanuel McNeil-WarrenĀ whom many mocked to Bears.
Frankly, as long as everyone walks off the field, I’ll be happy.
Something came up quick, so gonna post earlier than usual that way I won’t have to lug around my laptop.
Bears signed a vet safety Xavier Woods. Likely to keep Thieneman at SS, and Cam Lewis at NB [since Mr. Glass-Gordon remains dubious] while placing DB Dallis Flowers [who?] on IR.
Woods is a journey-man band-aid for now. For some reason, the Bears’ secondary always drop like flies. Maybe keeping iron-man Byard one more season was the way to go as now Halas has to juggle the roster and cross their fingers.
Here’s Fishbain‘s camp observations. Spoiler alert, impressed with Da Berg but wonders about the Oline.
So, Coby Bryant, the Chicago Bears’ starting free safety, is sidelined for 8-10 weeks due to a knee injury sustained during training camp on August 3.
The injury involves a hyperextended knee, bone bruise, and small fracture, with no surgery expected. So roughly out til Oct. Gotta wonder if they’ll move the rook Dillon Thieneman over to FS. I don’t really like repositioning rooks. 1st yr hard enough. More deets…
Best thing I saw/heard: I attended a sodden day of practice in Chicago, and the individual period was inside as the Bears let the rain abate. Only after enough weather had cleared the area did 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 move outside, where a drenched field made for difficult cuts and slip-n-slide falls. There were procedural penalties and drops. It didn’t seem like a day for big conclusions.
Only one player seemed totally immune: Coby Bryant, the Bears’ big free agent add at safety. He was everywhere Saturday. His interception on Caleb Williams‘ deep throw to Maurice Alexander was a thing of beauty. As Williams read the Bears’ split-field coverage and loaded to throw the seam route to Alexander, Bryant whipped out of his angle and drove to the middle of the field, tracking the ball better than Alexander and catching it at extension. He had two more pass breakups on the day, including a driving deflection on a crossing pattern from Rome Odunze.
Unfortunately, Bryant was carted off the field during Monday’s practice. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that no surgery is expected for a knee hyperextension, bone bruise and small fracture, but he will be out for 8-10 weeks. That would set Bryant behind the eight ball in learning coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense and developing chemistry with a fellow newcomer at safety, first-round pick Dillon Thieneman.
Veteran free agent Cam Lewis, who spent time at first-team slot corner and second-team safety during my time at camp, stepped in for Bryant at first-team safety Monday. He has good versatility but not nearly the processing speed or hitting power of Bryant. The Bears were already lighter at linebacker, having released Tremaine Edmunds to sign Devin Bush. They’re also thin in the defensive front, where they need a key pass rusher to emerge. Now with the Bryant injury, the questions on a defense that was extremely reliant on turnovers last season are becoming difficult to ignore.
I saw a lot more Sam Roush with the first team than I expected. The rookie tight end out of Stanford was a draft darling of mine. At 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds, with a rugby background, Roush is capable of displacing defensive ends in one-on-one assignments. The Bears experimented with No. 3 tight end Durham Smythe as a fullback in 2025, and I’d wager we see Roush in that role — with increased frequency — in 2026. Smythe had 335 snaps throughout the regular season and playoffs. Roush might push 400.
If he’s biting into anyone’s snaps, it should be from Cole Kmet rather than Colston Loveland. Loveland is the sun of the Bears’ solar system of receivers, and he’s a great pair with Roush, who can line up inside Loveland as a blocker more readily than Kmet can. Roush and Kmet might split too many snaps for either to be fantasy viable ā¦ and the same issue could be present at No. 3 receiver.
I saw Alexander, Kalif Raymond and Jahdae Walker all get first-team reps. Third-round rookie Zavion Thomas was mostly with the second team, but given his ball-in-hand ability, it’s fair to expect him to take snaps early as a decoy player at the very least. The Bears were not particularly deep at wide receiver last season, as DJ Moore and Odunze dominated the snap counts; Olamide Zaccheaus and Luther Burden III rotated behind them. Walker was fifth on the team in receiver snaps with 86, but I’d be stunned if that happens again. After Burden and Odunze, the receiver to draft in fantasy is likely Raymond ā¦ but I wouldn’t be surprised if that role was much more rotational than it was in 2025.
Best of the rest:
On a day in which everyone’s cleats seemed stuck in the mud, Thomas still flew. He created some yards after the catch on a crossing pattern and scored on a quick-out breaker. He’s built like a track athlete and will get used like one this season. I’ll bet you a sandwich he scores a 50-yard touchdown on some reverse or screen or trick play before the season is out.
The wet field seemed to dramatically impact Burden and Caleb Williams — there was one segment of 11-on-11 in which Williams targeted Burden three times and got three incompletions for his trouble — one clear miss, one clear drop and one that was somewhere in the middle. The people I spoke to are still shining with enthusiasm for Burden, so I’ll chalk the bad day up to the weather.
I was surprised to learn that second-round rookie Logan Jones has not cracked the first-team rotation at all, with veteran Garrett Bradbury manning the center position uncontested. So it seems clear that the Bears want to start the season with Bradbury, giving him every rep necessary to get up to speed. “It is not easy to play center in our scheme,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. Then he repeats it in case I didn’t get it: “It is not easy to play center in our scheme.”
The Bears’ running game improved dramatically over the course of Johnson’s first year: 42.9% success rate in the first eight weeks, 50.8% in the final eight weeks. That was the best in the NFL. Taylor told me they garnered a lot of feedback midseason from the offensive line veterans (Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney) about how to make communication and identification easier. Kmet told me that Ben Johnson leads the running game install during the week, which he had never seen even an offensive coordinator do before, let alone a head coach. Williams might be on the cover of Madden, but you can hear the pride in every Bears member’s voice when talking about their running game. It’s the core of the offense.
In other news, Darnell Wright got PAID. This is the way it should be – target quality players, lock them up quickly without Jerry Jones’ drama – set and forget. Done. Creates good mojo and sends positive message to the rest in that locker room grinding.
The #Bears and All-Pro OT Darnell Wright have agreed to terms on a fat new deal to make him one of the NFLās highest paid, per me and @JFowlerESPN.
Bears haven’t had a winning season since ’18 [12-4].
Bears have finished LAST in past 7 of 11 seasons.
Bears have only had a Top 10 Offense three times in past 30 years.
Bears only team to never have a 4K passer or 30 TD QB.
‘It’s time for all the players Poles got [in CAR trade]- Caleb, Wright, DJ, Stevenson and Burden – to step up’
Lions went for it on 4rth down 110x in last three [BJ] years.
’24 Bears O were 32nd in yards [4,820],31st in passing yards [3,552], 25th in rushing [1,734] while giving up a whopping 68 sacks [3rd most EVER].
“That’s like getting kicked in the groin 68 times.”
Detroit in ’24 ran the most plays under center [56%]. The Bears with Williams only 84 snaps out of 575 attempts. [Approx 14%].
’24 Detroit lead the league in PA 37%; Bears only PAed 18% [30th].
PA should help the RBs accelerate and find lanes.
Should be way more PS motion. “RCE – Recognize, communicate, execute”
Caleb was off target 21% of passes [PFF] Esp deep. Completed 14/68 passes over 20 yds 23% [sic] My math computes 20.5%
Of the 68 sacks, 28 of them Caleb held ball for over 5 secs.
Chicago Bears fans should be very excited to see what Ben Johnson's offense can do with the weapons they have.
Imagine what last year's big play that the Lions had AGAINST the Bears will look like with this new offense… exciting isn't it! pic.twitter.com/zPdaqCYa1J
1st drive [92 yds] Every receiver WIDE fucking open. Caleb hitting them in stride A bit more shotgun than I expected, but Caleb is on fire Loveland and Olamide look like they can separate
– Tori still can’t coffin corner. Needs to work on that.
– Returners and gunners concerning me
– Bagent sharp, instinctive, mobile
– Hankins did ok but left. Brown/Wheeler performed well at HB, but I doubt they make the 53.
– Neither Swift nor Monangai suited up; the latter was a surprise, but Poles during the in-game interview stated nothing to worry about
– Booker looked ok but went to the blue tent then walked back to locker room [update]
– Burden blocked his ass off in goaline. BJ set him in motion, and he drove the Safety back twice. He’s big, physical and twitchy. The type of WR Irish always pined for every August [RIP Cameron Meredith, Kevin White, Daniel Brown, Wims…]
Both of Luther Burdenās goal-line blocks that set up touchdowns.
– On a down note, CB Terrell Smith carted off. CB is the one position Bears had depth, but with JJ nursing an INJ, and whatever the hell was going on with Zah Frazier [who played and nearly blocked a punt]; it’s something to monitor
Ben Johnson on the best stretch he's seen from Caleb Williams in training camp: "Heās really been locked in. Any time youāre a young player, thereās usually a couple steps forward and one step back, and thatās really been the story of his training camp. He and I have been reallyā¦
I also believe this is the first time in 31 years the Bears have shut-out a team in PS.
However, as Dr. Rev Huge Bear Penis reminded us in the last thread ‘Bears beat the Bills last year in PS 33-6‘ [How’d that turn out?].
Oh, and Eberflus was 8-2 in PS, so, maybe we need to slow down on the circle-jerk.
Still, seeing the offense click that way was sooooooo cathartic.
No back-to-back TOs, whiffed blocks, delay of games, stupid challenges, cutesy bubble screens getting blown up on 3rd and 1, presnap dumbfuckery, or in general, no ‘WTF moments’
Everything appeared purposeful, logical and lethal.
I don’t even expect the starters to play much, if at all. Matt Eberflus didn’t set much of a high standard, so Ben Johnson only has to avoid looking totally lost.
Speaking of which, history has empirically proven that winning/losing in PS is mostly irrelevant.
So, in no particular order:
1. Look sharp. No sloppy PS penalties – illegal motions, delay of games, offsides, subs running in/out late, lining up wrong, terrible TOs… Get the basics right. Football 101.
2. On D, some sort of pressure from the Dline. I don’t care who, but SOMEBODY must crush. Word is Sweat has been making Oline sweat, so it would be sweet if he returned to form. However, I’m very curious about the new crew:
Dayo, Jarrett, even UDFA Carlton Xavier [Too bad about Shemar Turner].
Naturally, zero in on Booker as well.
3. Oline? Well, Moses Christ – it’s basically all rebuilt, so all of them? Well yes, but in particular I wanna see if Trapilo isn’t weak or cement-footed. I need to see he belongs [no Kiran 2.0]. Same for Kiran – at this point he’s gotta prove he’s not a lost cause. Also of interest will be how Newman handles himself and if he plays Center. I loved the edge Bill Murray brought. See if he’s still got that fire.
4. HB, well, we all want to see if Monangai is too small/slow/brick-handed, or if he can be our Pacheco. Everyone forgets about Ian Wheeler, but he’s going to be battling for a roster spot.
They both need to be able to pick up a blitz.
5. WR – All eyes on Burden. If he’s healthy and up to date. Can he separate at the NFL level? Will his YAC translate? Never know. Every year we seemingly get a new “Deebo” yet it never materializes [hello Treylon Burks].
Been hearing mucho about Olamide ZaccheausĀ , so draw a Madden circle on him.
6. TE. C’mon now. LOVELAND. The first “wow” pick of the draft. He better look at least as good as Greg Olsen. No pressure.
7. LB/Secondary is more or less set, still Hyppolite was a big head-scratcher for many, so highlight him on program. Will his 4.4 speed translate? Can he stack and shed? Does he flash instincts?
I was curious about Frazier who allegedly knocked the socks off Halas brass on his rookie visit; however, he’s missed a lot of camp [personal reasons], so I don’t believe we’ll see much of him.
8. On specials. Just don’t fuck up. Can Taylor nail a coffin-corner? Cairo make anything beyond 53? [he ended on a high note, that’s for damn sure].
WTH are our returners again?
9. Misc. Bagent!
10. Whatever the new rules are. From the HOF game, it seems they’re finally implementing some sort of chip system.
