Another key milestone of the NFL offseason is upon us as the Chicago Bears are set to begin their voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) beginning on Wednesday.
Rookies and veterans alike will head to Halas Hall for a number of practices that will span two weeks. Practices will take place May 27–29 and June 2–4 before a mandatory minicamp June 9–11.
OTAs are not mandatory for players, and they won’t dictate whether or not the Bears will maintain their success from the 2025 season going into this fall. They can, however, provide a glimpse as to how the team is performing early on and where each phase of the team is currently at.
With two weeks of practices set to begin, here are five storylines we’re watching out for:
1. Who is present and who is not
While OTAs are voluntary, it’s always interesting to see who is present for practice and who decides to stay away. Everyone has a different reason for their absence, too. Some players could be looking for a new deal and either want to send a message to the organization or prefer not to risk injury and avoid practice. Others may want to spend time with their families or train on their own.
It’s rare for a team to have perfect attendance during OTAs, and the Bears will likely have a few players out for a variety of reasons. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson could be one of them after he missed offseason workouts earlier this month. This isn’t uncommon for Johnson, who has missed OTAs in prior years. He also recently got married and could want to spend more time with his family before mandatory minicamp. At the same time, he missed a large portion of last season due to injuries, and it may behoove him to get back into the building sooner rather than later. We’ll see if Johnson or anyone else opts to stay away and how their coaches feel about it.
2. The left tackle competition
The Bears have a giant question mark at the left tackle position heading into the 2026 season thanks to the serious leg injury suffered by Ozzy Trapilo in the playoffs. While OTAs won’t reveal the answer, especially light practices without pads, it at least will provide a glimpse as to what the Bears are initially thinking as to who should man the position.
As of now, the Bears have a conglomerate of options at left tackle. They re-signed Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet, both of whom started multiple games at the position in 2025. The Bears also signed former 2020 first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr., who was out of football last season, and they could even give one more look to third-year tackle Kiran Amegadjie, who missed most of last season due to injuries. Right now, it would seem Jones and Benedet will get the first reps with the starters, but this competition will just be getting started and won’t wrap up anytime soon.
3. Caleb Williams and the offense’s progression
It’s safe to say the conversation is drastically different surrounding Caleb Williams during this year’s OTAs compared to last year’s. In 2025, Williams and the offense struggled to get much of anything going, and head coach Ben Johnson needed to stop practice multiple times in order to correct mistakes. He even tossed the first-team offense off the field with how poorly they were operating. It would be a shock to have something similar happen in 2026.
Williams took a massive step in his development last season, throwing for just shy of 4,000 yards to go along with 27 touchdowns and just seven picks. More importantly, he was the catalyst for the Bears’ 11-6 record that saw them capture the NFC North division title and advance to the NFC Divisional round of the playoffs. While he still has plenty to work on, Williams continued to get better in Johnson’s offense as the year went on. Now, we’ll see just how comfortable he is operating the offense at the start of the offseason programs and if he can hit the ground running.
4. Rookie involvement
OTAs provide a glimpse as to how the team’s rookie class will gel with the veterans, and a few names will be top of mind for Bears fans. First-round pick Dillon Thieneman will get a chance to play opposite veteran Coby Bryant as the team’s new safety duo, while second-rounders Logan Jones and Sam Roush will mix in at center and tight end, respectively.
Perhaps the most intriguing player, though, is fourth-round cornerback Malik Muhammad. At first glance, it seemed Muhammad would be battling Tyrique Stevenson for an outside corner spot, but it sounds as if the Bears are interested in seeing what he can do at nickel. And with the news that Kyler Gordon is battling yet another soft tissue injury, Muhammad has an excellent chance to stand out early.
5. Extension watch
It has been eight years since the Bears last signed one of their own first-round picks to a multiyear extension (Kyle Fuller), but that drought should be coming to an end this offseason. Right tackle Darnell Wright, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is eligible for an extension, and chances are a deal gets done sooner rather than later. Wright already had his fifth-year option picked up, and he elevated his play in 2025 to become a Second-Team All-Pro. We’ll see if something gets done during OTAs or if a deal comes together later in the summer, but look for Wright to remain in Chicago following the 2027 season.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 storylines going into Bears OTAs
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
