The Chicago Bears completed their first four practices of training camp since returning to Halas Hall last week, and though the team is still easing their way back, there were a few notable developments that took place.
For the first few days, the Bears’ offense took center stage. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent were in complete command, easily completing passes to receivers such as Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, and Zavion Thomas, while tight end Colston Loveland looked to be in midseason form with how he was dominating the secondary. The defense finally caught up on Day 4 while practicing in the rain to create big interceptions and breakups, so each side of the ball has stood out early on.
Before the pads come on beginning Monday, here are our takeaways from the first few practices of training camp:
1. The Bears offense finally has the upper hand
A Bears training camp tradition always seemed to be the offense looking sloppy while the defense capitalized on mistakes early on in camp. We would see and hear about uneven quarterback play while nervously hoping they were just growing pains. Or the offense as a whole just wouldn’t be on the same page with receivers running wrong routes and false starts killing plays before they started. That’s not happening this year.
For once, the Bears offense is the unit that has things put together. Williams is more comfortable and confident working under head coach Ben Johnson, while the pass catchers are beating the coverages with ease. Even the pre-snap operation is much smoother than what we saw a year ago. Now, that could also spell doom for the defense when the season begins, but this team goes as far as Williams takes them. It’s encouraging to see them get a jump start.
2. Colston Loveland is the “X factor”
Prior to training camp beginning, we listed Loveland as the No. 3 Most Important Bear of 2026 and called him the team’s “X factor” for his ability to be a mismatch nightmare. Through four days of training camp, that already seems evident. Loveland has had a stellar camp up to this point, particularly on Friday when he caught at least three touchdowns in team drills and was a frequent target of Williams.
Loveland’s unique mix of size and speed makes him borderline unstoppable at times. Keep in mind he has had a full offseason to work with the offense, unlike his rookie year when he was rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Loveland is going to feast in this offense, and we’re only seeing glimpses of that during these camp practices.
3. Bears are doing their due diligence at left tackle
The Bears are taking their time figuring out who their left tackle will be, and that’s okay. For now. Early in camp, the team is rotating their top three options to determine who should be named the starter. Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills, and Kiran Amegadjie have all seen extended reps with the first-team offense, albeit without pads on.
It’s difficult to assess each of their performances, though it seems Amegadjie struggled the most when going against the starting defense. But the Bears are doing things right by doing their due diligence at the position before camp really takes off. They just can’t be doing the same rotation two weeks from now. Sooner or later, someone needs to emerge as the top option.
4. The Bears cornerbacks all have something to prove
It’s amazing what can happen in a year. Going into 2025, it seemed as if the Bears’ cornerbacks were one of the strongest position groups on the team. Now with much of the same personnel, everyone has something to prove. Kyler Gordon is still out on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list with no end in sight, while Tyrique Stevenson is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has experienced many highs and lows. Coaches have stated both players need to earn their trust, which is concerning for two veterans that aren’t new to the team.
Jaylon Johnson, meanwhile, is the best of the group, but he too needs to show he can return to his Pro Bowl form from a couple of seasons ago while thinking of a new contract himself. With each of the projected starters having some form of chip on their shoulder, that could make for an excellent season. Or they could fail to meet expectations and cause the staff to look elsewhere for contributors. It will be fascinating to see how each player responds to the adversity they came into training camp with.
5. Coby Bryant is going to flourish in this defense
From the moment the Bears signed safety Coby Bryant in free agency, I was extremely excited about the prospects of him playing in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system and believed it would be one of general manager Ryan Poles’ best signings. We’re not taking victory laps just one week into training camp, but so far, Bryant is showing why he was a priority for Chicago.
Bryant has stood out as the best player on defense early on, coming away with a clutch interception and breaking up passes during team drills. He’s playing the free safety position well so far and is earning the respect of players like Johnson. He seems to be a perfect fit in the secondary, and we’ll see if Bryant can keep up his strong play as camp kicks into high gear. For now, though, he’s off to a great start.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 takeaways from first 4 practices of Bears training camp
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
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By Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
