News Bears Team Notes

[Chicago Bears]

Which player in franchise history do you remember but no one else does?

Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

We all have them. That player for the Chicago Bears who, for some reason, hit you in the feels. They didn’t set any records. No Pro Bowls or Top 100 placements. They may not even have played that long. But they were your favorite, and you still remember them fondly. Maybe they were your target in the draft, and you counted down the draft slots until the Bears were on the clock. You were thrilled when the Bears drafted them! Maybe it’s a player that caught your eye in the preseason, and you just knew they were a diamond in the rough. If only the Bears had just given them more of a chance. Maybe it's a starter who did the little things, and while their accomplishments are now shadowed in the obscurity of yesteryear as time marches ever onward...you still remember their shining moments with the clarity of just yesterday. Or maybe they had that one shining moment with the Bears, a key play that secured one of your most satisfying victories—before they once again faded into obscurity.

For me, my forgotten player from yesteryear—a player I can’t recall a single discussion about in my long time of talking about the Bears on the internet—is one I remember because he is associated with one of my core teenage memories. I’m not sure a single Bears fan has given him a thought in 30 years. Outside of my own musings, his Bears career may as well never have existed. And frankly, I wouldn’t remember him either if it weren’t for...but well, we will get to that.

You see, my player is Brad Muster. Bradley William Muster, born April 11, 1965. He was an unassuming fullback/tailback out of the Stanford Cardinal. He was drafted in a day when fullbacks were valued, and so the Bears took him late in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft. But even in 1988, it was a strange pick, and widely considered to be a reach. Muster would play for the Bears for five seasons. In his best year for the Chicago Bears (1992), he would rush for only 662 yards, albeit at a 4.7 yards per carry clip. In no other season would he rush for more than 415 yards for the Bears. His job on the Chicago Bears was to serve mostly as a blocking back for Neal Anderson (and we all remember Neal Anderson). After five relatively healthy seasons with the Bears, he would spend two more injury-plagued seasons with the New Orleans Saints before he retired. Today, Brad Muster is an assistant coach for the men’s golf team at Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, California.

Why do I remember this so very forgettable Chicago Bear? Well, Brad Muster, along with Neal Anderson, happened to be one of the running backs you could use to rush the ball as the Chicago Bears in Tecmo Super Bowl, the classic NFL video game for the original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) released in 1991, that was the sequel to Tecmo Bowl. And I loved it. I played multiple seasons all the way to the championship with the Bears. I played against my brothers. I played against my friends. And I played against the NES. As you might expect, the Bears' rushing attack was its best feature on offense in the game. And so, while Brad Muster, in the real world, did little to distinguish himself, he was a Pro Bowl-caliber player in Super Tecmo Bowl. Let me tell you - Muster and Anderson won me MULTIPLE Super Bowls in the summer of 1992. He was a bruiser, never going down at first contact. My brothers learned to curse his name. And so, to this day, I remember Brad Muster, Chicago Bear running back. And I continue to remember him fondly.

So, what Chicago Bears player do you remember that no one else does? Tell us about it in the comments!

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...lse-does-chicago-bears-tecmo-bowl-brad-muster

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears activate Case Keenum off the Active/Non-Football Injury list

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Yesterday, the Chicago Bears placed four players on the Active/Non-Football Injury list (NFI): backup quarterback Case Keenum, corner Jaylon Johnson, running back Ian Wheeler, and wide receiver Jahdae Walker. I figured these would be short-lived placements, and earlier today, they already activated Keenum off the list.

The NFI list is for players who can’t practice due to an illness or injury that occurred outside of the team’s normal football activities. It’s not for players who are dealing with personal issues or are dissatisfied with their current deal. I feel I need to mention that because fan speculation about Jaylon Johnson being added to the list for being upset about his contract was all over social media. He may want to renegotiate his deal, but that would be a seperate issue from the NFI.

Rookies and quarterbacks reported to Halas Hall yesterday, with veterans expected to report on Tuesday. The first training camp practice will be on Wednesday, and I would not be surprised to see the other three players removed from the list this week.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...otball-injury-list-jaylon-johnson-ian-wheeler

 

[Chicago Bears]

Training Camp Battles: LT: Braxton Jones vs Kiran Amegadjie vs Ozzy Trapilo

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The left tackle position for the Chicago Bears is going to be the battle everyone is watching.

Chicago Bears training camp opens this week!

With that news, we bring you are final training camp battle to watch for 2025, and it’s the one that everyone is going to be watching the closest: left tackle.

The situation here is interesting as a training camp battle largely because of Braxton Jones’ health.

When will Jones get on the field? Jones fractured his ankle late in the season, and the expectation (at the time) was that Jones would miss OTAs but be ready for training camp. The Bears, however, have not given any kind of timetable for Jones, and now we are hearing he’s going to be limited as training camp opens.

How long will Jones be limited? How much can the two other left tackles potentially establish themselves before Jones starts practicing in full?

Let’s look at the three participants in this battle, beyond Jones’ health.

First, we have Jones, the incumbent. Jones will win this job if the other two don’t take it from him. If the rookie, Ozzy Trapilo, looks shaky with pads on, and the second-year man, Kiran Amegadjie, doesn’t show much improvement, the Bears know they have a perfectly reliable left tackle in Braxton Jones who will step on the field in September and get the job done.

Jones won’t be flashy, he won’t be overpowering, but he will be good enough. With the Bears' improved offensive line, Jones would go from being arguably the best player on the Bears' line in 2024 to their worst in 2025. If Jones is your worst lineman, you have a pretty darn good line.

Amegadjie needs to show massive improvement from the last time we saw him on the field to be considered for a starting spot. Amegadjie, most likely, is competing for the swing tackle position, not the starting tackle position, but if Jones stays on the shelf for a few more weeks and Amegadjie starts to impress, things can change.

We’ve heard it all about Amedgadjie already. He was going to be a project. He was a toolsy player with good feet. He needed to adjust to tougher competition. He was hurt last summer and didn’t have a true training camp.

We are now entering year two, and everything from the last paragraph is now an excuse. It was all legitimate last season; this season, it’s not. Amegadjie has been on the team a year; he’s had a year to adjust to the speed of the league. It’s time to show massive improvement.

The reports out of OTAs with Amedgadjie weren’t great. It certainly makes you wonder if Amedgadjie isn’t going to become the guy the Bears hoped he could be. But, to be fair, let’s also not put too much stock into how Amedgadjie looked in shorts in May.

If Amedgadjie doesn’t step up, the door will open for rookie Ozzy Trapilo. Trapilo is an interesting prospect. I had Trapilo as my favorite tackle in this draft, which I didn’t have a first-round grade on. My tackle rankings were Will Campbell, Armand Membou, Josh Simmons, Josh Conerly, and Kelvin Banks. I had those as my first round tackles, and sixth on my list was Trapilo.

I say that to say that I was higher on Trapilo during the draft process than most experts were, and I was thrilled the Bears nabbed him late in round two.

Why did I like Trapilo? I liked him because he doesn’t screw up. He doesn’t make many ‘wow’ blocks, but he doesn’t get beat very often. If Trapilo gets opportunities with the 1s (and he will) and shows that he can hold his own against Dayo Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat, he’s going to quickly cement himself as the team’s starting left tackle before Braxton Jones even gets back on the field.

I think there are two competitions within this position group. It’s Trapilo against Jones for LT1, and it’s Trapilo vs Amegadjie for LT2.

One other question we have to at least pose: if both Trapilo and Amegadjie look good, would the Bears consider trading Braxton Jones to a team that needs help at tackle?

It’s important to note that if Amedgadjie struggles this summer, you cannot risk trading Jones and leaving a rookie and a struggling second-year player as your tackles. But if both look good and the Bears have a gluttonous amount of tackles, they might be able to get a decent pick for Jones for a good team that needs some help at tackle.

I think the reality of the situation here is that Amedgadjie will not show enough for the Bears to be confident and he will settle in as the LT3 on this team, but I do believe Braxton Jones will lose his job to Ozzy Trapilo and settle in as the team’s swing tackle, while the rookie, Trapilo, earns the starting job this year.

This should be the training camp battle we hear about regularly. We will be hearing daily updates as to which tackle is with the 1s each day, how they are playing, and how this competition is shaking out. Training camp is just a few days away, and Bears football is finally here. Buckle up.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...xton-jones-vs-kiran-amegadjie-vs-ozzy-trapilo

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears 2025 Position Battles: Wide receiver room may already be set

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

We preview the Chicago Bears’ wideouts here.

All last offseason, there was considerable hope for the Chicago Bears’ rebuilt 2024 offense. There was a new quarterback, new receivers, new running back, new tight end, and a new play caller, but they never got on the same page. It was inconsistent throughout the year.

Chicago’s top three wide receivers famously had a ‘race to a thousand’ that no one reached. DJ Moore came the closest with 966 yards, followed by Keenan Allen (744) and rookie Rome Odunze (734). Thinking back on the spacing issues that plagued the offense, it’s a wonder someone got as close as they did.

That changes with Ben Johnson calling plays and Antwaan Randle El coaching the position.

A recent report from Jeff Risdon of the Lions Wire discussed how Johnson “micromanaged the timing and spacing details” of his Detroit Lions offense, which was presented as a negative as Risdon explored the style of Detroit’s new offensive coordinator. However, I can’t see being meticulous as a bad thing. The Lions had a top-five offense each year that Johnson was their offensive coordinator, and quarterback Jared Goff averaged over 4,500 passing yards.

I’d welcome some of that micromanagement in Chicago.

Roster Locks​

There’s been no ‘race to a thousand’ bandied about this offseason, but I can see Moore and Odunze each flirting with quadruple digits. Moore has done it four previous times in his career, and Odunze has number one receiver potential after dominating the PAC-12.

Rookie second-round pick Luther Burden III figures to eventually become Chicago’s number three receiver, but after missing most of the offseason with a soft tissue injury, it may take him a while to claim that role.

The Bears signed 27-year-old Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency before Burden was drafted, so it’ll be him and Burden fighting it out for the third receiver role. He’s coming off a career-best 45 catches, plus he has some special teams value.

Free agent Devin Duvernay will be the primary return specialist, and he may get a handful of snaps on offense.

A Good Bet to Make it​

That’s five wideouts I have as locks, so if they do carry a sixth, that guy will need to really flash in the next month and show some third-phase value.

On the Bubble​

I’m not sure if anyone else makes the 53, because the other receivers on the roster all seem safe to put on the 16-man practice squad and move up as needed.

Former Lion Maurice Alexander could have an inside track on a practice squad spot.

Former 2019 third-round pick Miles Boykin is another guy who has a good chance of sticking around the practice squad due to his special teams experience.

Samori Toure and John Jackson were on the practice squad last year, but may end up elsewhere in 2025.

Tyler Scott has appeared in 28 games over the last two years, but his career trajectory seems to be going the wrong way.

Rookie undrafted free agent JP Richardson (5’11”, 192) out of TCU probably projects to a slot receiver in the NFL. As a senior, he had 57 receptions for 733 yards, and he returned 23 punts for 252.

Earlier today, the Bears brought in wide receiver DJ Chark for a workout, so they may already be looking to churn the bottom of the depth chart.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...er-training-camp-preview-rome-odunze-dj-moore

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears Training Camp 2025 Day 1 Notes: ‘This is a race now.’

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson and Grady Jarrett met with the media today at Halas Hall to open Training Camp. We share some takeaways here.

Football. Is. Back.

With the Chicago Bears’ season officially underway now that the first day of training camp is upon us, we got to hear from some leadership at Halas Hall.

GM Ryan Poles is speaking with the media https://t.co/mh1qRPvzAI

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 22, 2025​

First was Ryan Poles, who expressed excitement for everyone returning to Halas Hall. He then mentioned Jaylon Johnson on the NFI list due to a leg injury sustained during the offseason and lauded Braxton Jones and Colston Loveland for their offseason work. Both are back and will be ramped up in the early part of camp.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Poles mentioned the team has signed DE Tanoh Kpassagnon and DB Trey Flowers - more to come on those two.

Next was Ben Johnson, who brought immediate energy upon arrival - almost as if there is another human on this planet as excited for football as all of us here at WCG.

Coach reported that players “have taken the summer seriously” and have come to camp in shape and are excited about the competition throughout the roster and “bringing the playbook to life.”

He highlighted the novel opportunity this is for himself and the whole team and how critical these next few weeks are towards building trust and getting ready for the season. The next 6 weeks are about them coming together - trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. When asked what he is looking for from his team, he mentioned “dependability, consistency and production on a day in and day out basis, not only players but the coaches as well. Looking forward to getting better day by day, brick by brick.”

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

That said, he realizes “it's not linear - there’s gonna be bumps, ups and downs, and easy to have a bad day or two and get all panicky. That’s not gonna be us.” Coach was asked specifically about Caleb and any benchmarks, and he responded with a 70% completion percentage goal. Something to monitor, no doubt!

As we all expected, coach admitted his staff was by design when it comes to the amount of experience throughout and said he plans on leaning on his coaches with experience all around him.

Coach talked about the identity being both something that will come organically based on the players, staff, and how they all come together and perform, and highlighted that on offense, it's about being explosive and detailed, and on defense, press the edge and stop the run. He repeatedly mentioned the importance of joint practices in evaluating players, establishing identity, and learning from each other as a team.

Asked about the Left Tackle spot and the competition multiple times, Coach highlighted it is wide open and how everything each player does will matter. They plan to know by week 1 who the starting five will be - if it takes 3 weeks, great. If it takes 6 weeks, great. But Darnell Wright will be sticking on the right side. I repeat, Darnell Wright is NOT currently an option at Left Tackle.

In an interesting shout-out, Coach signaled out Colston Loveland and said there was not a player in the building more than the rookie from Michigan this offseason, and how he (Loveland) wants to be a factor here this fall.

However, my favorite line was when coach said “This is a race now. Everything is a race the next 6 weeks for week 1.” Vibes are high that we finally have a coach who understands and embraces that fact to the extent he can prepare his team accordingly.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Grady Jarrett represented the Defense on Tuesday. The 10-year vet is excited to be in camp 11 and plans to get better every year. In “grind now mode and all the feel-good reflections are over with. Time to go to work.”

Gotta love that lunch pail mentality. The key to ramping up for camp is “not to ramp up but to go balls to the wall every day.” Jarrett showed exactly the type of “grinder mentality” that this team needs and his leadership will be just what the young defensive front needs.

Caleb Williams was supposed to meet the media, but has yet to do so. As soon as he does, you know where to find those updates!

---

What were some of your takeaways from the opening press conference for the Chicago Bears Training Camp?​

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...-nuggets-ben-johnson-ryan-poles-grady-jarrett

 

[Chicago Bears]

The Bear’s Den, July 23, 2025

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Training camp is here, goals have been set, challenges accepted, and an old friend retires

WE WANT YOU!

Would you like to show your Chicago Bears spirit to the world? I’m starting a feature where Windy City Gridiron readers can share pictures of themselves and their families and friends in Bears attire. Simply email a picture to me at the following address: denmasterken at aol dot com. The pictures need to be clear, and full resolution (i.e. full size from your phone if that’s how you take them). Include any description information you like along with the photo!

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

DENMASTER KEN’S VIDEO GRAB BAG

BEARRRSSSS​

Bears coach Ben Johnson sets QB Caleb Williams' goal: Complete 70% of his passes - Chicago Sun-Times - Williams was nowhere near that mark last season, when he was near the bottom of the NFL at 62.5.

Bears TE Colston Loveland, LT Braxton Jones healthy enough to start training camp - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears knew Loveland would need a six-month recovery from the shoulder surgery he had in January.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson out 'a few weeks' with leg injury - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears put Johnson on the non-football injury list last week.

Chicago Bears: Jaylon Johnson will miss 'a few weeks' - Chicago Tribune - Ryan Poles said Jaylon Johnson suffered a leg injury while training on his own. Here's what else we learned on Tuesday as Bears training camp began at Halas Hall.

Column: 5 reasons for optimism as Chicago Bears open camp - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears are starting over again, this time with coach Ben Johnson. Here are five reasons that potentially validate the latest wave of optimism.

The Ben Johnson Show starts now at Bears camp. All eyes and ears are on him - The Athletic - As he embarks on his first season in charge, you could say Johnson is the most important coach, player or sports executive in Chicago.

Bears training camp: Caleb Williams’ goals, Jaylon Johnson’s injury, left tackle battle - The Athletic - The Bears opened training camp on Tuesday, and we heard from GM Ryan Poles, head coach Ben Johnson, QB Williams and DT Jarrett.

Caleb Williams Speaks: Adjustments, Accountability, and Lofty Goals - BN - Excitement may mean nothing today. But it sure sounds like the Bears' Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams are putting in the work to make it mean something in the long run.

Ben Johnson Speaks: Caleb Williams Goals, Fair Competition at LT, More - BN - Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson had his first training camp press conference on Tuesday at Halas Hall.

10 things we learned on Day 1 of Bears training camp - ChicagoBears.com - General manager Ryan Poles, coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett spoke to the media Tuesday at Halas Hall as the Bears kicked off training camp.

Bears’ Ben Johnson embarks on ‘race’ to get himself ready for first season as head coach - Chicago Sun-Times - Players are working to earn Johnson’s trust, but he’s working to do the same as he tries to end the Bears’ run of fizzling coaches.

Caleb Williams wants to set Bears records — and ‘you’ve got to go win’ - Chicago Sun-Times - It’s a heady goal, at least said out loud.

Roster Moves: Bears sign veterans Tre Flowers, Tanoh Kpassagnon, activate two off NFI list - ChicagoBears.com - The Chicago Bears on Tuesday signed defensive back Tre Flowers and defensive lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon. They also activated wide receiver Jahdae Walker and running back Ian Wheeler from the Non-Football Injury list.

Bears support Maine South High School at NFL Flag Championships - ChicagoBears.com - Maine South High School’s girls flag football team competed in the second annual NFL Flag Championships in Canton, Ohio, over the weekend as a result of their win at the Bears’ regional tournament last October.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Packers sign WR Will Sheppard, K Mark McNamee - NBC Sports - The Packers signed wide receiver Will Sheppard and kicker Mark McNamee on Tuesday, the team announced.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Jimmy Graham to officially retire from NFL - NBC Sports - Tight end Jimmy Graham did not play in the NFL last season and he won't be returning at any point in the future.

Report: UFL will relocate Birmingham, Michigan, Houston, Memphis - NBC Sports - Are Oakland, Tampa Bay, Philly, and New Jersey next?

Trevon Diggs on having pay reduced for missing offseason workouts: "It hurt my feelings" - NBC Sports - Cowboys should just use workout bonuses, like nearly every other team.

Micah Parsons cites back tightness for not participating in practice - NBC Sports - Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons showed up to training camp and was on the practice field with a helmet Tuesday.

Report: Chris Godwin underwent another minor ankle procedure this spring - NBC Sports - The Buccaneers placed receiver Chris Godwin on the active/physically unable to perform list Tuesday.

Browns place QB Deshaun Watson, DT Mike Hall Jr. on active/PUP - NBC Sports - The Browns placed quarterback Deshaun Watson on the active/physically unable to perform list, among several moves they announced Tuesday.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON​

Were Chicago Bears close to drafting JJ McCarthy over Caleb Williams? - Windy City Gridiron - A quote from Ryan Poles caused quite a stir on Monday.

Bears’ First Four 2025 Draft Picks - Windy City Gridiron - With all three of the Bears’ second-round draft picks from the 2025 NFL draft officially under contract, we’re taking a deep dive into their first four picks on the eve of the first camp practice.

Should (and could) the Chicago Bears Trade for Trey Hendrickson? - Windy City Gridiron - Trey Hendrickson has reportedly refused to report to Bengals training camp as contract talks between the star defensive end and Cincinnati have broken down over guaranteed money. Hendrickson has...

Chicago Bears Training Camp 2025 Day 1 Notes: ‘This is a race now.’ - Windy City Gridiron - Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson and Grady Jarrett met with the media today at Halas Hall to open Training Camp. We share some takeaways here.

Chicago Bears sign DB Tre Flowers, DE Tanoh Kpassagnon - Windy City Gridiron - GM Ryan Poles announced two signings and two NFI list updates at his training camp presser

Chicago Bears 2025 Position Battles: Offensive line depth remains a concern - Windy City Gridiron - With camp opening this week, we’re breaking down every position group on the Chicago Bears.

Bears on the Bubble: Top 5 Players on the Roster Bubble - Windy City Gridiron - Which Chicago Bears players have the hardest road to make the team in 2025?

Five Questions Surrounding The Chicago Bears Heading Into Training Camp - Windy City Gridiron - Training Camp 2025 is officially under way! With the regular season under two months away, the Chicago Bears have plenty to figure out before their Monday night opener. We’ll take a look at five questions that need to be answered heading into camp.

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Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...-draft-ben-johnson-spring-training-halas-hall

 

[Chicago Bears]

A new look coming for Windy City Gridiron in August

Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Our coverage remains the same but with a new look

In just a couple of weeks, Windy City Gridiron is switching to a new platform as part of SB Nation’s network-wide move to a new publishing platform. This will change the look of the site and also make it faster and more reliable on any device you use. This is an upgrade.

When you land on the site, it will look cleaner – less clunky, with more white space, a better ad experience with faster load times – but will still have all the usual articles, analysis, and news by all the folks you know.

Community discussion and content created by you will be more prominent in the new design. The best comment threads will be easy to find, and staff and commenters alike will be able to start conversations whenever they like with a brand new tool.

We’re planning on an early August reveal, so we wanted to give you a heads up. You’ll hear more from us when it’s almost here. The site will look a little different, feel a little faster, and, most importantly, have a bigger role for you, the community.

So, stick around and check it out!

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...look-coming-for-windy-city-gridiron-in-august

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears Training Camp Day 2 Updates

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears had their second training camp practice early this morning, but before the players took the field, head coach Ben Johnson met the media. It was another solid press conference, but the part that caught my ear was when he was asked about his principles in calling an offense and if he had a run-pass ratio in mind for the Bears.

He gave the type of answer you’d expect from a top-tier play caller.

“No. No. There are not,” Johnson said. “Every game is its own entity. That’s what I learned. I saw it for a number of years when I was in Miami. The New England Patriots were really the top of the league for so long, and each week, you just didn’t know. Offense and defense, they just continued to morph, and they had their opponents guessing. You didn’t know what [Bill] Belichick was gonna pull out front-wise or coverage-wise on defense. You didn’t know what [offensive coordinator Josh] McDaniels was gonna do. He might throw it 50 times, he might run it 50 times.”

“And standing from afar, seeing how dominant that was, I think that’s a really good tactic to have. That’s something I would like to do here as well. The elements play a role. Our talent plays a role. Who we’re going against plays a role. It all plays a piece in the puzzle, and that’s what’s fun about each game week.”

He also gave an update on rookie wideout Luthur Burden III, saying he was day to day with a soft tissue injury. There was a follow-up question, and he again stated that he believed the injury was truly day-to-day. Fellow rookie Shemar Turner (DT) has an ankle injury, and rookie corner Zah Frazier has been excused from practice for personal reasons.

Also, corner Jaylon Johnson, who is on the NFI list, is at Halas Hall rehabbing.

Now for some Tweets from the beat.

Couple of observations from Bears practice No. 2:
-Braxton Jones got the reps with the 1s during install, still in a ramp up (not doing team drills)
-Kiran Amegadjie was with the 1st at left tackle during 11-on-11; Ozzy Trapilo with the 2s (swapped from yesterday)
-Tyson Bagent…

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 24, 2025​

Couple of observations from Bears practice No. 2:

-Braxton Jones got the reps with the 1s during install, still in a ramp up (not doing team drills)

-Kiran Amegadjie was with the 1st at left tackle during 11-on-11; Ozzy Trapilo with the 2s (swapped from yesterday)

-Tyson Bagent was QB2 today, Case Keenum was QB3

-Couple issues that had to be corrected for the 1st team offense with huddle procedure/getting lined up

-Ian Wheeler and Kyle Monangai might have to have a race to see who’s faster. Both had moments where they turned on the jets today, including a long run from Monangai during team.

-Caleb Williams continues to do a lot of work under center

-No guardian cap for Jaquan Brisker at practice. Meant to ask about this during the spring when he spoke for the first time since his concussion. Some DBs, WRs are wearing them, not all.

Practice ended this morning with newly signed CB Tre Fowers putting a big hit on WR Olamide Zaccheaus.

Zaccheaus was down for a bit before getting up. Camp gets physical and it's a grind but without pads on, I'm guessing this is the kind of play the #Bears hope to avoid.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) July 24, 2025​

Kevin Byard says Ben Johnson has, "as the young guys call it... Aura" #Bears

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 24, 2025​

#Bears WR Rome Odunze goes through a drill w/ a cameo by DJ Moore. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/7vGVT1SEQb

— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) July 24, 2025​

Bears S Kevin Byard says under Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen "everyone is getting pushed to compete every single day." The intensity of practices have already been different than last season.

— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) July 24, 2025​

Interesting hearing Ben Johnson talk about the outside perception of the #Bears' running back room and that it isn't the most talented unit in the world.

Johnson said his running backs "like to hear that noise."

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) July 24, 2025​

Best thing I saw at #Bears camp today was a long run by rookie RB Kyle Monangai with a juke near the end zone.
No photos allowed during that period, so …. pic.twitter.com/5Tb9Pd3gIU

— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) July 24, 2025​

D'Andre Swift on what he's seen from rookie RB Kyle Monangai, including a big run at the end of practice Thursday: "Great addition. He don’t really lack anything from what I’m seeing. Confident in his style of play, real low to the ground, great catching the ball out of the…

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 24, 2025​

"He's been balling. He had a lot of turnovers in Spring." - #Bears safety Kevin Byard on Nahshon Wright.

Wright has been DB2 with Jaylon Johnson out.

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 24, 2025​

Antwaan Randle El is the ultimate hype man pic.twitter.com/ck38FwGyjA

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 24, 2025​

I’ll end with some wise words from former NFL player and soon-to-be TV analyst, JJ Watt, from a recent social media post.

Training Camp “stats” are insane and ridiculous.

Used to think it was always just people joking, but now seeing them seriously reported.

You have no idea what the purpose of that period is, what the goals are, what the context is, etc.

It could be a strictly 3rd & Long blitz period where every play is skewed to the defense's advantage. Coaches could be asking the QB to focus specifically on one route concept. DLine may be focusing only on bull rushes one day or just speed rushes for one period.

More importantly, practice is for practicing. You’re supposed to fail. You’re supposed to try new things, see what works and what doesn’t work, etc. If you only do what works, you’ll never grow, adapt, change.

The entire point of training camp is to build and grow towards the season so that you perform your best when the real games start.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...ates-ben-johnson-luther-burden-jaylon-johnson

 

[Chicago Bears]

How Ben Johnson is making Caleb Williams uncomfortable

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

At his introductory press conference as head coach of the Chicago Bears, Ben Johsnon looked at the players in attendance, including quarterback Caleb Williams, and said, “Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

We’ve seen glimpses of this from him, with his intense attention to detail, getting on his players, not tolerating mistakes, and pulling his first team off the field to keep practice moving along.

But today we heard about a specific way that he’s making his quarterback uncomfortable.

At his post-practice press conference, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was asked about a sequence where defensive end Montez Sweat got immediate pressure on Caleb, and his answer wasn’t what I was expecting.

“That’s very intentional,” Doyle said. “That’s trying to get our defensive pressures in against some of the stuff we’re going to do offensively. We have contingency plans for what they are going to bring at us, so the quarterback operating at getting the offense on the same page as far as checking plays, checking protections, things like that, but that’s all a part of the scripted practice, is trying to get the defense right with their pressure patterns and the way they’re going to play coverage on the back end and then it’s getting our quarterbacks used to whether we’re throwing the ball or up front handling the movement with those run schemes.”

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer was at Halas Hall today, and in his latest article, he wrote about this very thing.

Ben Johnson’s Bears start practices with a “wake-up” period that’s 11-on-11 with intentional pressure coming from the defense on every snap. It’s part of the process the Bears are going through to accelerate two things with Williams. One is the amount he’s doing in what they call “P.S.P.” (presnap procedure). The other is the volume he’s getting to see from the defense, so he can apply more of the offense to what he’s seeing from an opponent. The idea was to have him drinking from a firehose in the spring, and keep the load on him to start camp, and then begin to narrow the offense down to what Johnson, OC Declan Doyle, and the staff think he does best. Getting there is just a process (and we’ll have more on it in the Monday takeaways).

This revelation comes on the heels of former NFL player J.J. Watt Tweeting about this very situational part of practice, but it’s not something we’ve ever heard of in Chicago.

Breer’s article has some other good nuggets, including his offensive line observations, some praise for backup running backs Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai, what he saw from the defensive line, and how middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds “has taken to [Dennis] Allen’s scheme,” and is looking “more comfortable” and “playing free.”

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...liams-uncomfortable-declan-doyle-albert-breer

 

[Chicago Bears]

Open Thread: What other sports teams are you a fan of?

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Our question of the day digs into our fandom of other teams beyond just the Chicago Bears.

The one thing that holds our community here at Windy City Gridiron is our die-hard fandom for the Chicago Bears. In today’s world, there’s something to be said about a group of people coming together to find common ground and connect with each other.

That said, today’s Open Thread is meant to shine a light on our other sports interests. Today, we pose the question: what other sports teams are you a fan of?

Most of my choices are pretty boring. Growing up in the Chicago area, I’m a fan of the Bulls for the NBA, the Blackhawks for the NHL, and the White Sox for MLB. With how poorly all of them have been doing in recent years, it’s hard for me to get as invested as I’ve been in the past. However, I still keep up with all of those teams and watch a game from time to time.

I’m not a die-hard White Sox fan to the point where I hate the Cubs, though. At the end of the day, it’s still the same city both teams are representing. I rooted for the Cubs when they won the World Series in 2016 and will cheer for them whenever they’re not playing the White Sox. Call me fair-weathered if you like, but I just put the city before the rivalry.

For college sports, I’m a fan of the Missouri Tigers. Being an alumnus plays the biggest factor in my fandom, as I’ve been going to Mizzou since I enrolled as a student there in 2019. I still try to make it out to one football game a year, if I can.

Outside of team sports, I’m a fan of professional wrestling. I obviously keep up with WWE, but I’m in the know with AEW, NJPW and TNA, as well. “Oh, but pro wrestling isn’t a sport, Jacob”, some people may say to me. To them, I say I’ve got two words for you.

Now it’s your turn. What other sports teams are you a fan of? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2025/7/27/24473961/open-thread-chicago-sports-teams

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears 2025 Position Battles: Déjà vu at safety

Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With camp opening this week, we’re breaking down every position group on the Chicago Bears.

Safety seems copy and paste for the Chicago Bears for who will make their 2025 53-man roster. Unless there’s an injury, this group should be the same one we saw open the season last year.

Roster Locks​

Strarters Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker, and reserves Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens, opened up the 2024 season, and they all returned to do it again. Even with Dennis Allen’s new defensive scheme in place, the Bears didn’t make any significant offseason moves at the position.

Brisker revealed earlier this year that he was nearly drafted by the Saints and then head coach Allen had the Bears noy picked him at 48 overall.

“When we were in the draft, Dennis Allen and I met at the combine, and they told me at 49 they were going to take me,” Brisker said via Casino Beats. They were going to pick me, and I was like one pick away. So there was that connection always there. They had signed Tyrann [Mathieu], so I was going to come in to play next to him.”

Brisker seemed poised for a break out last year, but he only played in five games. He’s excited to play and show his versatility to the creative Allen.

“[To] show I’m a Swiss Army knife,” Brisker said last month via ESPN, “how he moves pieces around, and how we run so many different things, and we can all make it look the same or vice versa. Things like that. That’s what I love about it. DA is smart. I know he’s going to put us in the right positions.”

Even at a soon to be 32, Byard is still playing solid football, and Owens is an experienced reserve and special teamer.

The Bears have received good value from former seventh-rounder Hicks. In his three years, he’s played in 44 games with 15 starts, and has amassed over 600 snaps on the third phase.

Not one of these players is signed beyond this year, but that’s a 2026 problem.

A Good Bet to Make it​

Move along, nothing to see here...

On the Bubble​

Veteran Alex Cook was released and brought back in a span of two days last week, and I can see him making Chicago’s 16-man practice squad. Most of his career has been spent on practice squads, but the 26-year-old did appear in 10 games, with two starts, in 2023 for the Panthers.

Undrafted free agents Major Burns and Tysheem Johnson were the first rookie safeties acquired for the new coaching regime, so odds are good that at least one of them sticks around on the practice squad.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...jaquan-brisker-kevin-byard-elijah-hicks-owens

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears Training Camp Recap for July 28: Luther Burden III returns

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The Chicago Bears were in pads for the first time this offseason on a hot and humid day in Lake Forest. Another training camp first today was rookie wideout Luther Burden III back on the practice field. Burden had been nursing a soft tissue injury, but he looked spry in the clips shared on social media. As they’ve done with other returning players, Burden was eased back into the flow of practice.

In other injury news, Doug Kramer, who went down at their last practice, was not there, nor were rookie Zah Frazier or Shemar Turner. Last week, it was reported that Frazier was away for personal reasons and Turner was out due to an ankle issue. Brad Biggs is reporting that Turner could miss four weeks or more with his injury

Per the team, Kramer is day-to-day with a leg injury. Rookie Luke Newman was getting reps with the second string at center today.

Defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon was carted off the field with what reports called a possible hand or wrist issue.

Offensive lineman Bill Murray left the field limping and had his right ankle wrapped.

Now for some Tweets from those who were at Halas Hall today.

DJ Moore won a rep against Tyrique Stevenson deep and made a sliding catch on a ball from Caleb Williams in 1 on 1 drills.
Moore’s helmet came off during the catch. #Bears

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 28, 2025​

Colston Loveland made a great high catch in 7 on 7s on a throw from Williams in the middle of the field.

— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) July 28, 2025​

Braxton Jones is working into team drills, starting in today with the Bears’ second-team offense. He was more limited the first four practices while returning from ankle surgery.

— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) July 28, 2025​

Luther Burden was back today and did some individual drills but did not do team drills. #Bears pic.twitter.com/eYHNa5YG5o

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 28, 2025​

#Bears practice has wrapped up. About 1 hour, 45 minutes in sweltering humidity. Major emphasis on run game with first day in full pads. Some of the pass stuff was 1/2 speed or 2/3 speed so not a lot to go off of.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) July 28, 2025​

Full transparency very tough vantage point today for team drills.

1. Thought Monangai had a nice day running hard. Made a couple nice grabs.

2. Colston Loveland looked smooth made a few nice grabs.

3. 1 on 1s o-line won and DBs got after the WRs. #DaBears #Bears

— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) July 28, 2025​

#Bears Hall of Famer Devin Hester is on campus today.

— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) July 28, 2025​

Buzelis attended Hinsdale Central High School. As did Trey Koziol, Kiran Amegadjie and Doug Kramer. #Bears https://t.co/BGMdc8AyyV

— James Fox (@JamesFox917) July 28, 2025​

#Bears LTs Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo & Kiran Amegadjie. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/MEmJ3usr2s

— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) July 28, 2025​

Offensive line looked good in 1 on 1s today first 5 reps were all wins for the offense.

1. Darnell win vs Sweat
2. Jackson win vs Dexter
3. Dalman win vs Big Bill
4. Thuney win vs Grady
5. Kiran win vs Dayo#DaBears #Bears #BearsCamp

— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) July 28, 2025​

Top 3 Takeaways from training camp practice #5:

1- Colston Loveland is getting the ball from all 3 quarterbacks in a variety of ways. Hands look good.

2- Grady Jarrett was a problem in one-on-one drills.

3- The LT competition is going to last awhile. No clear standout.

— Mark Carman (@thecarm) July 28, 2025​

"The same thing that stood out on offense. . . When he has the ball in his hands, he's a different dude. He's dynamic." - #Bears ST Richard Hightower on what he saw in Luther Burden III's punt return tape from college.

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) July 28, 2025​

"If they dont have the right mentality, they cant play here. And they definitely can't play in my room."

Richard Hightower on the player mentality he expects for his group. pic.twitter.com/XqV9PB1TwW

— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) July 28, 2025​

Drew Dalman is unsure if Grady Jarrett has any weaknesses. Thinks it’s great for any offensive lineman to go against him. pic.twitter.com/u6jkyDVnMN

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) July 28, 2025​

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...r-burden-iii-returns-ozzy-braxton-doug-kramer

 

[Chicago Bears]

Kyler Gordon: What to expect under Dennis Allen

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

The versatile 4th year defensive back is primed for a breakout year under his new coaching staff.

Kyler Gordon, the first pick of Ryan Poles’ tenure as GM of the Chicago Bears, was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension entering his fourth season as a pro. Not a surprise after hearing both his new head coach and defensive coordinator speak glowingly of him this off-season.

“We are fired up to secure Kyler as a mainstay on our defense and a dependable component of our team,” Ben Johnson said after Gordon was extended. “Our staff cannot wait to get to work with Kyler.”

One of the key quotes from his new DC’s comments is when the former New Orleans Saints Head Coach said, “Hopefully we can find some more playing time for him.” Having finished last season at 67.88 percent of the total defensive snaps for the 2024 Bears, it is safe to expect that number to increase quite a bit. The question is by how much? Well, considering coach Allen has ‘Spidey’ getting reps in practice, all over - I am anticipating his snap percentage to be closer to 85-90%. Here

Love this for Kyler. Not every player has the ability (or desire) to excel in multiple roles on defense… but he does. Good on DA & his defensive coaches for seeing that early on and opening up the possibility for Kyler to have impact on almost any defensive play. https://t.co/Y0T2juIp58

— EJ Snyder (@FootballEJ) July 30, 2025​

Some of the more versatile defenders under Dennis Allen’s time in New Orleans are Kenny Vaccaro, Malcolm Jenkins, CJ Gardner-Johnson, and Tyrann Mathieu. Of those names, really only CGGJ and ‘The Honey Badger’ stick out as DBs equally adept at stopping the run and defending the pass, both in coverage and on blitzes. In his second season, CJGJ played in just over 82% of the total defensive snaps. In all of his three seasons combined (2022, 2023, 2024), ‘The Honey Badger averaged 95% of total defensive snaps for New Orleans in Dennis Allen’s defense. The main reason is that these players can slide into many positions throughout numerous personnel groupings, much like how we have seen ‘Spidey’ deployed thus far in camp.

Dennis Allen on what he likes about dime packages:

"It gives us a little more versatility. Versatility from a coverage standpoint, what we want to do coverage wise. Just gives us a little more versatility, and yet we're not married to any particular package. We're going to…

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) July 30, 2025​

Considering coach Allen has also said that the CB2 spot is up for grabs, don’t be surprised if Kyler earns that role before kicking into the slot or at LB in Nickel and moving back to safety in Dime packages. All in all, expect to see much more of Kyler Gordon this season. Which means more of this:

Excellent coverage by the Bears Kyler Gordon (6) vs. the Lions St. Brown (14) in the Red Zone.

Anytime the WR crosses the OT on a motion, there is a high likelihood he is going vertical.

Gordon keeps his depth & leverage through the motion.

Vertical stem = 90° break.
-- pic.twitter.com/ZLgXkJ1AMn

— Cody Alexander (@The_Coach_A) March 18, 2025​

And this:

The Bears used Ni Kyler Gordon off the edge early & then sent him through the B-gap as a change-up vs. the Jaguars.
-- pic.twitter.com/9XN06Vk7ja

— Cody Alexander (@The_Coach_A) October 15, 2024​

With the way NFL defenses are seeking dynamic players who can match-up against and threaten offenses in myriad ways, expect Kyler Gordon to enter the conversation nationally with players like Kyle Hamilton (92% snap count), Josh Metellus (87%), Brian Branch (84%) and Mike Sainristil (90% as a rookie) as versatile defenders who must be accounted for each and every play. If he can stay healthy, expect Spidey to once again be featured near Disney World and Universal Studios during the next Pro Bowl in early 2026.

Stat Prediction:

90 total tackles, 8 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR, 3 INT, 10 PD

---

What do you think about Kyler as a player? Was he worth the extension? Can he make an impact similar to the players listed above?​

HERE WE GO pic.twitter.com/PUL2m7V3uZ

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 29, 2024​

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...-man-josh-metellus-brian-branch-kenny-vaccaro

 

[Chicago Bears]

Positional battles emerging in Bears training camp

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

WCG’s lead draft analyst shares the key positional battles showing up in Bears training camp.

Chicago Bears training camp is in full swing for the 2025 season, and every spot is up for grabs with a new coaching staff in place.

At least, that’s what you’ll hear in press conferences. While players do have to prove themselves with a new staff in charge, a lot of starting positions seem to be playing out as expected.

That said, there are still a couple of key roles that are up for grabs as the preseason draws near. With over a week of training camp practices in the books, here are a couple notable positions on the Bears’ roster that currently have open competitions.

Left tackle: Braxton Jones vs. Ozzy Trapilo vs. Kiran Amegadjie​

As of this writing, the Bears seem to be rotating three players into their starting left tackle opening. Given that he’s the incumbent starter, Braxton Jones projects as the favorite to win the job in Week 1.

However, head coach Ben Johnson is giving two young linemen the opportunity to take first-team reps. Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo has been taking snaps with the starters, as has last year’s third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie.

#Bears had Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie & Ozzy Trapilo all get reps with the 1st unit during portions of practice. Theo Benedet received the vast majority of 1st team reps at right tackle.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) July 26, 2025​

It remains to be seen exactly who will come out on top. However, Jones is entering his contract year and figures to get a big contract once his rookie deal expires, from the Bears or someone else. An open competition for his starting left tackle spot might indicate he’s not in their long-term plans.

Cornerback: Tyrique Stevenson vs. Nahshon Wright vs. Terell Smith​

Tyrique Stevenson has been the starting perimeter cornerback opposite Jaylon Johnson for each of the last two seasons. After finishing his rookie year off strongly in 2023, he fell short of expectations in 2024. Heading into Year 3 with a new coaching staff, he has a lot to prove before assuming a starting role again.

By all accounts, Stevenson is battling primarily with Nahshon Wright for a starting cornerback role. A third-round pick in 2021, Wright has only started in three games in his NFL career. However, he has reportedly impressed when taking reps with the first-team defense.

#Bears DC Dennis Allen said the starting Corner spot, opposite Jaylon Johnson, is “completely up for grabs.”

Veteran newcomer Nashon Wright has performed well with the 1s, in the absence of Jaylon. It seems to Me that he and Tyrique Stevenson are in a tight battle for that spot.… pic.twitter.com/zduqIdf2Gq

— Herb Howard (@HerbHoward411) July 30, 2025​

2023 fifth-round pick Terell Smith also figures to be in the mix for a starting opportunity. Their fifth-round rookie from this past draft, Zah Frazier, is away from the team for personal reasons.

Stevenson, Wright and Smith all rank 80th percentile or higher in arm length for the cornerback position. All of them specialize in coverage closer to the line of scrimmage. Stevenson in particular stands out as a better fit in Dennis Allen’s more physical attacking system than Matt Eberflus’ zone-heavy approach.

However, Stevenson has yet to outright win that starting cornerback job. If he gets benched in a scheme that’s a better fit for his skill set, it wouldn’t bode well for his future as an NFL starting cornerback.

Second-string quarterback: Case Keenum vs. Tyson Bagent​

Tyson Bagent has been the Bears’ primary backup quarterback for the last two seasons. He didn’t start any games in 2024 since Caleb Williams played in all 17 games. However, he did start in four games in 2023 in the absence of Justin Fields, going 2-2 in that span.

Though he kept the Bears afloat in his starts, he also threw six interceptions to just three touchdowns. General manager Ryan Poles brought in competition for the second-string quarterback role in Case Keenum, the 37-year-old journeyman who has 66 career starts in the NFL.

Case Keenum got 2nd team reps in first team drills. Bagent with 3rd team.

— Greg Braggs Jr. (@GBraggsJr23) July 30, 2025​

According to those attending practices, Keenum and Bagent seem to be alternating reps between the second-team and third-team offenses. The 14-year veteran had been on the non-football injury list earlier in July but was activated right at the start of training camp.

Giving Bagent and Caleb Williams a veteran quarterback to learn from makes sense, seeing as though both of them are still on their rookie deals. While Keenum essentially serves in a hybrid player-coach role, it seems like he’s also strongly in the mix for Chicago’s primary backup quarterback spot.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...ozzy-braxton-tyrique-tyson-bagent-case-keenum

 

[Chicago Bears]

Bears have three players in top 10 of positional rankings in Madden 26

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

The newest Madden game gives the Bears three players ranked among the top at their respective positions.

The Bears have three players who ranked in the top ten at their respective positions in the upcoming Madden NFL 26 video game.

EA Sports announced the top ten players at each position on their official Madden page on Twitter/X Thursday morning. It appears as though left guard Joe Thuney is the Bears’ highest-rated player this year at 93 overall.

Dominance up front!@LaneJohnson65 kicks off your top 10 Offensive Linemen#Madden26Ratings pic.twitter.com/kvoiBqCYyA

— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 31, 2025​

As seen above, Thuney ranks as the tenth-best offensive lineman in the game. Most importantly, he ranks third among all guards in the NFL, trailing only Quinn Meinerz and Chris Lindstrom. Given that Thuney has been a first-team All-Pro the last two years with the Chiefs, it makes sense he’s highly rated going into his first year with the Bears.

Not far behind is cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who comes in with an 89 overall rating. This slots him in as the tenth-best cornerback in the upcoming Madden game.

The top 10 corners in Madden 26.

Insane that Surtain isn’t a 99. pic.twitter.com/uI8lH6PZ3Q

— JPA Football (@jasrifootball) July 31, 2025​

Johnson is coming off his second Pro Bowl season in a row, so it makes to see him listed among the top cornerbacks in the league. Even though he’s no longer on the Packers, I’m still salty Jaire Alexander ranks higher than him still, though.

Finally, Cairo Santos made an appearance as the eighth-best kicker in the game. He comes in at a 78 overall rating.

All-new Football Weather will put your Top 10 Kickers to the test!#Madden26Ratings pic.twitter.com/JYXmHxpFFz

— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 31, 2025​

Santos went 8-for-9 on field goal attempts beyond 50 yards in 2024, including his game-winner against the Packers in the final game of the season. He’s been a solid kicker option for Chicago since returning to the team in 2020.

Every player’s individual rating hasn’t been released, as of this writing. EA Sports is slated to announce all ratings on Friday. However, they have already announced the rookies’ ratings. Here’s where each of the Bears’ 2025 draft picks rank:

• WR Luther Burden III: 76
• TE Colston Loveland: 73
• DT Shemar Turner: 72
• RB Kyle Monangai: 71
• OT Ozzy Trapilo: 71
• CB Zah Frazier: 70
• LB Ruben Hyppolite II: 67
• OG Luke Newman: 66

Madden NFL 26 comes out on August 14 and will be available for the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Windows and Nintendo Switch 2.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2025/7/31/24461168/chicago-bears-madden-26-player-ratings-nfl

 

[Chicago Bears]

Open Thread Question of the Day: Who are you predicting to be your 7 NFC Playoff Teams?

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

With preseason getting underway, who are your early NFC playoff predictions?

The 2025 NFL preseason is underway as we enter the month of August. There are three weeks of preseason and 18 weeks of the regular season to go, but with rosters basically finalized, it’s time to start having some fun with predictions.

Question of the Day: Who are you predicting to be your 7 NFC Playoff Teams?​

Let’s have some fun with this one. Who do you think will be playing additional games in January? The NFC is very interesting this year because the conference, overall, has improved. There still aren’t many top-heavy teams that can battle with the AFC elite, but there are plenty of teams that can battle for a playoff spot. The middle of the pack might even be stronger than what’s in the middle of the AFC.

My answer: Let’s do this with a process of elimination. To me, three teams have zero chance to make the playoffs out of the 16 in the NFC. Those teams are the New York Giants, the Carolina Panthers, and the New Orleans Saints.

That leaves us 13 teams with a shot at making the playoffs. Out of those 13, the first I’m going to eliminate is the Seattle Seahawks. I’ve never been a believer in Sam Darnold. I think the team has gotten worse since last year. I think they are below .500 this year.

I also don’t trust the Arizona Cardinals. I don’t think Kyler Murray has it. I do think this team has some talent, and the defense could bust some heads, but until I see the Cardinals do it, I will assume they are going to come up short.

I’m also not interested in the Atlanta Falcons. I know they have some talented pieces and maybe Michael Penix is a legitimate NFL quarterback, but the offensive line is a little worse this year, Kyle Pitts is never turning the corner, and while I love their receivers, I just don’t trust this team enough. They might get close thanks to four games with the Panthers and the Saints, but they just aren’t one of the top seven teams.

We have 10 teams left to look at. We have 3 more teams to eliminate.

Let’s look at the Minnesota Vikings. I love the roster. I think they have so many great pieces, and they have a really good coaching staff. But they have JJ McCarthy. I think McCarthy is going to struggle some this year. I think they get off to a slow start, and maybe they improve in the second half of the season as McCarthy gets comfortable, but I think the questions at quarterback discourage me enough about them. I think they’ll be right there at the end, but they come up short.

I also have no interest in the Dallas Cowboys. I think Brian Schottenheimer is just a pretty good coordinator and has no business being a head coach. I think the roster has a bunch of question marks, and while they have some high-end talent, I just don’t think there’s enough meat from top to bottom.

That leaves eight teams, and for me, it gets really difficult at this point.

Let’s look at the other side. Who is 100% going to make it this year? The Philadelphia Eagles will be back. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be back (largely because I eliminated the other three teams in the division). I also think both teams in the NFC West remaining will make the playoffs. If Matthew Stafford misses significant time with his back issues, that changes things, but as long as he’s out there, they make it, and I think the San Francisco 49ers bounce back. There’s still just too much talent to ignore.

That leaves us four teams for three spots. We have the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Washington Commanders.

I think the Lions' loss of coaches is going to hurt them, but they still have so much talent on that roster, it’s hard to pick against them against these four teams.

I think the Washington Commanders might regress, but if Jayden Daniels improves from year one to year two, it’s going to be hard to pick against them as well. I think the Commanders return to the playoffs this season.

I think it really might come down to the Packers and Bears for that final spot. I don’t think the Packers roster is as good as other people do, and I think Jordan Love is probably near his ceiling.

The Bears are fresh and new, and they are going to catch some people off guard this year because there’s going to be some new things that other coaches haven’t seen, and they’ll need to get some tape on the Bears and adjust for 2026.

The Chicago Bears will be the seventh team that make the playoffs this season.

What do you say, Bears fans? Do you agree that the LA Rams, SF 49ers, TB Bucs, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles will be the seven playoff teams from the NFC? Sound off below!

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...s-2025-chicago-bears-lions-commanders-packers

 

[Chicago Bears]

New-look Chicago Bears coaching staff gets a rankings boost from ESPN

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

ESPN’s Ben Solak already thinks the Bears have a better staff than last year without seeing them play a snap.

After watching the painful unraveling of Matt Eberflus’ tenure with the Chicago Bears over the last three years, it’s hard to go anywhere but up with Ben Johnson now running the show. Apparently, ESPN thinks so, too.

The Worldwide Leader’s preseason rankings of NFL coaching staffs puts the Bears at 22 out of 32 teams, which is a step up from their 25th-place position last year under Eberflus.

Being at the top of the bottom 10 might not seem like much to write home about for the Bears. But when you take a closer look at the reasoning for putting them there, it actually reads more like a compliment than anything.

“I would usually hesitate to stick a first-time head coach this high,” writes Ben Solak, “but I can’t look you in the face and say, ‘I’d rather have the Cardinals or Panthers or Falcons staff over this group.’ Johnson has deservedly been the apple of the league’s eye for a few coaching searches now. Yes, plenty of great offensive minds have tried and failed at the CEO position. But Johnson learned under one of the best in Dan Campbell, and he has taken this process from coordinator to head coach slowly and carefully. Those are positive, albeit early signs.

... Perhaps I’m too far out on a limb here — the four other first-year coaches are within the bottom-five teams on this list. But if I have to plant a flag, this Bears staff feels like the right group for it.”

Solak also mentions the importance of snagging Dennis Allen, a former head coach himself, to run the Bears defense. Though Johnson will undoubtedly seek to be a CEO to an extent, being able to rely on Allen to be the “head coach” of the defense while Johnson can focus on getting Caleb Williams and the offense up to speed lightens the load significantly for the first-year head coach.

And again, it says a lot about Johnson’s reputation that he generates far more confidence than the other rookie head coaches on the list—even fellow Detroit alum Aaron Glenn (New York Jets, 28th). He was, after all, the most highly sought-after first-year coach of this last cycle following a transformative tenure with Jared Goff and the Lions under Dan Campbell.

Unless we’re in for a complete stunner, expect the Bears to have the best team of all rookie coach-led squads. But no doubt, given Johnson’s brilliance and the roster Ryan Poles has assembled for him, the goals are much higher than that for 2025.

Then, we might be talking about the Bears having a top-10 staff in the league rather than the reverse.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...ings-boost-from-espn-ben-johnson-dennis-allen

 

[Chicago Bears]

If you could have a beer with one Chicago Bears player, who would it be?

The phone is ringing. It’s George McCaskey and Ben Johnson on the other line. They have a one-time offer for you. You can sit down and have a beer with one Chicago Bears player. He has to be on the current roster. And there can be only one. Who are you choosing to sit down and clink glasses with? Let’s run down the five most likely options.

#1 Caleb Williams​

I mean, he’s the obvious choice, right? The face of the franchise. The #1 overall pick. Our hope for NFL relevance now and in the foreseeable future. He’s also considered to be somewhat of an interesting guy. I hear he paints his nails? Appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine. Going into his second year with the Bears and the first in the new Ben Johnson offense. I mean, what isn’t there to talk about with QB 1?

#2 Jaylon Johnson​

Arguably the best player on either side of the ball on the Chicago Bears roster. An all-pro level player at one of the most important positions on the field – number one cornerback. What’s it like to cover wide receivers like Davante Adams and Justin Jefferson? How does he feel about the new Dennis Allen defense? What would it mean to him to finally be part of a winning team in Chicago? So many things to talk about with JJ, he’s a pretty clear candidate for number two.

#3 Joe Thuney​

The other player in the argument on “who is the best player on the Chicago Bears roster? – Joe has a unique perspective on the Bears – having just been traded to the team, and coming from, and having been a big part of, the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty. Again – some great topics to raise with Joe over a bottle of Old Style clearly come to mind: what do you remember most about playing in and winning the Super Bowl? What is Pat Mahomes like, and what did you like about him as your starting quarterback when tasked with setting the pocket for him? What similarities and differences do you see between Mahomes and Caleb? What convinced you to sign long-term with the Chicago Bears after they traded for you?

#4 Colston Loveland​

The #1 pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2025 draft comes in at the four spot for my list of Chicago Bears players I’d love to have a beer with. Colston won a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, so he knows, at least at the college level, what it is like to be part of, not only a winning football team, but a team that won it all. He is expected to be a big part of the new Ben Johnson passing attack in Chicago – I’d love to hear about how he sees himself fitting into that offense.

#5 Luther Burden, III​

I agonized over a number of possibilities for #5 here. I thought perhaps I’d talk to Swift about what the Ben Johnson running game is like and what makes it so dynamic. I gave some thought to talking with Montez Sweat about rushing the passer and what Dennis Allen has brought to the pass rush that is different from Flus. But ultimately, I had to go with my fellow alum from the University of Missouri, because I’m really fascinated by the idea of what he can do in BJ’s offense. He has said he has a chip on his shoulder since falling into the second round. What does that mean to him? Why does he think he dropped? What does he think he can do as a wide receiver / playmaker this season? What does he think his rookie numbers will look like?

Well – those are my candidates – who would you choose to have a beer with if you could choose any Chicago Bears player?

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...yer-who-would-it-be-caleb-williams-joe-thuney

 

[Chicago Bears]

5 Plays from Training Camp to Get You Excited for the ‘25 Season

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Sarah DeNicolo highlights five plays from Bears training camp to get you pumped and what you might expect for the upcoming season.

The Chicago Bears’ training camp has been a mixed bag so far. This comes as no surprise with all of the changes that the team has made this offseason. While we have to wait until the season starts to see how those changes play out, there have been a lot of promising practices, pressers, and plays that have come out of training camp so far.

As training camp continues, here are five plays that will get you riled up for this team’s upcoming season.

1. Caleb Williams’ Dime to Rome Odunze​

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Williams drops one right in the bread basket to Odunze. Year two of this connection is one to get hyped about. In 2024, almost a quarter of Williams’ targets were to Odunze. As they both enter their sophomore year, their chemistry will only continue to build.

2. “Takeaway T.J.”​

TJ Edwards needs to be a pro bowler this year pic.twitter.com/FQ5gW1nTcj

— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@JAYChi_Bears) July 25, 2025​

Although Edwards missed OTAs due to a soft tissue injury, he has since recovered and has been participating in camp. In April 2025, the Bears extended Edwards, signing him to a two-year, $20 million contract.

In the 2024 season, Edwards consistently produced for the Bears’ defense, recording 129 total tackles, 79 of which were solo tackles, four sacks, and 12 tackles for loss. The entire Bears’ defensive unit, including “Takeaway T.J.”, is expected to be a strong one under new Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen.

In a press conference on Thursday, Head Coach Ben Johnson lauded Allen as a “guy that’s not going to show any mercy,” noting that “the defense has had the upper hand on the offense for the most part of camp.”

3. Caleb Connects with Olamide Zaccheaus​

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Williams and the Bears’ new wide receiver, Olamide Zaccheaus, connect on a deep ball in camp. The Bears signed Zaccheaus on a one-year deal back during free agency this offseason, providing Williams with an additional weapon and adding depth to the roster. He most recently played for the Washington Commanders.

Zaccheaus claimed his strength is providing leadership in the locker room. He wants to help “build a culture” for the Bears, per Marquee Sports Network.

Zaccheaus is expected to be the WR3 for the Bears this season. He can also be valuable off the field as he can be a mentor the younger talent on the team, positively influence the locker room culture, and show the team what it takes to get to the NFC Championship.

As training camp continues, ideally Zaccheaus and Williams will continue to build chemistry.

4. WR DJ Moore Taking Reps at Running Back​

DJ Moore is about to go off this year!! IDGAF what you think or say about # pic.twitter.com/PHoncZQ9Cu

— MonstaOfDaTriState (@scar179nyc) July 30, 2025​

Johnson has been testing out Moore in the backfield during training camp as Johnson sees him as a dynamic player. Throughout his career, Moore has consistently ranked highly in Yards After Catch (YAC) among wide receivers. According to Fox Sports Receiving Stats for 2024, Moore ranked 6th in YAC among wide receivers, recording 588 yards after catch and averaging 6.3 yards after catch per reception. Moore becomes a threat to gain positive yards whenever he gets the ball in his hands.

Per CBS Sports, Johnson noted that Moore has been receptive to the idea of playing running back, pointing out that Moore has always been the “just-get-me-the-ball type of guy.” Experimenting with Moore as a running back creates more opportunities for Johnson to get him the ball.

While the team did not address the running back position until the 7th round of the 2025 draft, this might be a creative alternative.

5. Revamped Offensive Line Building Chemistry​

Bears O-line looked great here

Gave Caleb plenty of time to review his targets and hit an open DJ Moore

O-line stock is pic.twitter.com/LwfKxHv01M

— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@JAYChi_Bears) July 29, 2025​

Last but certainly not least has been the snippets we’ve seen out of camp so far of this revamped offensive line. Williams was sacked a total of 68 times last season, placing him as the third-highest sacked quarterback in a single season in NFL history. While not every sack Williams took was at the fault of the OL, it was still imperative for the Bears to upgrade that position group in the offseason.

By adding veterans Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman and drafting rookie Ozzy Trapilo, they accomplished just that.

While it certainly takes time for a new offensive line to gel, what we’ve seen from this new unit up to this point is encouraging.

What have you seen from the Bears training camp that excites you for the ‘25 season?

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...illiams-coach-johnson-dj-moore-offensive-line

 

[Chicago Bears]

Comparing the Defensive Approach of Dennis Allen and Matt Eberflus

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

The Chicago Bears changed out Matt Eberflus for Dennis Allen as the man calling defensive plays this offseason. Both men run a base 4-3 defense, with 4 defensive linemen and 3 linebackers, but their defensive styles are quite different. Today, I want to dig into the data to see what we can expect to see stay the same or change quite a bit compared to Chicago’s 2024 defense.

Personnel​

Let’s start with a basic look at how many players from each position are on the field each snap. The table below shows that data for both the New Orleans Saints and the Bears across the 2023 and 2024 seasons (data from Pro Football Reference).

A few thoughts:

• Let’s start with the one clear similarity: both coordinators like to pull a DT off the field and replace it with a DE roughly 20% of the time (as evidenced by 2.2 DE/snap and 1.8 DT/snap instead of the assumed 2/snap in a standard 4-3 look). That presumably happens on passing downs to help provide some extra pass rushing juice.

•I will be curious to see if that trend continues in Chicago this year since Chicago has significantly better depth at DT than DE. It’s highly possible the Bears decide that leaving 2 of Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter, or Shemar Turner on the field gives them a better pass rush than replacing one of those with a backup DE like Austin Booker or Tanoh Kpassagnon.

• One clear difference is in the number of LB on the field. Eberflus’ defenses use more of them.

•The Eberflus defense was extremely vanilla in 2024. They played only 16 snaps that were not in a base (4 DL, 3 LB, 2 CB, 2 S) or nickel (4 DL, 2 LB, 3 CB, 2 S) look. Those were their 2 packages, and they ran nickel roughly 80% of the time, which is why they averaged 2.8 CB (2 CB in base, 3 in nickel) and 2.2 LB (3 LB in base, 2 in nickel) per snap.

•Allen’s defense will use a lot of different looks in sub packages, which is why the LB, S, and CB numbers are different from Chicago’s. For starters, they run a lot more dime packages, where they have now 6 DBs on the field, usually to go along with only 1 LB. This was Allen’s base defense on 3rd down in 2024, and has been heavily used against pass-heavy teams going back to at least 2020. We have already heard reports from camp that Chicago’s defense is utilizing dime packages significantly more than they did the last few years, and we should expect that to continue into the regular season.

•We can tell from the S and CB data that sometimes the extra defensive back in dime looks is a safety, while other times it is a CB. Notice Chicago was at exactly 2.0 safeties/snap, while NO was above that, indicating they had a 3rd S on some plays). I am uncertain how frequently this will happen in Chicago given that Allen is not bringing versatile safety Tyrann Mathieu with him, but he has talked some about wanting to use safety Jaquan Brisker in a wider variety of ways, so perhaps that will lead to some 3 safety looks where Brisker is playing more of a snap CB or LB role. Otherwise, it seems likely Chicago’s main chess piece in the secondary will be nickelback Kyler Gordon, who should see a much more diverse role than he has had the last 2 years.

Coverage​

Next, I want to examine how Chicago’s pass coverage might change going from Eberflus to Allen.

Expect more man​

The first thing, which you’ve probably heard before, is that Allen will run significantly more man coverage. I wanted to put some actual numbers on this for context, because it’s not all or nothing (data from PFF).

This data is from 2024, but the numbers for Chicago and New Orleans’ defenses were essentially the same in 2023. Allen runs man coverage about twice as often as Eberflus did, but the majority of the time is still zone. Now, Chicago should expect to be in man about 1⁄3 of the time, whereas it was about 1/6 under Eberflus.

Changes in Zone Coverage​

What those coverages look like in zone will vary quite a bit as well. This source shows that the 2024 Bears predominantly relied on cover 3 (with 3 deep zones to try to keep things underneath) when in zone, running it about 3x as often as man coverage (mostly cover 1) cover 2, or cover 4. The Saints, on the other hand, ran pretty even amounts of man (cover 1), cover 2, and cover 3. So not only should we expect to see the Bears run more man coverage under Allen, we should also anticipate a more even split of coverage types when they are in zone.

Tweaks to Slot Coverage​

We’ll also see a difference in who gets asked to cover the slot, as you can see in the table below.

Generally, Allen has more CB and S cover the slot more frequently, which means LB cover the slot less often. That makes sense considering we saw above Allen will utilize dime packages - which remove a LB and add a S or CB - significantly more often than Eberflus did. This hopefully should help the pass defense, since S and CB should generally be better in coverage than LB are.

Generating Pressure​

Lastly, I want to examine how each coordinator approaches generating pressure on the quarterback.

Not much blitzing​

The first thing to note is that neither coordinator likes to blitz much. Per Pro Football Reference, Chicago blitzed 24% of the time in 2024, which ranked 19th in the NFL, while New Orleans blitzed 21% of the time, ranking 24th. Both were below the NFL average of 25%, and that trend was consistent in 2023 (Chicago 22%, New Orleans 23%) and 2022 (Chicago 18%, New Orleans 17%) as well. Obviously, you can see blitz rates vary a bit from year to year, but you shouldn’t expect Chicago to suddenly become blitz-happy under Allen.

It is worth noting that Allen likes throwing a lot of bodies on the line of scrimmage to make it look like he is blitzing, especially on passing downs, before dropping back into coverage. This can be a way of trying to confuse the opposing QB without leaving yourself exposed in coverage by rushing a lot of bodies.

Tweaks to who is blitzing​

One slight difference when the Bears do blitz will be in who blitzes, as you can see in the table below.

The biggest difference here is that Allen blitzed his safeties about as often as his CB, while Eberflus mostly used his CB (mainly nickelback) for blitzes from the secondary. I’m curious to see how much this translates to Chicago, as it could be based more on personnel. Kyler Gordon is a really good blitzer, so maybe Allen wants to lean into that like Eberflus did, but we have seen above that he puts more safeties on the field than Eberflus, so it’s highly possible that translates to more safeties blitzing as well.

Slightly more stunting​

One other thing to note is how frequently the defensive line stunts, or has 2 defensive linemen exchange rush lanes. Data on this is less publicly available, but I was able to find it from PFF for all of 2023 and the first 5 weeks of 2024. That data is shown in the table below.

Here you can see that both Eberflus and Allen like to stunt more than average, though Allen generally stunts at a slightly higher rate. Given that he doesn’t blitz a ton and the Bears don’t have a great collection of pass rushers, I anticipate that continuing to Chicago. The Bears finished 2024 generating a pressure on almost 49% of their stunt rushes, the 4th highest mark in the NFL, and I will be curious to see if that success continues in 2024. They generated a pressure on only 34% of stunts in 2023, the worst mark in the NFL, so I don’t think it was an Eberflus stat, but I’m not sure how much of it was personnel-driven vs. small sample size fluke.

Lessons Learned​

Here’s a nice, quick summary of the main takeaways from today’s article about what should stay the same vs. change from Eberflus to Allen:

• Same: replace a DT with a DE on passing downs, not much blitzing, lots of stunts
• Different: about twice as much man coverage, more even mix of cover 2/cover 3 in zone, more dime looks (more CB/S and fewer LB on the field on passing downs).

Overall, we should see a more diverse defense than Eberflus’ fairly standard approach of the last 3 years, and I am excited to see how that works with Chicago’s personnel.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2...att-eberflus-chicago-bears-new-orleans-saints