Chicago Bears training camp report: A physical day of practice was sloppy at times for offense
· Yahoo Sports
The most physical practice to date for the Chicago Bears was choppy and disjointed for the offense in a two-hour session Tuesday morning that looked a little too much like 2025 when they were just learning coach Ben Johnson’s offense.
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There was a heavy emphasis on team periods — five different 11-on-11 sessions — and the offense leaned into 13 personnel (one running back, one wide receiver, three tight ends) for the first time in camp. It was also the first day there was live action with ball carriers being taken to the ground, a level of physicality Johnson brought last summer.
Safety Anthony Johnson Jr. put a big shot on running back Salvon Ahmed along the sideline that fired up the players. Rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg nearly instigated a tussle near the end of practice with an after-the-play takedown of an offensive lineman. Defensive tackle Kentavius Street knived into the backfield on one play to blow up running back Roschon Johnson.
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The intensity level probably rose to the level Johnson is seeking, but the execution was off. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had an easy interception of quarterback Caleb Williams on a deep ball intended for tight end Colston Loveland. There was some kind of miscommunication as Loveland wasn’t looking for the ball.
While the passing game wasn’t as crisp as it’s been in previous days, just about every running back took a turn breaking off a long run.
“I was looking forward to it, especially as backs,” starter D’Andre Swift said. “We need that (to) get on track with the O-line and things like that. It’s good to get out there and go live every once in a while.”
Things got sloppier in an end-of-game sequence to end practice. Facing second-and-10 from the 47-yard line, there were consecutive false starts — the kind of sloppy play that there hasn’t been a ton of through the first six practices.
“I feel like we had bad operation coming in and out the huddle,” wide receiver Luther Burden III said.
“We’re gonna go in there, clean up the film. You know, every day (is) not gonna be a great day. You can strive for that, but it’s camp. It’s gonna be ups and downs. We come back, be better, talk about it. Come back tomorrow, have a better day. That’s what it’s about.”
O-line watchThe left tackle competition won’t be decided after two days in full pads, but, notably, Braxton Jones received the bulk of the first-team reps Tuesday after being in the same position Monday.
What the rotation will look like for Wednesday’s session — which will be in shells — and then on Thursday — when the team is back in full pads — remains to be seen. Jedrick Wills Jr. and Kiran Amegadjie have worked with the first team since camp opened, and while Theo Benedet has been mentioned as a candidate, he’s worked exclusively at right tackle.
“It’s consistency for me,” Johnson said on Monday. “We’re judging the ability to block these defensive ends one-on-one, and then you know the ability to cut off on the back side of our wide zone scheme is huge for us. There’s things in and out, and I think each one of those guys is probably a little bit stronger in certain areas than the other guy. I think when we look at it, who is the most consistent player that we feel like is going to help us on a weekly basis.”
The coach all but declared Garrett Bradbury the starting center on Monday, and that wasn’t altogether surprising. The Bears won’t name a left tackle for Week 1 any time soon, but actions — who is playing with what unit — will offer some clues.
Caleb Williams watchThe run game popped more than the air attack, but Williams had a shot play deep to Loveland in 11-on-11 action when the Bears had 13 personnel on the field.
What was interesting about the different 13 packages is that the offense rotated through just about every wide receiver, including Kalif Raymond, Rome Odunze and Burden.
In the next team period after the big play to Loveland, Williams tried a vertical shot to Burden (again in 13 personnel) and it fell incomplete with cornerback Jaylon Johnson in close coverage the entire way.
The drive from the far 47-yard line with 54 seconds remaining at the end of practice didn’t go well, but Williams had completions to Raymond and Odunze to give the offense a final chance from the 23-yard line. His seam pass to Burden was broken up, with linebacker Devin Bush putting a big hit on Burden.
Player in the spotlight: Devin BushThere was plenty to notice about the free-agent linebacker before the final play of practice when he got about as aggressive as you will see a defensive player be in training camp — hitting Burden hard from behind to break up Williams’ throw at the goal line.
In terms of big hits of training camp, it was nowhere near the level of Sam Acho giving tight end Greg Scruggs a bruised lung in 2016 with a hit during a short-yardage drill. Safety Larry Whigham hit D’Wayne Bates so hard in Platteville, Wis., in 2001, that the wide receiver was out a month.
Bush made his presence known before the hit. He is one of the few linebackers in the league with the speed and lateral ability to pursue a player like Williams. The quarterback was scrambling when Bush made an athletic dive to break up the first pass of the final drive by the starting offense. Four plays later, Bush flushed Williams from the pocket, and the quarterback retreated a long distance before heaving the ball out of bounds to kill the clock.
“He’s super agile,” Bush said. “I didn’t think he was that agile, but chasing him and him being able to get the ball off like that in those different angles. Who we got? We got Kyler. Kyler Murray in this division now, so a guy obviously that’s quick and fast like that. So it’s just great. Great rep to replicate that.”
Bush has more speed and is more sudden than Tremaine Edmunds, who he replaced. But Edmunds (four interceptions) was having a pretty good season last year before a stint on injured reserve, and his size and length at 6-foot-4, 251 pounds made him difficult to throw around in the red zone. The defense ranked in the top half of the league in red zone defense, one of the few categories outside of takeaways that wasn’t a struggle. But defensive coordinator Dennis Allen sees the role similar for Bush (5-11, 234) as it was for Edmunds.
“I don’t think that’s going to alter that a whole lot,” Allen said. “Obviously, size, length, those are things that we value. And yet speed and athleticism is something that we value also. So I don’t know that that really changes what we do as far as calling the defense. I do think that he’s going to bring some coverage versatility that I’m excited about.”
Seen and heard- A couple of running plays that bounced outside for big gains went right around rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad II. It should provide the coaches with some easy points to make when it comes to run support and where the ball needs to be funneled, especially with pads on. Muhammad caught the attention of special teams coordinator Richard Hightower in one period, though. Hightower was all sorts of fired up, congratulating Muhammad for a quality rep in punt coverage.
- Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo has consistently been getting reps inside the nickel package for pass-rushing situations. He’s usually next to Grady Jarrett, with Montez Sweat and Austin Booker on the edges. Odeyingbo came away with an interception early in practice on a ball that was batted up in the air by a defensive teammate whose identity was impossible to note behind a mobile scoreboard and wall of standing players.
- Kicker Cairo Santos was 7-for-8 on field goals, with the long being from 52 yards. He’s missed only two kicks to this point at training camp.
“I’m humbled that he thought enough of me to invite me to attend the Hall of Fame ceremony,” Allen said. “It’s not often you get a chance to be around Hall of Fame players, offensively, defensively, whatever the case may be. I think it’s a real honor and a real privilege that he asked me to be a part of it.”
The Bears have an off day Friday. Allen said he will miss only one day of practice on Saturday for his trip.
In addition to Brees, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and running back Roger Craig will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Injuries and participationSafety Coby Bryant injured his knee Monday and will miss eight-to-10 weeks due to a hyperextended knee, a bone bruise and a small fracture.
Cornerbacks Terell Smith and K.C. Eziomume both missed practice on Tuesday. Smith exited Monday’s practice early but is not believed to have a serious injury.
The Bears placed defensive end Jonathan Garvin on injured reserve and signed defensive back Marlen Sewell, an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt. Sewell had a brief stay with the Kansas City Chiefs during the spring.
Seven players remain on the non-football injury or physically unable to perform lists: cornerback Kyler Gordon (calf), safety Elijah Hicks (shin), linebackers T.J. Edwards (calf), Keyshaun Elliott (back) and Noah Sewell (Achilles tendon), defensive end Shemar Turner (knee) and offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (knee).