The Chicago Bears named their captains for the 2026 season this week. On the defensive side, those honors went to linebacker T.J. Edwards and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. That isn’t a big surprise. Both men are well-established veterans with track records of excellent leadership. However, it’s possible both might be playing their final season in Chicago, given their respective ages. If that is the case, the team must start thinking about who might replace them down the line. If you ask undrafted rookie Jayden Loving, he’d probably tell you to watch out for Jordan Van Den Berg.
That might seem odd to hear, given that the guy is a 6th-round draft pick heading into his first season. What would compel Loving to think that way? It started right after the NFL draft in April. Gabby Hajduk of Chicagobears.com discovered that Van Den Berg got word that the Bears were signing Loving as an undrafted free agent. Where someone would’ve felt threatened by the team adding another defensive tackle, he saw an opportunity. Not just to help Loving, but himself as well.
Jayden Loving quickly learned Van Den Berg is a team-first guy.
On the final day of the NFL Draft, April 25, the Bears selected Van den Berg out of Georgia Tech in the sixth round. Later that day, Loving — an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest — signed with the team. Having played against the Demon Deacons during the 2025 season, Van den Berg recognized Loving’s name and felt inclined to reach out.
“We both played in the ACC, and I felt like we both play with a lot of great effort, very similar players,” Van den Berg said. “So I thought iron sharpens iron. Let me connect with someone that can push me, I can push him.
“It would be a win-win situation.”…
…”As soon as we met each other, we were like, ‘okay, this is how we’re gonna lay it out,'” Loving said. “I feel like I’m a big believer of speaking into existence. We said, ‘We’re both going to make the 53.’
“It’s literally what we kept telling each other. So we came to work with that same mindset every day. Like, we’re here to go kill. Kill or be killed, and we’re here to go kill.”
Van Den Berg’s efforts bore fruit.
Everybody quickly became enamored with the 6th round pick as he dominated one-on-one drills. It got to a point where Bears coaches couldn’t justify keeping him with the backups any longer. They shifted him to working with the starters and he never went back. All the while, no one really noticed what was happening with Loving. Though he did well in practice, the undrafted free agent saved his best for the preseason, where he delivered a strip sack and 5 pressures, including one that led directly to an interception.
Despite that, most didn’t think the Bears would have enough room to keep Jayden Loving. There were only so many spots available at defensive tackle. However, the decision to trade Gervon Dexter changed that. It opened a void at the position, which coaches decided to fill with the two rookies. All those months of supporting each other had paid off. It is easily one of the coolest stories of the summer, and clear evidence that Van Den Berg might be destined for big things in Chicago.
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You usually notice the future leaders right away.
While Brian Urlacher was an obvious future star, safety Mike Brown was the one who made his voice heard right away from that 2000 draft class. Everybody saw the leader Kyle Long would be from the moment he walked into Halas Hall in 2013. The same was true of Eddie Jackson in 2017 and David Montgomery in 2019. Some guys just have those particular personality traits that stand out. Van Den Berg might not have that voice yet because of Jarrett’s presence, but it feels like only a matter of time.
Loving can already attest to the influence his teammate had. Remember, Van Den Berg had zero reasons to reach out. They literally become teammates within a day of each other. This wasn’t a veteran reaching out to a rookie. However, Van Den Berg did it anyway. That is just the type of person he is. No wonder the Bears coaches already love him. The guy goes above and beyond to make himself and those around him better.
