Head coach Ben Johnson earned a reputation last year for putting together some of the most intense and physical practices the Chicago Bears had seen in a long time. Veteran reporters said it reminded them of the Lovie Smith era. Johnson promised right before the action on Thursday that things would pick up considerably in their latest padded action. He was as good as his word. The offense and defense brought lots of heat throughout the action, with loads of popping and some tempers flaring.
Unfortunately, such action can sometimes lead to casualties. Injuries surfaced on multiple fronts. The first was left tackle Braxton Jones, who left early after a one-on-one drill against Austin Booker, slamming his helmet on the ground. Jones has dealt with injury problems for the past few years, missing most of 2025 with various ailments.
That wasn’t the end of it, though. Later in practice, two defenders left the field. Cornerback Dallis Flowers appeared to suffer a non-contact injury, while defensive end Montez Sweat pulled up during the action and took himself out. He walked off under his own power.
Towards the end of practice, backup safety and special teams member Gervarrius Owens rounded out the list of walking wounded with what appeared to be a knee injury.
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The Chicago Bears must hope the issues aren’t serious.
Jones’ situation is one the team is all too familiar with. He’d been getting the majority of reps with the first-team offense. It was an indication that they trusted him the most up to this point in the left tackle battle. If he suffered another serious setback, it would put that spot into even more uncertainty. Both Jedrick Wills and Kiran Amegadjie seem to have gotten most of the remaining reps. If Jones is out for a considerable period of time, it will be interesting to see who emerges between those two.
Perhaps the most unnerving loss is Sweat. The Chicago Bears’ pass rush was already questionable last season when the defensive end was healthy and playing well. If he’s out of the picture, things really get dire. Austin Booker played well to end last season, but he is by no means somebody who can carry a pass rush by himself. The Bears have to hope his exit from practice was either cramping or a minor muscle strain that should clear up within a week.
The Bears are picking up where they left off last season.
Aside from the offensive explosion and late-game magic, the story of 2025 was injuries. Both at left tackle and on defense. Jones landed on Injured Reserve, as did rookie Ozzy Trapilo. The defense saw half of its main starters miss significant time. It seems they haven’t shaken that bug. Jones and three defenders left the field before practice ended. Two of them sounded pretty significant. Both are defensive backs. That means a significant part of the Bears’ depth took a hit while Kyler Gordon and Coby Bryant were already out with injuries.
Suffice to say, the team is in a tough spot. Their secondary was already a concern before Bryant went down. Now it’s becoming a central problem. Losing Sweat exacerbates it even further. As for Jones, one can only feel bad for him at this point. Despite looking good when healthy, he just can’t stay that way. His body can’t handle the strain. If nothing else, this situation serves as a reminder that it would be shocking if the Bears don’t target a left tackle early next offseason, depending on Trapilo’s recovery.
