The Chicago Bears have never really been known as a team rich in offensive weapons. There have been a few moments in time where they’ve managed to field a strong group of three or four good options. The 2013 team with Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, and Matt Forte comes to mind. However, the cupboard has been mostly bare. That is what makes this 2026 team so different. It feels like the Bears genuinely have half a dozen options available to them: Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Cole Kmet, Kalif Raymond, and D’Andre Swift. Such depth makes it easy to forget they have more incoming options as well. Rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas stands among them.
It was a surprise when the Bears took him in the 3rd round. Draft experts saw the LSU standout as a late-round prospect because of his limited production. He was more of a return man. Head coach Ben Johnson disagreed. He felt Thomas hadn’t been used properly in college. That wouldn’t be a problem in this offense. It certainly sounds like the rookie is starting to make his presence felt. The Bears saw this in Saturday’s practice as he scored a touchdown in the final two-minute drill of the day.
Zavion Thomas did this after a tough Friday.
The rookie had been mostly quiet through the first few days of camp, taking a back seat as others like Burden and Raymond stood out. Part of the problem was his grasp of the offense. Johnson has a reputation for throwing a lot at players, regardless of their experience level. He wants to know how much they can handle. It appears Thomas had problems on Friday. There was an incident where he didn’t go in motion when he was supposed to, resulting in Johnson kicking him off the field.
Some players might’ve been discouraged by that. Thomas, to his credit, took it in stride. He put the practice behind him and went into Saturday determined to do better. That is what he did, catching multiple balls, including the “game winner.” This is another example of the Bears’ shift in draft focus. Talent aside, they’ve put a much greater emphasis on players they deem to be mentally tough. They don’t want guys who can’t handle hard work or high stakes. It seems like Thomas passed his first test.
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Thomas has lots of work to do.
Right now, his chances of getting serious snaps on offense aren’t high. Odunze and Burden are already entrenched in their spots at the top, while Raymond is the projected favorite for the #3 role. That means, at best, Zavion Thomas can become the 4th option. Yet even that isn’t a guarantee because of how well Jahdae Walker looked last season. This is a fierce competition. If the rookie wants to prove himself, he’ll have to learn fast. Johnson has shown he doesn’t mind sitting young players until he deems them ready.
This is where being a return man works in his favor. If Thomas can secure the kick and/or punt return jobs, that will give him opportunities to make an impact on games. History says that big plays on special teams lead to chances for snaps on offense. That might be where he has to start this season. Thankfully, training camp is far from over. A few more positive plays like that touchdown and the conversation may soon change.
