Jul 23, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears officially opened training camp with their first practice at Halas Hall, marking the beginning of a new era under head coach Ben Johnson. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the media got their first real glimpse of the 2025 squad in action, including top draft picks and new additions to the roster.
While it was a tough outing for the offense overall, there were still moments worth noting. Caleb Williams and the unit struggled to find rhythm early on, but there were flashes of potential that reminded everyone why expectations are so high for this group. I won’t dive into every detail here — I’ve got a separate breakdown covering the biggest takeaways and storylines from Day 1, which you can check out here.
This space is all about Bears content— if you’re just looking for highlights, videos, and images from the first day of Bears camp, you’re in the right place. From Caleb Williams to the coaches and up close shots of key players, everything you need is right below. Whether you missed it or want to check out the best moments, here’s your all access look at Day 1 of Chicago Bears training camp.
This thread will be updated with new content as it becomes available, so make sure to check back regularly for all your Chicago Bears coverage.
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 23, 2025
Coach Randle El threw a Tough Drill at the WRs Today . Seemed Like a New Drill because DJ Was Confused on the first run through as Coach was Explaining it pic.twitter.com/dThBrqgke5
May 9, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson (R) looks on during the Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears officially kicked off training camp at Halas Hall with their first practice, and it didn’t take long for new head coach Ben Johnson to make his presence felt. Known for his demanding and intense approach during the spring, Johnson wasted no time setting the tone.
Offense Struggles Early
It was a tough outing for the first team offense. During a drill, they failed to line up correctly, making Johnson pull them off the field—a clear sign that sloppiness won’t be tolerated. His message was loud and clear: precision matters. A complete 180 from the previous regime.
DC Dennis Allen also kept the pressure high. At one point, he had his players doing up-downs, reinforcing accountability. His words: “You have to pay the price. It’s a privilege to be in this defense.”
Great quote here from Bears DC Dennis Allen:
"You have to pay the toll. You have to pay the price. It’s a privilege to be on this defense.”pic.twitter.com/Nrdg8ez4lY
During full team periods, Ozzy Trapilo got the initial reps at left tackle. With Jones still ramping up, this rotation wasn’t unexpected. All three tackles—Trapilo, Jones, and Amegadjie—rotated during walkthroughs.
Tremaine Edmunds made a statement on the first play of 11 on 11, intercepting quarterback Caleb Williams. Said Allen: “He’s got size, range, and speed… it’s hard to throw over him with that length in the middle.” This is a big season for Edmunds.
Case Keenum worked as the second team quarterback, with Tyson Bagent running with the third team. The Bears have emphasized that the backup QB job is up for grabs, so expect rotation in the coming days.
Nashon Wright took reps with the first team defense during team and 7-on-7 drills, filling in for Jaylon Johnson, who is dealing with a leg injury.
Rookies Luther Burden III and Zah Frazier were not at practice. Burden is still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in OTAs after landing awkwardly on a ball during minicamp. This is worth monitoring as camp progresses.
Jul 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Mike Tauchman (18) greets designated hitter Lenyn Sosa (50) crossing home plate to score a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Coming out of the break, Will Venable told reporters that he wanted the White Sox to change their approach to fastballs.
The White Sox as a whole have shown more patience at the plate this season, climbing to 13th in MLB in walks after finishing dead last in 2024. But despite the higher walk rate, Chicago ranks 29th in both hits and on-base percentage, as the improved patience at the plate hasn’t translated into consistent offense.
The White Sox are swinging at 66.6% of pitches in the strike zone, right in line with the MLB average, while their 27.2% chase rate is slightly better than the league average. The improved plate discipline has resulted in the White Sox getting good hitting counts, but hits have been hard to come by, with an expected batting average of just .237.
Heading into the Pirates series, Venable challenged his team to be more aggressive at the plate and ready to attack fastballs. Hitters like Luis Robert Jr. have previously voiced frustration about missing opposing pitchers’ mistakes — an area they’ve focused on improving.
The White Sox seemed to take that message to heart. They opened the second half of the year by scoring 35 runs on 45 hits, becoming the first team in MLB history to win their first four games after the All-Star break by five runs or more.
Of the White Sox 51 hits in their last five games, 23 of them have come off of four-seam fastballs. This includes homers from Edgar Quero, Brooks Baldwin, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery. During that stretch, Chase Meidroth has capitalized the most on fastballs, recording eight hits in his last five games, with five of those hits coming off of heaters.
“It’s really hard in this game if you are not competitive with the fastball, especially in the heart of the plate,” Mike Tauchman told reporters on Friday. “Guys throw hard. You have to be ready to go. We have a lot of guys who control the zone. The next step in that is controlling the zone, but being aggressive to your pitch.
“We’ve done a good job of controlling the zone, but the next step is, ‘Alright, boys, when you earn those 2-0, 3-1 counts and you are in those big heater counts, commit to it. Let it rip.’”
The White Sox haven’t just been more aggressive attacking fastballs — they’ve also been swinging early in counts. On Monday, 10 White Sox hitters had one-pitch at-bats, producing three hits and six RBIs. Brooks Baldwin launched a three-run homer, Luis Robert Jr. delivered a two-run single, Colson Montgomery drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, and Chase Meidroth added a double.
By pairing their improved plate discipline with a readiness to attack hittable pitches, the team has begun to convert quality counts into quality contact, a key step toward building a more consistent offense.
With the trade deadline looming, the White Sox may begin to see some turnover in their lineup. However, in the meantime, if White Sox hitters can continue balancing zone control with timely aggression, they may finally start turning competitive at-bats into the sustained offensive production they’ve been missing for much of the season.
May 9, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson (R) looks on during the Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears offense has been miserable for years. A lot of that has been because they aren’t talented enough. Poor drafting and overall construction make it hard to score. However, more often than people care to admit, it’s because the unit is poorly coached and poorly disciplined. Self-inflicted wounds are the easiest way to lose games. They’re also something new head coach Ben Johnson hates with the heat of a thousand suns. Bears players already discovered that in OTAs and minicamps in May.
It appears things haven’t changed. On the very first day of training camp, Johnson was all over them again. Caleb Williams was picked off early in drills. That wasn’t the part that lit the fuse. At one point, offensive players failed to get lined up correctly. Johnson had them reset and do it again. For a second time, they failed. Fed up, the head coach shouted at them to get off the field. It was the latest reminder that constant mistakes won’t be tolerated. Do your job correctly or don’t expect to be on the field.
First #Bears practice is in the books and there were some growing pains.
Ben Johnson got on Caleb & the first-team multiple times, and eventually pulled the entire unit in 7-on-7s after they couldn't get lined up twice in a row.
“I think that’s on par for how Ben is.” — TE Cole Kmet on Bears coach Ben Johnson taking the first team off the field following multiple mistakes during a 7-on-7 period today.
He warned the players to get comfortable being comfortable. He doesn’t care about their personal feelings. Ben Johnson is here to win football games. If guys aren’t willing to do the little things correctly, that just means they aren’t good enough to be champions. Some Bears players will eventually get the message and start executing at a high level. Others won’t and have to be replaced. That is the nature of how this goes. Johnson is the first head coach willing to be hard on players in a long time. There will be no cutting corners anymore. One speed is acceptable, and that’s full throttle. It sounds like the players took it well. They understand Johnson isn’t out to bully them. His goal is to make them better. That, however, requires hard work. Vacation time is over.
Dec 8, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
If you’re a Bears fan still nursing hangover headaches from years of offensive futility, go ahead and pour yourself another drink. But this time, make it celebratory. Because Rome Odunze is about to get unlocked like a damn cheat code in Madden, and the man holding the key is Ben Johnson.
Let’s get this out of the way: Ben Johnson isn’t just another coordinator. He turned Jared Goff — yes, that Jared Goff — into a Pro Bowl-caliber killer and transformed Detroit into the league’s most efficient, highest-scoring unit (33.2 PPG, 6.2 yards/play, 68% red-zone TD rate, per NFL.com). That system’s coming to Chicago with an even more physically gifted X receiver in Rome Odunze. If that doesn’t get your blood pumping, check your pulse.
This Scheme Was Built to Feed a Beast Like Odunze
Ben Johnson’s playbook is like a well-oiled torture device for defensive coordinators. He lives in 11 and 12 personnel — 94% of all snaps (PFF). That means three wideouts or two tight ends almost every damn play, forcing defenses to either declare their hand or get sliced up by pre-snap motion and layered play-action.
The Bears’ roster? It fits like a glove. Kmet and Colston Loveland give Johnson two legit in-line TEs, while the offensive line is top-five caliber. Translation: expect a buffet of 12-personnel looks that isolate Odunze on the boundary. That’s where Johnson makes his money: creating one-on-ones for the X with smart motion (like Yo-Yo shifts and tight bunches) and ripping apart zone coverage with deep crossers, dig routes, and dagger concepts.
Odunze thrives on curls and digs (80%+ success) and brutalized press with a 78.9% win rate as a rookie, per Reception Perception. That’s not just “scheme fit” talk — that’s “dude was born for this role” stuff.
Rome Odunze’s Success by Route for the 2024-25 NFL Season, per Reception Perception
Watch the Target Share Rocket
Last year’s Odunze line? Respectable. 101 targets, 54 grabs, 734 yards, 3 TDs. But that was with a staff that treated him like a WR2. Ben Johnson doesn’t do that. He finds his alpha and feeds him like it’s Thanksgiving every Sunday.
Check the numbers (FantasyPros.com): Amon-Ra St. Brown pulled a monstrous 27% target share in Detroit. Odunze drew 19% as a rookie. Expect that to climb to 23-24%, or about 130 targets. That’s a 29% jump in volume, and it’s not fantasy — it’s how Johnson operates. St. Brown got 8.3 targets per game in Detroit. Odunze should live in that range, especially with Keenan Allen out of town and DJ Moore pulling top coverage.
And let’s not forget: Odunze was running routes on 87% of dropbacks already. The usage spike is coming. Book it.
Rome Odunze’s Usage Projections Under Ben Johnson’s Offensive Systems
Red-Zone Resurrection
Chicago’s red-zone offense last year? Hot trash. They ranked dead last in red zone drives (2.2/game), making Bears fans nostalgic for the days of Robbie Gould field goals.
Detroit under Johnson? 72 red-zone trips, 50 touchdowns. Best in the league.
Johnson’s red-zone bag is deep: seam-clear outs, dig concepts, motion-to-stack releases, back-line fades. He isolates his best guy in high-leverage spots, and Odunze’s 54% contested catch rate (PlayerProfiler.com) as a rookie screams “throw me the damn ball.” Projecting 6-8 TDs inside the 20 is conservative. Double his rookie total? Easy.
Play-Action: Odunze’s Ticket to the 1,100 Club
Ben Johnson calls play-action on 34% of dropbacks, highest in the NFL (PFF). But here’s the kicker: the average depth of target on those plays? Just 7.7 yards. That’s not bombs away — it’s YAC central. Scheme the open, hit the intermediate, let your guy work.
And guess who ranked fifth among rookies in unrealized air yards last year? Bingo. Rome Odunze.
Half of those get cashed in, and you’re staring at 1,100+ yards. Add that to his projected 80 grabs and 7 TDs, and he’s putting up WR1B numbers. Think Amon-Ra efficiency, but with more chunk plays.
Knock-On Effects: This Offense Just Grew a Spine
Let’s not ignore the ripple effects:
Caleb Williams now gets a clean pocket from under center. Expect his sack rate to drop from a miserable 9.1% to somewhere sub-6%.
DJ Moore still eats, getting his touches from jet, orbit, and whip routes a la St. Brown’s motion packages.
Kmet and Loveland become real chess pieces in 12 personnel, creating matchup nightmares.
And suddenly, this isn’t the offense that made fans cry in their Old Style. This is a top-10 unit waiting to happen.
And that’s with WR1B volume in a system that wants to weaponize its X.
Final Verdict
Ben Johnson didn’t just elevate Detroit’s offense. He unlocked a system where the X receiver feasts, the QB thrives, and the red zone becomes a bloodbath for opposing defenses. Rome Odunze, already showing signs of stardom, is stepping into that role with a rocket launcher QB and a stacked personnel group behind him.
Get ready for a second-year leap that puts Odunze in every fantasy top-20 list and every DC’s nightmare playlist.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Johnson might unlock him in one.
Jun 3, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to pass the ball during minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
It hasn’t taken long to realize that Ben Johnson is a completely different animal from his predecessor. Where Matt Eberflus seemed laid back and focused on player effort, Johnson is maniacal about details. He wants and expects every player to be on top of their responsibilities, play in and play out. If they make a mistake, they will get an earful from him and the rest of the coaching staff. There are no excuses. They’re professionals and will be held to that standard. Caleb Williams is no exception.
If anything, the young quarterback is under more pressure than anybody. Johnson’s entire offense will revolve around him. That means nothing will work if Williams isn’t prepared. To that end, the head coach gave the quarterback homework for the summer break. Williams revealed what it was during his first presser of training camp.
“Get through the playbook 30 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour each day, 24 hours every day. If you can’t give up an hour or 30 minutes to go over your playbook, you probably shouldn’t be in this position. It was just small things like that. Homework-wise it was mainly the footwork and then some left, short throws that in OTAs [that] I was missing. So worked on that every single day that I threw and went through my footwork every day that I was out there as well.”
This is a perfect example of Johnson’s obsession with details. He didn’t just tell Williams to focus on footwork. He had a specific type of pass the quarterback had to fix. Eberflus never would’ve done that.
Caleb Williams won’t be cutting corners this year.
GM Ryan Poles said the primary issue with the young quarterback last year was he tried rushing the process. Too many times, he attempted to cut corners to speed up his development. That didn’t lead to great results. It was a big reason for his inconsistency all year. Johnson won’t let that fly. He’s already drilling into Caleb Williams’ head that mastering the mental side of the game is far more important than the physical. He must learn the necessity of every short throw being on target, regardless of direction. Footwork is crucial to that.
Second is mastery of the playbook. Once the quarterback understands the purpose of every play, he’ll have all the answers he needs to counter defenses. Johnson has made it clear to Williams that these are the bare essentials if he wants to be great.
Training camp is arriving across the NFL, and here are four pertinent questions facing the teams in the best division in the league, the North division of the National Football Conference.
Chicago Bears: Can the Ben Johnson/Caleb Williams collaboration take off from day one? The NFC North, in 2025, is not a division the Bears can slow play. If they find themselves hovering around .500 in November, a division title will be far out of reach. Will that mean they can’t reach the postseason? No, and a wildcard spot is a far more likely scenario for a club in the first campaign under a new head coach. But this is a better roster than they showed in 2024, and the potential of 2025 should be evident before Halloween.
Minnesota Vikings: Is J.J. McCarthy any good? Recently, at the gym, I saw (with captions) one of these mindless ESPN debate shows arguing who is better, Caleb Williams or J.J. McCarthy. Criticisms of Caleb are fair; his rookie campaign was certainly up and down, which is par for the rookie quarterback course. But McCarthy has never played a single snap of professional football and his performances in amateur football were uninspiring to say the least. Can McCarthy be a frontline starter? Sure. Why not? Is it fair to expect him to be a frontline starter as a “rookie” when he hasn’t played football in two years? I can tell you this: I’m shorting the Vikings.
Detroit Lions: Can Dan Campbell stabilize the program? Campbell is a terrific leader and has changed the culture of the Lions organization. (These ain’t the Wayne Fontes Lions.) But Detroit also had one of the game’s best coaching staffs in 2024 and that staff is no longer in the Motor City. John Morton is an offensive coordinator for the first time. Kelvin Sheppard is a defensive coordinator for the first time. My folks in the league like both promotions very much but until we see it in action, we don’t know. This is the first real test of Campbell’s tenure, and these two coaches may very well determine the season ahead.
Green Bay Packers: Can they take that elusive next step? How do you write about this team? Since 2020, they are 54-30. They’ve won a couple of playoff games. They had no business losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs a few seasons back. They are expertly coached on offense and had one of the best defenses in the league in 2024. This is an organization that has done a lot of winning, but they haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 2010. The Packers are in something of a good franchise purgatory. Anything less than playing on the final Sunday of the season will be disappointing. Can they avoid another disappointment?
All we have are questions. Answers don’t start arriving until September.
Jul 22, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Colson Montgomery (12) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
It took 15 games for Colson Montgomery to notch his first major league home run, but he made sure it didn’t stay in the park for long. Montgomery’s solo shot off Rays reliever Bryan Baker in the seventh inning left his bat at 105 mph as it traveled 359 feet to right field.
However, the rest of the White Sox offense was held in check, managing just six hits after racking up 45 hits and 35 runs during their four-game winning streak, which was snapped Tuesday night in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.
Right-hander Davis Martin returned to the mound for the first time since June 12th after landing on the 10-day IL with a right-forearm strain. Martin threw 76 pitches over five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out five.
The right-hander had “Pray for Texas” written on his hat. Martine was born in Albaline, which is only a few hours from where devastating floods hit central Texas.
“Texas is a close community and it was tough for the whole state. I wanted to share my love with them and let them know a lot of people are thinking about them,” Martin told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin after the game.
The White Sox were without Luis Robert Jr., who had a “regularly scheduled day off,” according to manager Will Venable. However, with trade buzz swirling and Robert suddenly heating up, it’s hard to take Venable’s comments at face value.
Robert entered Tuesday with an eight-game hitting streak, going 11-for-28 at the plate with 11 RBIs during that stretch. The day off comes just two days before a team off day before Friday’s series opener against the Cubs. But nine innings came and went, and Robert was still wearing a White Sox uniform.
The space between the beginning of June and the end of July is the longest break NFL players get during a calendar year. Most of them prefer to get away, recharge, and prepare for the brutal preparation of training camp. However, some players don’t want to wait for that day. They choose to take full advantage of the Chicago Bears‘ state-of-the-art practice facilities to keep working on their body and skills. Few people appreciate such players more than head coach Ben Johnson.
He understands the grinder mentality better than most. It is what took him from a lowly college intern coach to head coach of an NFL team in barely over a decade. There is no substitute for hard work. One can imagine a number of Bears players were in the building during the break. Jaylon Johnson, Jaquan Brisker, Caleb Williams, and Cole Kmet are obvious possibilities. As it turns out, none of them put in more time at the facilities than another name. Johnson revealed who it was during his opening press conference of training camp.
It’s becoming clear why Ben Johnson pushed to draft Colston Loveland.
Sure, the tight end’s talent was obvious. There aren’t many players with his mix of size, length, speed, and soft hands. We’re talking Travis Kelce and George Kittle levels of ability. However, that alone didn’t make him a top 10 pick. Throughout the pre-draft process, it became apparent from interviews with friends, family, teammates, and coaches that Loveland was a gym rat. He lives for hard work. The fact that he is a rookie and already putting in as much or more time than veterans to prepare for a season tells you everything. It is why he was fully recovered from his shoulder injury and ready for camp. Ben Johnson knows what the kid is made of and can’t wait to see him turn some of that talent loose in practice.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws the ball against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Usually, head coaches aren’t focused on the actual stats for their quarterbacks. All they want is for them to lead scoring drives. It doesn’t matter how it gets done. However, Ben Johnson isn’t naive. He knows the nature of the modern game runs through the quarterback position. The better the numbers, the more likely the team wins. That said, not all numbers are created equal. Everybody is so focused on passing yards these days. In reality, that is the least telling quarterback stat there is. Touchdown passes are obviously better. That said, there is a specific one Johnson wants Caleb Williams focused on for this season.
Completion percentage.
A primary goal for the Bears’ quarterback going into this year is to reach 70% completion of passes. While a definite challenge, he believes Williams is capable of reaching it.
Ben Johnson on giving Caleb Williams a goal of completing 70% of his passes this season ‼️ pic.twitter.com/mSyMtj61xG
The idea behind a high completion percentage is pretty straightforward. It leads to more first downs, fewer incompletions that stall drives, and increased opportunities for scores. It also helps quarterbacks find a rhythm, leading to better efficiency. No Bears quarterback has ever reached this mark in a full season. Mitch Trubisky came the closest in 2018 at 66.6%.
Ben Johnson continues to show an understanding of NFL offense.
Explosiveness is great, but also hard to come by in this league. The best offenses are the ones that can execute at a high level. They limit turnovers, churn out first downs, and take advantage of the scoring opportunities they get. Last season, five quarterbacks reached the 70% mark. Two made the playoffs and the other three had winning records. Jayden Daniels reached 69% and was in the NFC championship. Jalen Hurts, the eventual Super Bowl champion, sat at 68.7%. No quarterback who won the Lombardi since 2021 had a rate lower than 67%. Ben Johnson wanting to shoot for 70 is smart.
Even if Williams comes up just short, he’ll still be in the range of where title-winning QBs sit. Can he get there? Williams reached 68.6% in his final year at USC. He seems capable of doing it. The hard part is getting him to take the layup throws more often rather than constantly seeking big plays. That is where Ben Johnson must earn his money.
