The Chicago Bears usually start to tip their hand on the direction the roster is going by now. The first preseason game is done. A joint practice has concluded. Now the second preseason game is at hand. Coaches have a good idea after weeks of work which players have done enough to justify a roster spot. The next step is giving them opportunities to climb the ladder even further. Whichever names start popping up working with the first-team offense or defense is always a major tell. However, it appears special teams may have dropped the hint this time.

According to Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune, there was an unexpected change in the lineup of the Bears’ kickoff and punt coverage units during the joint practice with the Bengals in Cincinnati.

“It was interesting to see running back Salvon Ahmed with the first unit on both kickoff coverage and return. He doesn’t have a lot of special teams experience in his background, and if he’s going to push Roschon Johnson for a spot, he’ll need to satisfy the coaches that he can be dependable. Maurice Alexander broke off a nice kickoff return as Daniel Hardy created a hole with a nice block.”

This is significant. Remember, the Bears lost special-teams ace Travis Homer to free agency. That left the #3 running back spot uncertain behind D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Roschon Johnson felt like a safe bet with his special teams experience, but Salvon Ahmed turned several heads in the preseason opener. His speed and hard-nosed running style seemed to intrigue head coach Ben Johnson and his staff. Now they want to see what he offers on special teams.

The Chicago Bears are taking a calculated risk.

Ahmed has been a journeyman in the NFL since arriving as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. Since then, he’s bounced between Indianapolis and Denver, spending most of his time with the Miami Dolphins. That is where Bears running backs coach Eric Studdesville worked with him. He was never a consistent contributor during those years, but there were always flashes of potential. In his only four starts as a pro, he had 252 yards rushing, 42 receiving, and two touchdowns.

Unfortunately, a nasty ankle injury in 2024 from a hip-drop tackle knocked him out for two years. He spent all of 2025 recovering from it. Studdesville likely encouraged the Chicago Bears to give him an opportunity now that the 27-year-old was healthy. Fans got a taste of what he could do in that Browns game last week. Now they need to see if he offers anything on special teams. Ahmed was never much of a standout in the third phase during his years in Miami. If he can show something in that area, it would cement his roster spot even further.

This decision carries added importance.

Don’t forget that Monangai is dealing with a hyperextended knee. He’s considered week-to-week by Coach Johnson, which means his status for opening day in Carolina is questionable. That means the third running back could see playing time alongside Swift. The Bears need to know how much they can trust Ahmed beyond just running or catching the ball. Can he block? Can he play special teams? These are two critical roles for somebody deeper on that depth chart.

Based on the minimal evidence available, Ahmed doesn’t offer much in those departments. That is why his grip on the third spot can’t be considered strong. If he keeps making plays, it may not matter. Teams always prefer keeping guys around who can produce. They can figure out the other stuff later. Make no mistake. His promotion to the first special teams unit is a clear sign the Bears are considering him for that last running back spot.

Through the first months working together last year, quarterback Caleb Williams wasn’t sure where he stood. New head coach Ben Johnson promised to do everything in his power to help Williams become better. However, he did come across as agitated at times. It left the quarterback wondering if Johnson disliked him for some reason. Thankfully, the two kept working and eventually found the common ground they were looking for. Johnson put together a system that meshed his style preference with Williams’ natural strengths.

Towards the end of last season, the Chicago Bears were putting up points in bunches. Williams looked like a budding Pro Bowler. Every button Johnson pushed seemed to work. Over the past few months, it has become clear that their connection has only deepened. Stacey Dales of ESPN spoke to Williams about their evolving relationships. Johnson is giving his quarterback more freedom at the line of scrimmage to make changes. If the defense gives the Bears a look they aren’t prepared for, Williams is the one who adjusts everything.

There is just one minor problem. Johnson’s calls are seldom wrong. It leaves a quarterback with little to do before the snap.

Only Caleb Williams would be mildly annoyed by that.

Johnson is widely regarded as one of the best play callers in football. He’s demonstrated that for the past four years. Opponents admit that he always seems one or two steps ahead of them. So it makes sense that the vast majority of his calls would be right on the money. Most quarterbacks would be thrilled with this. It means they don’t have to do anything but run the play and prospect. Williams, though, is a competitor. He likes being challenged. Having constantly correct play calls is great, but also kind of boring.

With how low Caleb Williams’ pulse runs, he usually needs those split-second moments of adjustments. It gets the blood pumping. Plus, the quarterback likes it when he can be useful. Few things are more gratifying than adjusting teammates and running the correct play right before the play clock expires. As much as Williams loves Johnson, the coach doesn’t like leaving things to chance.

That is understandable, but also dull if you’re a thrill-seeker like the Bears quarterback.

Don’t expect Williams to mess with the formula.

He has made it clear that Johnson runs the show. His job is being the fixer. Whenever something pops up that the game plan didn’t account for, he’s the one who puts the pieces in the right place. Play the chess match. The Bears’ head coach has repeatedly stated that he is giving Williams more freedom at the line. He wouldn’t do that unless he trusts the quarterback sees things the right way. Based on updates from training camp over the past three weeks, he has every reason to do so.

Only one question remains. Will we see Williams at all this preseason, or will Johnson keep him on ice until the opener in Carolina? Answers to that should be forthcoming in the next few days. With Tyson Bagent down, Johnson may not wish to chance it. He needs Williams to be healthy. The Bears already lost Kyle Monangai to a knee injury. Williams is the focal point of this offense. Getting him to week one is the top priority.

The Chicago Bears got mixed reviews for their work in the 2026 NFL draft. Some felt the team didn’t do a good enough job addressing their biggest needs, opting to take players at certain positions that didn’t need help. Perhaps the biggest example was selecting Stanford tight end Sam Roush in the 3rd round. The Bears already had Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. It felt ill-advised to spend such a high selection on what would be the #3 tight end in your offense. However, head coach Ben Johnson didn’t apologize for the decision.

He and general manager Ryan Poles agreed that Roush offered unique traits that would benefit the offense in several ways. Most notably, his blocking. Having played in a run-first offense in college, Roush had to learn how to embrace the lifestyle of not catching many passes. Not only did he succeed, but he arguably became the best blocking tight end in the country. Based on recent updates from the Bears’ joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals, he’s been living up to that reputation.

After a minimal gain on the ground from D’Andre Swift, the Bears’ running back got another opportunity, running to the left side for a 10-plus yard run. Rookie tight end Sam Roush had a good block on the play, and one of the coaches yelled out, “Hell yeah, Sam!“

Williams completed a pass to Kalif Raymond near the left sideline. The Bears’ quarterback dropped the ball perfectly over the underneath defender. Good protection on the play.

Sam Roush is an experiment regarding niche drafting.

Usually, when a team operates in the draft, they’re looking for that all-encompassing player. Someone who can do everything on the field. However, there is an assortment of teams that operate with a different perspective. Rather than seek out those do-it-all players, who tend to be extremely rare, they instead target players who can do one or two things really well. Then the coaches find ways to incorporate those talents on offense or defense. One such example is, of course, a tight end who blocks really well.

Yes, Sam Roush isn’t the best receiver type. He’s not the fastest. Here’s the thing. The Bears don’t need any of that. They have Loveland and Kmet for those duties. They do, on the other hand, need somebody to help protect Caleb Williams and open lanes in the running game. All while still being at least a credible pass-catching threat. That is a niche Roush fits perfectly. He may not be the potential star people hope for, but it sure feels like he makes the Bears better.

Roush won’t be noticeable in the stat sheet.

Boxscore watchers will denounce him as a wasted pick. However, film watchers may present a different argument. As they digest what the Bears offense accomplishes in the coming months, they’ll likely notice big #87 driving a defensive end out of the lane or mowing down a defensive back in the open field. He’ll be helping one of the tackles slow down pass rushers. While he may rarely be the primary target on a play, his presence will make most of the good ones happen.

Such players might seem like a dime a dozen. They are not. It requires a special kind of unselfishness to play the role the Bears are asking Roush to. He doesn’t seem bothered by it at all, which is unquestionably one of the reasons they wanted to draft him. Such a team-first attitude is paramount to winning football games. He hasn’t wasted time settling in, and other teams are already getting a taste of what’s coming.

It’s hard to believe, considering the organization we’re talking about, but Dillon Thieneman is the first 1st-round pick the Chicago Bears have selected on the defensive side in eight years. The one before that was Roquan Smith in 2018. Since then, it’s either been an offensive player (2021, 2023-2025) or no 1st round pick at all (2019, 2020, 2022). This goes a long way in explaining why the defense has struggled in recent years. It’s hard to build a good unit without a core of 1st rounder to build around.

Needless to say, this puts a lot of pressure on Thieneman. The young safety doesn’t really deserve that. He went 25th overall. Players selected in that range aren’t supposed to be immediate game-changers, despite their 1st round status. Still, the Bears really need him to be a good player. Things started slowly in training camp with Thieneman getting some tough lessons from the Bears’ offense. However, things seem to be shifting. After intercepting Caleb Williams on Wednesday, the safety put together arguably his best practice of training camp against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.

Adam Hoge provided the Dillon Thieneman details.

Thursday’s joint practice should go down as a confidence builder for first-round pick Dillon Thieneman. After facing a Bears offense with plenty of firepower daily in camp, Thieneman didn’t get a break against Burrow & Co., but he had a strong practice. 

The time to pounce came in the second team period when Thieneman had over-the-top coverage on a seam route by Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki. Burrow forced the pass into a tight window, and Thieneman showed great ball skills, adjusting and hauling in the interception when the pass deflected off Gesicki’s hands. 

Late in practice, Thieneman appeared to have a sack when the defense shut the Bengals offense down in situational drills. 

You’re already seeing what made Thieneman so tantalizing.

Most safeties fall into one of two categories. They are either the rangy center fielder who plays really good deep coverage, or they’re the guy who plays around the line of scrimmage, offering help against the run or value as a blitzer. It is incredibly rare to find somebody who can do both. Thieneman is one of those. He has the blazing speed and instincts to make plays in coverage, but also the size and mass to throw his body around at or behind the line. It makes him a Swiss Army knife that offenses must account for.

Cincinnati clearly didn’t enjoy that experience. What we saw in the preseason opener against Cleveland wasn’t in any way the deployment plan Chicago has for Dillon Thieneman. Why would the Bears show their hand this early? The less future opponents know about his usage, the better. It’s just nice to hear how quickly he is adapting to the system and already showcasing why he was a 1st round pick. The sheer number of capabilities he has is rare among safeties.

Unfortunate circumstances may have forced him to mature quickly.

The Bears had planned for Thieneman to act as a wingman for prized free-agent addition Coby Bryant going into the season. That plan took a brutal hit when the veteran injured his knee in camp, necessitating surgery. He is now out for two months. That leaves the rookie as their only projected starter. He’ll likely pair with Xavier Woods, who just signed last week, or Cam Lewis, who was never a full-time safety in Buffalo. Knowing how precarious the situation is for the team, Thieneman seems to have taken it upon himself to step up.

If he can maintain this trajectory into the regular season, the Bears will be in a good spot. Opponent won’t immediately expose them over the top. Thieneman’s range and instincts made that difficult in college. It appears to be true in the NFL as well, even for a loaded group like the Bengals. There will be growing pain in the coming weeks. There always are. The point is that Thieneman isn’t sweating the setbacks. He keeps grinding as he always has, and it’s paying dividends.

The Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals held a joint practice on Thursday. It offered a great opportunity for both teams to work against different players and get a feel for what they’d see come the regular season. It offered several players on the roster to make a statement as well. The Bears have several roster battles to sort out. Such a practice could answer many questions. However, it could also serve as a preamble for some of the more proven players to announce that a big season is incoming. Enter Jaylon Johnson.

The cornerback didn’t mince words. He understands 2026 is a massive season for him. Last year was a disappointment after injuries turned him into a shell of himself. Johnson knows that this is basically a contract year. If he can put together a great season, he can land one more big contract before his 30s. As we’ve seen in the past, Johnson becomes an incredible player when he is motivated. That was on full display in the joint practice against Cincinnati, where Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times and others witnessed the corner put the clamps on star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase still was fuming after practice Thursday that a ball didn’t come his way after he sprung open during team drills against the Bears.

Perhaps he was annoyed by the cornerback across from him, too.

The Bears’ Jaylon Johnson played Chase, who is just two years removed from leading the league in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, close during the joint practice.

‘‘Real good corner,’’ Chase said. “Pretty aggressive on a couple of plays.”

Jaylon Johnson got some revenge for his team.

The Bears last tangled with Chase during the 2025 season, where the All-Pro carved through them for 111 yards on just six catches. That was with Joe Flacco throwing him the ball. Imagine how bad it might’ve gotten if Joe Burrow had been healthy. However, one asterisk about that game nobody talks about? Jaylon Johnson didn’t play. He was still out recovering from his core injury suffered earlier in the season. Knowing him, there was a sense the game wouldn’t have been as close had he been on the field to cover Chase.

Thursday’s joint practice was his way of sending that message. While Tee Higgins had a big day for the Bengals, Chase didn’t accomplish much, thanks in large part to Jaylon Johnson. The cornerback seems to thrive when he draws the best matchups. The better receiver he faces, the better he plays. He lives for the challenge. Johnson doesn’t need to do much talking. That practice performance speaks loud enough. He is plotting a revenge tour in 2026, and this was the appetizer.

The Pro Bowl version of Johnson would help so much.

Right now, things aren’t great with the Bears’ secondary. Tyrique Stevenson is hardly a consistent presence at this stage. Kyler Gordon has yet to practice in training camp at all. Even worse, big-ticket free agent safety Coby Bryant injured his knee, knocking him out for the next two months. The only source of stability at this point is Johnson. Getting him back to full strength would give the Bears a pillar to steady things. Something they just didn’t have last season.

The truth is, the Bears don’t need a great defense. Presuming their offense remains as high-octane as last season, they can win plenty of games with even an average defense. A healthy Johnson can get them a step towards that. All they’ll need is an improved pass rush and decent run defense. One thing is certain. The Bears better get that checkbook ready.