The Chicago Bears have had some serious misfortune at left tackle over the past couple of years. It looked like Braxton Jones might be a long-term option. Injury setbacks have weakened those hopes. A broken leg ended his 2024 season, and he wasn’t able to fully recover from that last season before being benched. Now he’s dealing with another lower-body problem in training camp, forcing him to miss time. Former 3rd-round pick Kiran Amegadjie hasn’t taken the next step the team hoped for. Theo Benedet just doesn’t have the pass-protecting skills. Thankfully, it looked like Ozzy Trapilo would be the answer.

The 2nd-round pick was developing into a quality starter by the end of last January’s regular season. Then he tore his patellar tendon against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Initial fears were he could miss the entirety of the 2026 season, putting the Bears in a tough spot to find a solution. In the end, they brought back Jones and signed former 1st-round pick Jedrick Wills to kick-start another competition. However, Albert Breer of the MMQB offered an update that provides fresh hope.

“There’s a lot less certainty opposite Wright, where Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills and Kiran Amegadjie are duking it out to start at left tackle. Both Jones and Wills have been healthy, which is a plus. But with Jones out Sunday, Amegadjie took the reps with the starters. And it looks like Ozzy Trapilo, who started six regular-season games at left tackle, then tore his patellar tendon in the wild-card round, might be back sooner than expected.”

Ozzy Trapilo is defying serious odds.

The first indication that the recovery was going well was when a workout video surfaced in July. It showed Trapilo going through weightlifting. What stood out the most was the lack of a brace on his surgically-repaired knee. It suggested that the rehab was doing better than expected. It offered hope that Trapilo might not miss the entire season after all. Maybe they could get him back at some point midseason. From what Breer is saying, it could end up being even earlier than that.

Remember, Ozzy Trapilo suffered the injury in early January. A typical patellar tendon injury takes up to 12 months to fully recover. However, there are cases where it only takes nine months. That means the left tackle could be back as early as mid-to-late September. That said, the Bears likely won’t want to push the timeline for a player so important to their future. A likelier outcome would be acting as if he’s on the PUP list. Players who start on it at the beginning of a season miss the first six games. That means Trapilo would be looking at a return October 22nd against the New England Patriots.

This is fantastic news, if true.

People were already assuming the worst. Patella injuries are notoriously difficult to return from in football. There aren’t a ton of success stories compared to ACL, MCL, and meniscus tears. It was especially worrying because of how big Trapilo is. Could the knee recover enough to maintain his mobility? That is why many felt it might take a long time for him to reach anywhere close to full health. Apparently, those people underestimated his determination to recover. In hindsight, this might explain why the Bears weren’t more aggressive in finding left tackle help.

This team played some of its best football offensively when Trapilo was on the field. Getting him back only increases optimism even further for what this group can accomplish. If he can regain the form he had before the injury, it would be one of the greater comeback stories in recent team memory. On top of that, it would have major implications for the 2027 NFL draft.

Tight end Sam Roush wasn’t sure what to expect when he entered the 2026 NFL draft. His production at Stanford hadn’t been anything special. His calling card had been blocking throughout most of that time. That meant he might have to wait a long time before hearing his name called. Imagine his surprise when the Chicago Bears pounced in the 3rd round, far earlier than many experts and fans expected. It was made doubly shocking since the team he was going to already had Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. Why go for another tight end? The simple answer was that head coach Ben Johnson wanted him.

He felt Roush was a perfect fit for what the Bears wanted to do. His blocking would immediately benefit the running game and Caleb Williams’ protection. It would also open up more scheme variations with multiple tight ends on the field. For his part, the rookie didn’t need long to realize that Johnson was a different animal to any head coach he’s ever interacted with.

His first evidence came during the summer. The tight end was at Halas Hall working out when he encountered Johnson. He described what happened next to CHGO.

“He’s an incredible coach. Very intense. Loves his players. Extremely passionate for the game. I was here over the summer for a little bit, and I was lifting maybe eight in the morning, and he walks in, and he’s got like this bed head, and I look at him. I was like, ‘You slept in the facility last night, didn’t you?’ And he’s like, ‘Don’t ask those kinds of questions.’ It’s like the middle of June. Nobody even has to be here. And he’s like sleeping in his office, grinding away, getting ready for camp.”

Ben Johnson embodies the old school coaches.

You’ll often find that there is a correlation between highly successful coaches throughout NFL history. All of them tend to have obsessive work ethics. These were men who spent countless hours combing over film and crafting game plans. It often got so serious that they would spend nights at the team facility, never bothering to leave. Bill Belichick and Sean Payton admitted to doing that throughout their careers. Perhaps the most famous example of this approach was Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs.

Plenty of coaches had been famous for in-depth study, but few took it to the extremes as the three-time Super Bowl champion did. He even took a cot and put it in his office. Nobody had really done something like that before. He was so committed to giving his team every possible advantage on Sundays that he was willing to sacrifice his time, energy, and personal life to do it. Ben Johnson is built the same way. While he is a dedicated family man, he will not let it get in the way of his burning desire to win.

Johnson isn’t just doing it because he likes it.

You’d have to be a psychopath. This is also about living up to the standard that he himself set when he arrived. Johnson told the team that he expected everybody to put in the work common among champions. That meant arriving early, leaving late, and never wasting opportunities to make yourself a little bit better. It wasn’t just limited to the players, though. The same was expected of the coaches, including himself. Johnson is making it clear that nobody will outwork him in that facility. If he is willing to do that, the players have no reason to complain about what he asks of them.

The more you learn about Ben Johnson, the easier it becomes to understand why he’s successful. Being a genius is nice, but that alone won’t carry you far in this league. Most times, it’s the hustlers who claim the prize. The guys who outwork everybody else. Johnson is of the mindset that while he may not always be the smartest man on the sideline, he intends to always be the most well-prepared.

Nobody was having a better training camp in the Chicago Bears‘ wide receiver room than Luther Burden. He was running crisp routes and beating defenders almost at will. The second-year player looked like a budding star. Then a collision with Tyrique Stevenson sent him limping out of practice on Saturday. Fans were left wondering how bad it would be. Ian Rapoport provided the answer. Burden suffered a strained groin from the incident, meaning he is likely to miss some time.

Typically, groin injuries can last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the severity of the strain. If it’s a tear? We’re talking up to four months.

Given how soft tissue problems bedeviled the Bears last season, and how important Burden is, they aren’t likely to take any chances. It wouldn’t be shocking if they pretty much put him on ice until the season opener next month. That gives him a full month to recover and minimize the risk of aggravating the injury. All one can do is hope the setback is minor and the team wants to be cautious.

Luther Burden being out just sucks for him.

The guy was having a tremendous camp. Everything head coach Ben Johnson said about him being ready to ascend looked true. You can’t help but wonder how this setback will impact his progress. Missing that much time can cause a player’s edge to dull. He may return rusty and need time to regain steam. Lack of practice often does that. We saw it last year with Jaylon Johnson. He never really looked like himself upon returning from his groin issue, though that one was considerably worse than the one Burden is described to have.

Video of the incident shows Stevenson trying to jump to block a pass from Caleb Williams to Luther Burden in the end zone. The cornerback landed hard on the turf and seemed to catch part of the receiver’s left leg. You quickly see Burden start to favor the groin area right as the video ends. This is one of those moments that was unavoidable. It was two players trying to make a play and they got tangled up. Stevenson also briefly left the field with an injury of his own before returning later.

Burden’s exit creates a big opportunity.

With him out, others on the depth chart are about to get more snaps in practice. We already know Rome Odunze and Kalif Raymond will maintain their current spots. The interesting question is who will step up to fill that void Burden leaves behind. Right now, there are two names positioned to take advantage. One is Jahdae Walker, the former undrafted free agent-turned-hero from last season. The other is 3rd round pick Zavion Thomas, who Ben Johnson seems pretty excited about.

You also can’t ignore veteran Scotty Miller and surprising camp standout Kaden Davis, who’s been making some plays over the past few days. All of them will be getting more work. Coaches have said they want somebody to seize the moment and show they will not be ignored. Depending on how it goes, you could see a slight alteration to the target distribution once Burden returns.

Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL. You never know where or when they’ll happen. All you know for sure is that they will happen. The Chicago Bears certainly prefer that they might’ve spread out over the course of the season. Instead, it seems like they’re all hitting at once. No position is feeling it more than safety. Elijah Hicks started training camp on the PUP list. Now starter Coby Bryant, veteran Cam Lewis, and backup Gervarrius Owens all left with knee injuries. Bryant is out for at least two months. It has forced the team to look to unexpected names for help.

Unsurprisingly, they signed veteran Xavier Woods from the free agent market, giving them some badly needed depth. Still, the more interesting development was the decision to plug Skyler Thomas into the starting lineup alongside 1st round pick Dillon Thieneman. Thomas is also a rookie, having signed as an undrafted free agent from Oregon State. This is a minor surprise since the Bears do have Anthony Johnson on the roster, who has actual NFL experience. For Thomas to be inserted instead of him feels pretty noteworthy.

Thomas brought interesting traits to the Chicago Bears.

While his production was fine in college, teams were fascinated by his mix of 6’1″, 210 lbs size and his ability to match up well with opposing tight ends in coverage. He is a safety who operates like a big cornerback. Such versatility is hard to come by. It’s no wonder the Bears liked him. His being a special teams standout certainly didn’t hurt his stock. His primary concern was an overall lack of speed, which made him vulnerable on vertical routes. That and his highly inconsistent tackling.

Does this mean he is slated to start the season? No. Depending on the health status of Lewis, that job will almost certainly go to Woods once he’s up to speed on the defense. The Chicago Bears don’t want two rookies manning the back end of their defense. That is asking for trouble. Still, it is interesting to see Thomas get work with the starters at all. It indicates that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive backs coach Al Harris like what they’ve seen from him.

This undrafted class could see more than one name crack the roster.

Initially, most thought that offensive guard Caden Barnett from Wyoming was the only one with a reasonable chance to make it. After all, the Bears paid him more than any undrafted rookie in years. However, some buzz has also surrounded Kennessaw State running back Coleman Bennett and now Thomas as well. Last year, only one undrafted free agent made the main roster. That was wide receiver Jahdae Walker. You could argue the Bears are deeper this year than they were in 2025.

That means Thomas must take full advantage of these brief opportunities before guys start returning from injuries. It sounds like Lewis won’t be out long. Hicks is probably due back soon as well. Here is hoping he can seize the moment. Thomas represents one of the best parts of training camp. Fans love seeing unheralded guys emerge to achieve their dreams. Thomas is on the right track.

Ask anybody, and they will probably tell you that the biggest challenge for any head coach in the NFL is getting players to buy in. Buy into their vision for what the team should be and how to win a championship. So many coaches fall short of accomplishing this goal. It is why you see half a dozen of them getting fired every year. Those types of men are hard to find. People weren’t sure what to expect from Ben Johnson when he took over the Chicago Bears. They knew he was an offensive wizard. However, it takes more than that to lead a football team.

Johnson didn’t need long to show that he has the secret formula for getting players to take him seriously. It started with tough, physical practices in training camp. Then it was an obsessive attention to detail. Finally, it was a simple but rousing speech about working to become, then better, then the best. Sounds simple. It isn’t. The truth is, Johnson used multiple methods to help him communicate better. One was to maintain an air of absolute honesty, making sure guys understood when they were making mistakes and how to correct them.

There is another secret he revealed to Hoge & Jahns. It involves making sure all of his players meet for film study together. No more splitting into position groups. Why?

Ben Johnson wants everybody to take responsibility for the team.

“I just love what we do here, which is we meet as a unit on a daily basis. You know, we’re all in it together, and we all want the same thing. I’ve been a part where everyone’s kind of in their own separate positions and all that. Yet I think when you have one unified (group), it’s not just one voice, but just we’re all going in this one direction. I think it all comes together. And so it’s going to become player-led. The longer we go into camp, they’re going to end up carrying that torch themselves if they’re not already doing it right now.”

Ben Johnson needed a way to foster team unity.

There is the classic us-against-the-world mentality. The problem is that it doesn’t last long if you use it too much. A far better way is to make players feel they have a personal stake in the organization. Make them feel like their input matters. Once that happens, they start taking things more seriously. They will act as if what they do in practice can directly influence Sundays. If you can get 53 players thinking that way, the team’s performance levels up in a big way.

We saw that unfold last season. As things progressed, you started to see certain players becoming more vocal with one another. They discussed previous plays, what they did wrong, and the adjustments they should make the next time they got on the field. Then they would go out and execute it. This was true from quarterback Caleb Williams all the way down to special teams players. Ben Johnson knows it’s his job to hold the players accountable. That said, it is far better when the players start holding themselves accountable.

You saw this mentality with previous great Bears teams.

It was true in 1985 when you had leaders like Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, and Dan Hampton leading a core group that wasn’t shy about setting the tone. Then, 20 years later, it was more of the same with Brian Urlacher, Olin Kreutz, Lance Briggs, and Charles Tillman. Coach Johnson seems intent on building something similar with this new group of talent. It’s safe to say Williams is already emerging as one of them. Who else will join him? There are plenty of possibilities, including Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Dillon Thieneman.

You don’t have to be a star to fill the role. You just need to put in the work and play hard every week. If everybody follows that lead, the Bears will win games. They saw the proof of concept last season. Now it is about doing it consistently each week. Preferably for a full four quarters. Championship teams operate that way. Johnson knows this. He’s studied it relentlessly for years.

The Chicago Bears felt lucky when they landed safety Dillon Thieneman in the 1st round of the draft. They felt his mixture of size, speed, and instincts would make for an eventual Pro Bowl player. Through the first few days of training camp, the rookie looked a half step late on several plays. However, he began picking up the pace in the past few days. Saturday might’ve been his best. Not only did he have a terrific run fit to stuff Kyle Monangai in red zone drills, but he got things started in the first situational period by intercepting a Caleb Williams heave to the end zone. It was his first of the summer.

Unsurprisingly, his defensive teammates and coaches celebrated the achievement.

There was one problem. Practice wasn’t over, and if there is anything we know about quarterback Caleb Williams, it is that he can hold a grudge. He hates throwing interceptions. So when Thieneman got him, the Bears quarterback decided to make his life hell for the rest of practice. It started by going at him frequently with help from tight end Colston Loveland, with predictable results.

Then, in the last situational drill of the morning, Williams evaded pressure and threw a “game-winning” touchdown to Rome Odunze, who beat Thieneman and Anthony Johnson for the ball.

Dillon Thieneman got a taste of the Iceman.

If there is one thing we’ve learned about the Bears’ young quarterback, it’s that he doesn’t dwell on mistakes. He fearlessly keeps attacking. He also smells weakness. Thieneman may have gotten a gift on that interception, but like many, it came with a price. The Iceman always collects in the end. Williams probably didn’t intend to target the rookie specifically on the final play. Still, you can’t deny it turned out better than he could’ve hoped. Thieneman should feel fortunate it was only practice. Williams has done that to teams, ending their seasons.

It was a fitting message that he should be grateful they’re on the same side. At the same time, it was also an important lesson. Dillon Thieneman cannot afford to take a single snap off, regardless of time or situation. These quarterbacks in the NFL are way too good at what they do. They can erase a 21-point lead in a matter of minutes if you give them an opening. Few are better at it than Williams. What happened in that practice was a mere taste of the real thing.

Don’t let this moment erase the positive momentum.

Thieneman is starting to look like the player Chicago drafted. He’s all over the field, putting himself in position to make plays. It isn’t exclusive to coverage or run support. He can do all of it. Having somebody that gifted on the back end of your defense is so fortunate. While he can’t be expected to command the secondary at this stage, there is no question Thieneman will handle his responsibilities well. As he gains confidence with each passing week, the playmaking should surface at a faster clip.

As for Williams, he is already in midseason form. He distributed the ball very well in practice, knew when to go to his primary targets, and made something happen when he had to. This marked the second time in consecutive practices that he beat the defense in a two-minute situation on the final drive. His uncanny knack for late magic remains untarnished. Here is hoping he saves some of it for the season when the games start mattering.