Everybody knew a battle at left tackle was on the docket for the Chicago Bears training camp. It became necessary after Ozzy Trapilo injured his knee in the playoffs at the end of last season. If you asked fans and media who the favorites were to claim the job, most would say Braxton Jones, who is returning on a one-year deal, followed by overachieving former undrafted free agent Theo Benedet and former 1st round pick Jedrick Wills. Even general manager Ryan Poles mentioned those three. The one he didn’t mention was Kiran Amegadjie.

You can understand why. The former 3rd round pick didn’t accomplish much through his first two years with the team. He failed to make an impression as a rookie in 2024. Then last season, he dealt with injury problems that knocked him out of the competition early. Expectations for him coming into camp were less than zero. So you can imagine the shock when he lined up with the starting offense for team drills on Friday.

It wasn’t a complete disaster, either. By most accounts, Amegadjie got almost all of the reps, and Caleb Williams looked sharp, finding his targets consistently for chunk gains.

Kiran Amegadjie was always a project.

Even when the Bears drafted him, Poles admitted as much. They knew the Yale left tackle was raw in several areas of his game. They selected him more out of what he could become than what he was. Sure, they’d hoped he might progress faster than he has, but it was accepted that he might not mature into something real for a couple of years. This would be right on time for him. Granted, getting some first-team reps in a non-padded practice doesn’t signal anything at this point. You have to prove it in live reps.

Still, that head coach Ben Johnson is giving him any such reps at all is a signal that the Bears believe he has a real shot at competing for the job. Talent has never been the issue with Kiran Amegadjie. He has the size, length, and athleticism of an NFL left tackle. It was always about learning the more intricate fundamentals and techniques required for this level. He wasn’t getting any of that in the Ivy League. His first year certainly didn’t help with the subpar coaching under Matt Eberflus and his staff.

The biggest test is still to come.

Amegadjie getting the opportunity is one thing. Taking advantage of it is another. Can he consistently put together good reps in pads against guys like Montez Sweat and Austin Booker in practice after practice? That is what Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar are looking for. Having two or three good snaps means nothing if you’re allowing a sack on another. They need somebody they can depend on in one-on-one battles for stretches of a game. The last thing they want is a left tackle who constantly needs help from tight ends and running backs.

We will likely have answers on this by the time of the first preseason game. Whoever is the starter for that will be considered the current favorite for the job. Right now, Jones remains the betting choice. He’s the most experienced of the group and is reportedly the healthiest he’s been in years. Wills is the most talented as a former top 10 pick. Yet Amegadjie has always had the tools. He also knows the offense. If the light really has gone on, he is a real threat.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen did great work with his team last season. After going 4-13 in 2024, they had one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NFL history, going 13-4. Coen’s offense finished 6th in scoring while the Jaguars defense was 8th in points allowed. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence cracked 4,000 yards and finished with a career-high 29 touchdowns. Yet nobody seems to be talking about Jacksonville going into the 2026 season. Coen has a big problem with that.

During an appearance on 1010 XL-AM in Jacksonville, he expressed frustration that his team isn’t getting any respect. He illustrated this by pulling up NFL.com and pointing out that there were zero mentions of it. Meanwhile, the league posts about Caleb Williams everywhere.

“You don’t have to make up the fire. You don’t have to make it up. It’s given to us every day. It’s a gift from the heavens. I just go pull out of my phone, look up the NFL Network web site and just pop it up here and I’m curious if I see any photos, or anything, about the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think I’ll just scroll right on through.

“I think I’ll see 40 pictures of Caleb Williams and I won’t see a single thing about any of players on here. So it’s beautiful … I’m going to tell these guys how much you all think they suck, and we’ll keep going.”

Pulling the Chicago Bears’ young quarterback into his quarrel was certainly a choice. Coen almost sounded as if he resents the idea that Williams gets all this attention. After all, his quarterback had the better statistical season. His quarterback won more games.

Liam Coen is certainly poking the bear.

He believes his team deserves more respect. Meanwhile, that team lost in the first round of the playoffs. At home, mind you. That is probably a big reason nobody is talking about them. Going 13-4 is great. It means very little when you can’t defend your home field in the most important game of the season. He also glossed over the brutal interception his quarterback threw in the final minute of the game when the Jaguars only needed a field goal to force overtime. There are always reasons the media doesn’t pay attention to you.

Choosing to take a slight dig at Williams was certainly a choice for Liam Coen. Few in the NFL are better at holding grudges. The Bears’ quarterback has a strong presence online. He was almost certain to notice the head coach’s comment. That was soon confirmed when he retweeted video of it on Twitter (X). Let’s not forget that Jacksonville plays the Bears this season. They come to Chicago on December 6th. Why would Coen give them any extra incentive than they already need to win that game?

Coen better hope his team can back up his claims.

Jacksonville caught the NFL by surprise last season. Nobody expected them to become that good so quickly. They no longer have the element of surprise on their side. Also, their schedule is way tougher this year. Seven of their scheduled games will be against opponents who were in the playoffs last season, including the Bears. That doesn’t include Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Dallas, who are much tougher than their underwhelming records last season would indicate. If Coen is right about these Jaguars, then they should navigate that with no issue.

The team didn’t get much better on paper this offseason. They signed only three free agents, and all were mid-tier or lower. They had no 1st round pick because of the Travis Hunter trade in the 2025 draft. At the same time, they lost quality running back Travis Etienne and star linebacker Devin Lloyd to free agency. This is not the same team that won 13 games last year. You can bet Williams aims to prove that in a few months. Jacksonville better be prepared to reap the whirlwind.

The Chicago Bears had the 3rd-best running game in the NFL last season. They accomplished this without what many would call a star running back. D’Andre Swift is a good player, but nobody would confuse him with one of the true elites in the game. Kyle Monangai was a solid #2 option alongside him. It looks like the team plans to stick with that plan again in 2026, which isn’t surprising. However, some around the league wonder if they should be aiming higher. If those two could produce so well in Ben Johnson’s offense, imagine what a star might accomplish. Rumors already surfaced weeks ago that Jonathan Taylor could be a name to watch if Indianapolis gets off to a poor start. Now you can add Bijan Robinson to that list.

The All-Pro running back is entering the fourth season of his career. He’s made two Pro Bowls and cracked 1400 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons. Unsurprisingly, Robinson wants a contract extension. Thus far, the Atlanta Falcons haven’t given him one. That is why the running back is currently holding in during the start of training camp. He won’t practice until the team gets serious about paying him. No trade has been requested yet, but there is speculation it could reach that point. If it does, Jason McIntyre of The Herd believes Chicago is the obvious landing spot.

Bijan Robinson is a pipe dream.

Let’s just get that out of the way now. The Falcons quarterback situation is among the worst in the NFL right now. That makes Robinson their most important offensive player. Trading him is just not something you do. Still, this is the NFL. Crazy things happen all the time. So let’s play this scenario out. Atlanta isn’t willing to budge on contract talks. Robinson holds firm in his unwillingness to play. Rather than string things out, the team decides to push further into their rebuild by shipping him out for the best possible return.

What would it cost the Bears to make it happen? Based on modern history, the compensation varies wildly. Here is a list of notable running backs who were 26 or younger and considered top five at their position when they got traded.

Given the available data, it will take at least a 2nd round pick and a mid-round pick to be in the conversation. Atlanta will probably push for a 1st but nobody will give that up for a running back, especially with Robinson’s contract issue. The McCaffrey deal is probably the ballpark you’re looking at, maybe a bit less since his contract was already situated when it happened.

Robinson would be a game-changer.

There are certain teams that could trade for him that wouldn’t make full use of his talents. That wouldn’t be the case in Chicago. Johnson is one of the best run-scheming coaches in the sport. It would be akin to giving McCaffrey to Kyle Shanahan or Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia. Expect elite production because the talent and coaching align perfectly. Alas, the Falcons are the big variable in this. New general manager Ian Cunningham comes from the Baltimore and Philadelphia schools of roster management.

You don’t let star players in their prime out the door unless they give you no other choice. They have $37 million in cap space. No big quarterback contract is on the horizon. This should be a no-brainer for Atlanta. It is a simple case of both sides not having settled on a number yet. Smart money says Bijan Robinson will end up the highest-paid running back in the league when the dust settles. That means at least $21 million a year. Chicago wasn’t in a good position to pay that anyway.

People made the same assumption about Ben Johnson that they do about most head coaches. He is a tremendous motivator and schemer. Yet when it comes to player evaluation, he probably isn’t quite as sharp. Last year poked serious holes in that theory right from the jump. A perfect example was Jonah Jackson. Many felt the former Pro Bowl guard was out of gas after his rough outing with the Los Angeles Rams. If Sean McVay gives up on you, that’s the ballgame. Johnson disagreed. He encouraged the Bears to trade for him. Jackson rebounded in a huge way last season, becoming a crucial part of their 3rd-ranked rushing attack.

Johnson seemed to have an ability to see value in players that the rest of the NFL gave up on. Did he just do it again? The Detroit Lions chose to let veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond depart this offseason after years of loyal service. While there was some interest from other teams, it seemed like most weren’t interested in the 31-year-old. That allowed the Bears to scoop him up. Johnson felt Raymond’s value was criminally overlooked. Based on updates from training camp, he may have been onto something.

Ben Johnson already proved Raymond could play.

After all, the wide receiver had 1,105 yards and a touchdown on 108 targets in his first two seasons playing for the coach in Detroit. Unfortunately, he lost importance in the offense as the trio of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta commanded more attention. The emergence of Isaac Tesla last season is what made him expendable in Detroit’s eyes. Their loss is Chicago’s gain. The Bears didn’t really have a viable slot option last season. They tried making it work with Olamide Zaccheaus, but he was plagued by drop issues. That is why Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore lined up there a lot.

This won’t be a problem for Raymond. He’s played 709 snaps in the slot over his career. It is a spot he knows well. His mixture of speed, quickness, and savvy route-running makes it an obvious place for him, allowing Odunze and Luther Burden to do their damage on the outside. That doesn’t even include what he can do for Colston Loveland. His ability to clear out coverages with his speed should create added opportunities for the young tight end. All of this leans into why Ben Johnson wanted him in the first place.

Expect big things this season.

Don’t forget that Zaccheaus had 313 yards on 65 targets last season for the Bears. Raymond had 289 yards on just 30 targets for Detroit. The last time he got 60+ targets was 2022, when he went for 616 yards. That should give you an idea of how much the team upgraded. He can do all the things Zaccheaus could, but has better hands and is more dangerous after the catch. It is another reminder that improving on the margins can be just as vital to a team’s success as adding talent at the top.

Johnson is all about playing the chess match. For that, you need the right pieces. Raymond is a great fit for this team. He fills the gaps that the Bears weren’t able to last season. The fact that got him for dirt cheap, just like Jackson the year prior, is another reminder that Johnson’s eye for talent should not be underestimated. If he pounces on players others don’t want, it might be a sign you screwed up.

There were mixed feelings when the Chicago Bears traded D.J. Moore this offseason. It made sense, on the one hand, because of his massive contract and the team’s salary cap problems. On the other hand, they were unloading a proven weapon without certainty that they could replace him. Hopes were high for Luther Burden after his excellent rookie campaign. The bigger question mark was Rome Odunze. At one point, the former 1st round pick looked poised for a Pro Bowl season last year. Then a foot injury derailed everything.

It was an issue that altered the original structure of his foot. Some feared that he might not be able to run like he used to. It didn’t help that Odunze admitted months ago that this was his “new normal.” Most took that as an admission that he might be playing with pain to varying degrees moving forward. People wondered how much he could do in such a situation. Odunze had another opportunity to speak with the media on Wednesday, during which he admitted that his choice of words at the time was poor.

He clarified what he actually meant.

“Now I just set up a fast ball for y’all on that one. That one kind of just went with the wind. Yeah, that’s…I really didn’t articulate it well. Honestly, that’s not really what I meant. I just kind of meant that I had an injury, you know, that’s it. That’s football. Like my foot feels great. My foot feels amazing. I, through the training staff here, the training staff I work with in the offseason, all the work that I put in to get it right.

Honestly, it’s not even really something I think about anymore, which I think is the best thing you can have, you know, after an injury. So, yeah. I know that ‘new normal’ has a bunch of connotations of chronic and severe things, like it’s never going to be the same. It’s not like that at all. I’m completely fine.”

If Rome Odunze isn’t lying, this is a massive deal.

People quickly forget how well the wide receiver was playing last season prior to the foot injury. Through the first seven games of 2025, Odunze had 473 yards and five touchdowns. If he’d maintained that pace through the entire season, he would’ve finished with 1,148 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sadly, the Cincinnati game was a brutal one for the Bears, injury-wise. Not only did Odunze break his foot, but Dayo Odeyingbo also tore his Achilles. While the wide receiver did return and made some big plays down the stretch, he never quite looked the same.

He admitted later that the injury never had time to heal, and he was playing through pain. Once further knowledge came out about the structural problems, people feared he might lose what made him so explosive. Based on the receiver’s comments, as well as recent practice footage, that isn’t a problem. He looks healthy. If it stays that way, the expectations for the Bears’ passing game just went up another notch. Expectations were already high for Burden and Colston Loveland going into their second seasons. A healthy Odunze gives them three dangerous weapons.

The timing couldn’t be better.

This is a very important season for Rome Odunze. Not only is he trying to help the Bears win a championship, but he’s also getting to that time where contract discussions begin. It is the third year of his rookie contract. The Bears already have plans to extend Caleb Williams. The same can’t be said for the receiver. He still has some proving to do. He must prove he can stay healthy and prove he can produce consistently across a full season. Accomplishing both will see a lucrative contract waiting for him on the other side.

Keep in mind that only one wide receiver drafted by the Bears since the turn of the millennium managed to land a second contract from the team. That was Earl Bennett in 2011. Nobody else did so. Not Marty Booker, not Johnny Knox, not Alshon Jeffery, and not Anthony Miller. Odunze doesn’t want to join that unfortunate list. This season has to be the one for him to break through. No more stop-start stuff.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson runs a tight ship. That has been evident from the moment he arrived. He expects things to be done a certain way. That doesn’t necessarily mean players can only play one style. More, it means they’re expected to execute at a certain level and know the details of their job from snap to snap. That is particularly true for quarterback Caleb Williams. He is the straw that stirs the drink. For everything to function at the intended level, he must be on top of what each position does and what the defense is trying to do. Are the receivers lined up correctly? Which tight end is going in motion? Is the offensive line in the right protection?

All of this is going through Williams’ head in the seconds before the snap. There is a reason playing quarterback in the NFL is so difficult. It is also why Johnson is so tough on Williams. Unless the quarterback can handle massive loads of information consistently, there will inevitably be a mistake at some point. Mistakes lead to losses. That is why Johnson has not relented on Williams to start training camp. In fact, it sounds like he’s prepared to do something previous Bears coaches were reluctant to concede.

Caleb Williams hinted he might be getting more freedom at the line.

“It’s more having an idea of what they will be in,” Williams said. “Plays get more detailed. He’s adding more on my plate of figuring out the coverage before and having an idea of where I can go with the ball faster and sooner. I haven’t thrown a lot of picks in my career because I can see the coverage and feel the coverage. It’s a little more detailed from play to play and specifics within the play towards the coverage that we are attacking. Then (it’s) adding more plays in there so that we can kill, alert, and check to these different man checks, Cover 2 checks, one high or whatever the case may be.

“So it’s a little bit more of that. We are excited about that. I’m excited. The challenge that he’s giving me to be able to take the next step and progress is what I’m most excited about. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be tough like it is every year. That’s what you embrace, that’s what you enjoy. Because when it shows up on game days and Sundays or whatever day we play on, it’s really rewarding.”

Williams now basically controls the offense.

The only thing he won’t do is call the actual plays. This level of freedom is somewhat rare these days. Most head coaches aren’t willing to give their quarterbacks that kind of control. They send in a play call with two variations. Based on what the defense shows, the quarterback picks the variation that will work best against it. Williams appears free to change the plays up even further based on what he sees. Johnson showing that level of trust in his young quarterback is a great sign.

When was the last time someone had this level of freedom at the line? You’d probably have to go back to Jim McMahon in the 1980s. Teammates stated that he was the real offensive coordinator on that team. History indicates you have lots of success when the quarterback has full control. This is because they can see the game far better from the huddle than coaches can from the sideline. It is why Peyton Manning was so prolific for so many years. He ran his own offense.

Don’t expect Johnson to sit idle, mind you.

This is still his offense. He will make the game plans, and he will make the calls. The key difference is that Caleb Williams will have the freedom to adjust those calls depending on look and situation. This is a partnership between the two. Johnson’s job is to send in a play he believes the defense won’t see coming. Williams’ job will be to execute it, or make changes if the coach is wrong. This sort of approach requires a lot of trust. Johnson clearly thinks his quarterback is ready for the responsibility.

It is another reminder of why Williams respects him. Some coaches are never willing to relinquish control. Everything must be done exactly as they instruct. Johnson, to his credit, always keeps an open mind. As demanding as he can be, he’ll give players a certain degree of freedom. That must be earned, though. Williams did that through the trials of last season.

Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles weren’t exactly generous with their words when asked about Kyler Gordon. It was clear that both men expected the nickel cornerback to be ready for training camp after missing both OTAs and minicamps in the spring. Instead, the fifth-year player landed on the PUP list with a calf problem, continuing his streak of recurring soft tissue injuries. If you weren’t sure if patience was wearing thin, both men indicated that Gordon’s job is by no means secure anymore.

That is the price you pay for missing 14 games last season.

It sounds like the team is leaving that nickel spot wide open for anybody to grab it as camp unfolds. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, two names have quickly emerged as contenders.

“Cam Lewis and Jaylon Jones both got some time with the first team at the nickel cornerback position, but there could be plenty of others who rotate through at some point, especially if Kyler Gordon is absent for a while. Lewis, signed to a two-year contract after spending the last six seasons with the Buffalo Bills, also lined up at safety with the second team.”

Lewis is the more experienced of the two options. He logged 96 snaps in the slot last season for the Buffalo Bills, posting a respectable 83.9 passer rating against. For his career, he’s played 545 snaps in the slot. Jones is the younger of the two, having established himself on special teams but getting occasional work on defense. He has the athleticism and tenacity you look for, playing 83 career snaps in the slot.

Kyler Gordon better get back quickly.

The longer he’s out, the more hardened the Chicago Bears will become about a replacement. Lewis has more experience. It is probably why the team signed him. They must’ve had a sneaking suspicion that Gordon’s health problems would persist. The veteran provided them with much-needed insurance that is already paying off. The primary concern with him is that he’s more of a safety. Jones is the more natural cornerback. Can the team live with that trade-off? They seemed to last season with C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

That brings up probably the most pressing question from fans. What about Malik Muhammad? There was plenty of buzz around the Bears’ 4th round pick out of Texas. He got some early looks at nickel in the spring. Isn’t he in the mix? Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen made it sound like that option is off the table, at least for now.

“Look, the kid is smart. We’ll give him a look at it and see where he’s at and let the competition throughout the course of training camp play out. And I think, you know, evaluation is something that takes time. It doesn’t happen in a day or two.”

The problem with nickel is it’s the most demanding position for a cornerback because it has more responsibilities and requires faster thinking. Asking a rookie to handle that usually doesn’t go well.

Gordon’s leash is almost gone.

The Bears have kept his job safe because they felt he was a lynch pin to their defensive success. That mentality has eroded to almost nothing in the past year. Remember, this coaching staff didn’t draft him and had little say in whether he was extended. All they’ve seen since arriving is a player who can’t stay on the field. Such players are useless to them. How hard he works and what he accomplished in previous seasons are irrelevant to them. This team is trying to win a championship. That can’t be done with guys who can’t keep their bodies right.

Kyler Gordon is facing his last stand this year. Right now, his contract is the only thing keeping him on the roster. If not for that extension he signed and the cap penalties it would incur, he might’ve been cut already. The Bears will give him one more season to figure it out. If he can’t, they will likely eat the dead money next offseason and send him packing. There is zero room for error, which is why each missed practice hurts even more than usual.