Last week, the Chicago Bears wrapped up their offseason program with a three-day mandatory mini-camp. Although the bulk of the offseason acquisition process is over, fans around the league can expect minor roster shuffles and additional veteran free agents to sign with teams leading up to training camp. With the table set for training camp and a six-week break ahead, we’ll dive into a special edition of 10 Bears Takes.
EDITOR: Part two will be published later this afternoon!
1. By all accounts, the
offense is much further ahead of schedule than they were a year ago.
Whether you listened to head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, or any of the other offensive players heading into Year 2 under this coaching staff, the messaging was all the same. This group is much further along than they were just a year ago.
While that might be common sense for most, we aren’t that far removed from a similar situation playing out with former head coach Matt Nagy and third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Coming off an impressive 12-win season, it felt like the Bears were destined for stardom in 2019. Despite the optimism surrounding them heading into the season, the offense took a sizable step back, and so did the team. So, while it should be a “given” that the offense has taken the next step forward, it’s not always the case. Luckily for the Bears and their fans, it appears that everything is going to plan so far heading into training camp.
The biggest focus for this group is quarterback play. Although 2025 could be considered a “breakout” year for Williams by most standards, there was still plenty to be desired heading into Year 3 as an NFL quarterback. One of the primary talking points throughout the offseason program has been upping the completion percentage, which could be accomplished simply by taking what the defense gives Williams. Quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett made headlines earlier in May, saying that the young quarterback needs to “do less”. By the nature of today’s world, the headline was met with mixed reactions ranging from agreeing with Barrett to questioning why they’d want Williams to hide one of his best qualities, which is playing “Superman” with the game on the line.
Ultimately, Barrett’s bigger-picture message is one that the head coach himself has echoed. While it’s great that Williams can make superhuman plays when the team needs him, the focus for Year 2 in this system was simply to play more within structure, thus alleviating the need for heart-stopping fourth-quarter comebacks. No one can argue that last year wasn’t fun, but most Bears fans would agree that a more consistent offensive product over four quarters would lead to more convincing wins. The biggest takeaway from the team’s messaging to their quarterback has been simple: You’re on the right track, and no one can deny your talent, but let’s make things easier on everyone and be more efficient.
Even without the presence of DJ Moore as one of their top receivers, the team’s skill position talent is deep. Both Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III appear primed for bigger seasons, as does tight end Colston Loveland. Mix in a supporting cast that features Cole Kmet and more speed at receiver with players like Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, and Zavion Thomas, and it’s easy to see why the organization is as bullish as they are when it comes to the offensive side of the ball.
Bigger questions remain on the offensive line, and we’ll get to that in a few, but even with two starting spots up for grabs, the top-end talent is there, as is their improved depth. Assuming the offensive line gets sorted early in the preseason, there’s little reason to doubt the Bears’ offense taking another sizable step forward in 2026.
2. Speaking of the offense, let’s set the table on a few key roster battles heading into camp.
While many expect the offense to firmly establish itself as a Top 5 unit by the end of the season, that doesn’t mean there aren’t camp battles to keep an eye on. While some might be obvious, others are a little more subtle.
- Left Tackle
The timeline for Ozzy Trapilo’s return has yet to be established, but none of that should be surprising. Instead, the team will focus on a pair of veterans who should get the first crack at the starting role. Braxton Jones, by all accounts, is the leader in the clubhouse. Not only does he bring three full seasons of starting experience, but a big year in Chicago could mean a $ 20M-plus-per-year contract next offseason. Jedrick Wills Jr. is the other name who will get a chance to stake his claim, despite missing all of last season while recovering from injuries. Wills’ physical talent cannot be denied, but there’s a high level of unknown heading into camp. According to multiple reports, Theo Benedet has been primarily working with the second team at right tackle. While it’s possible he could re-enter the competition at some point in time, the team made it clear that they were not comfortable starting him in the playoffs last year, which says a lot. Kiran Amegadjie is the final name with an outside chance at the job, although health and availability are serious questions heading into Year 3. If we’re setting probabilities for how the original roster shakes out, I’d argue that there’s a better chance Amegadjie is not on the Week 1 roster, rather than him winning the starting job at left tackle.
- Center
This is a two-name battle, with both players obvious candidates. Johnson has made it no secret that he values a veteran presence at center, which leads most to believe that this job is Garrett Bradbury’s to lose. Bradbury has been a below-average starter for most of his career, and is going on his third team in as many years, but it’s worth mentioning that he’s a great scheme fit for what Chicago wants to do, especially in the run game. Long-term, it’s clear that Logan Jones will be the answer, but the second-round rookie has a hill to climb if he wants to take the starting job from the outset. My early guess is that, despite trade rumors surrounding a potential Baltimore fit, the coaching staff will value Bradbury’s leadership and experience enough to hand him the starting job. That said, don’t be surprised if Jones eventually takes over as the starter later in the year.
- WR3
This is a three-person race, headlined by Raymond, Walker, and Thomas. Listening to Johnson speak, it’s easy to get the feeling that Raymond has the early leg up in this competition. Long-term, the hope would be that either Walker or Thomas can take the job and run with it, but Johnson’s history with Raymond shouldn’t be overlooked. The primary focus for this spot is speed and versatility, which means that even if the veteran wins the job out of the gate, the team’s third-round rookie should see some time in a similar role. The biggest “unknown” from this group is Walker, who, at times last season, came up with some big plays when the team needed them. No matter who wins this job, fans should feel pretty good about this group as a whole.
- WR6
Once the third receiver is figured out, the remainder of the depth chart must be as well. On paper (and barring injury), the team’s Top 5 is set; it’s just a matter of order. Considering Raymond’s contract and Thomas’ draft status, the only player who would even be in danger of being cut would be Walker, which feels highly unlikely. Instead, the bigger question will revolve around the team’s choice to keep a sixth receiver. I’m of the mindset that it’s not a given, but we’ll assume in this scenario that they do. The leader in the clubhouse, for the time being, would likely be veteran Scotty Miller, who flashed plenty during the last three weeks of practice. Maurice Alexander is another player who has spent time with both Johnson and Antwaan Randle-El in Detroit and Chicago. He spent all year on the practice squad but possesses a skill set similar to Raymond’s (with less speed). If the team wanted to go younger at the final spot on the depth chart, guys like J.P. Richardson, Quadir Ismail, Kyron Hudson, or Omari Kelly could be candidates. If we learned anything from last year, don’t rule out one of the undrafted names in Hudson or Kelly.
- RB3/4
It might be hard to believe, but we’re just one year removed from having serious concerns about the Bears’ starting duo. A season later, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone worried about the Year 2 duo of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. With those two locked into roster spots, the bigger question is who will provide the depth? Roschon Johnson is heading into a contract year, and while many have penciled him in as the RB3, I wouldn’t be so sure quite yet. The cheap free agent addition of Salvon Ahmed is an interesting one, especially with the addition of new running backs coach Eric Studesville. Brittain Brown is another name worth monitoring, especially after impressing in limited playing time last season. Coleman Bennett has received some praise as an undrafted free agent, so he’s another player worth keeping an eye on.
- OL Depth
The offensive line was miraculously healthy in 2025, and while it would be nice to repeat that, no team in the NFL ever counts on it. Instead, the front office has done a quality job insulating some of that risk with a quality wave of depth behind the starting five. With Trapilo expected to spend most of the year on PUP, that leaves four, maybe five spots open on the final 53. Assuming nothing groundbreaking (or injuries) happens, the top three names on this list feel pretty safe (the loser of the center and left tackle battles and Benedet). This leaves an interesting mix of veterans, former draft picks, and intriguing undrafted free agents to battle for one, maybe two, spots. Jordan McFadden and Luke Newman feel like the two names most likely to make the roster, but Amegadjie, Cayden Barnett, and Jaren Kump could make things interesting. Regardless of how it plays out, it’s easy to argue that this is the best depth we’ve seen along the offensive line in quite some time.
3. Getting to camp as healthy as possible is always the goal this time of year, where the Bears stand on that front exiting mini-camp.
With no major injuries reported during their six-week break, that alone can be counted as a win not every team will have the fortune of experiencing. As with most teams, lingering issues from the previous season persist. For the Bears, most of the players they lost to season-ending injuries were back on the practice field in some capacity. The most impressive recoveries included both Dayo Odeyingbo and T.J. Edwards.
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner, who is coming back from a torn ACL, was not seen practicing with the team, but Johnson seemed optimistic that he’d be ready to roll once training camp gets started in late July. Speaking of eyes on camp, Jedrick Wills is another name to keep a close eye on when the Bears open camp next month. He didn’t participate much during the media’s open times, but I’m not sure that was all that unexpected, given his extensive injury history and the fact that he didn’t play football in 2025.
On the more “negative” side of things, Kyler Gordon missed the majority of the offseason program with what was once again described as soft tissue injuries. After an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, the pressure for him to live up to his contract is palpable. If the fans’ angst wasn’t enough, Johnson seemed noticeably frustrated when asked about Gordon’s lack of availability over the last two seasons. That one will be worth keeping a close eye on as camp progresses. There were a handful of other “minor” injuries, but nothing worth touching on too much, unless it presents itself as an issue. As expected, left tackle Ozzy Trapilo is still not at the point in his recovery where he can take part in on-the-field drills. Considering the severity of his injury, coupled with the timing, fans shouldn’t expect to see much of him, if at all, in 2026.
All in all, it appears the Bears avoided any season-ending injuries and, aside from some nagging issues, are heading into camp on a relatively healthy note. As we learned last year, teams can never count their chickens before they hatch, but general health and overall participation in the team’s offseason program seemed to be right where they should be.
4. Speaking of health, Turner’s availability could play into the team’s process of adding an outside name off the edge.
Even with the advancements of modern medicine, torn ACLs are a tough injury to come back from. While some had wondered about Odeyingbo’s health for the start of the season, it appears that Turner is the one we should be focused on. Although he was not at most offseason practices, Johnson seemed to believe that Turner would participate in training camp. The extent of his participation is yet to be determined, which could make a potential move at defensive end a more pressing need.
On paper, the Bears’ Top 3 is all but set between Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, and Odeyingbo. Add in Daniel Hardy to the mix as a special teamer, and there’s likely one spot up for grabs. While it’s still not a guarantee that Turner will be a full-time defensive end, all signs point to him sticking there after sliding outside last year.
The team was already gambling on health, even if both Odeyingbo and Turner are ready to go for Week 1. Still, Turner’s lack of participation during their three weeks of practice at least has to make some wonder what the expectation for him is heading into the regular season. Combine that with a mid-May workout for A.J. Epinesa, and it’s easy to assume that the Bears are at least keeping tabs on the remaining free agent crop.
Financially, almost any move would take some additional maneuvering of the cap. That said, any player signing close to training camp isn’t going to command a groundbreaking contract. Remaining names on the free agent market include: Jadeveon Clowney, Joey Bosa, Von Miller, Kyle Van Noy, and Derek Barnett. While this isn’t exactly a Murderers Row of available names, almost all of them would be considered upgrades to a room that lacks many true difference-makers. Cam Jordan re-signing in New Orleans takes one more name off the board, for now.
Only time will tell how the Bears approach adding (or standing pat) to this group, but heading into the six-week break, they’ve still got some options. Much of how they move forward could be dependent on Turner’s 2026 outlook.
5. Expect the Bears to shuffle their roster in the coming weeks—a look at a few spots that could use a veteran addition.
Make no mistake- the Bears are not “special” in this instance. All 32 teams will use the information they’ve gathered from the offseason program, practices, undrafted free-agent tryouts, and the remaining free-agent pool to decide how they want their roster to look heading into training camp. Unlike previous seasons, there aren’t nearly as many roster spots up for grabs (at least on paper), which should make this process easier for the front office and coaching staff alike.
That said, it’s still reasonable to expect a few interchangeable moves in the coming weeks as the team prepares for the grind of training camp. Some of those moves could simply be fortifying depth, while others could be in anticipation of injuries. Here are a few spots to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. The team has reportedly signed two UFL veterans, which we’ll cover below.
- Wide Receiver
Barring injury, the Top 5 spots on this depth chart are taken, and five might be all they choose to roll into the season with. Even so, injuries happen, and for that reason, it shouldn’t be a surprise if the team decides to bring in another established veteran. This is a relatively young and inexperienced room, and while there’s been plenty of focus on adding speed, an established veteran with the ability to play “up” in a WR3 or WR4 role could be something they target, even with Miller on the roster. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears have signed former UFL return man and receiver Kaden Davis. They also had former New England Patriot Kristian Wilkerson for a workout on Monday.
- Defensive End
This one feels pretty self-explanatory, right? Between two key players coming back from season-ending injuries, and a clear lack of top-end talent, don’t be surprised to see a veteran added to the mix in between now and the start of camp. With Jordan off the market, the free-agent search could narrow, which might make a trade more likely (if they add).
- Cornerback
An addition here will be a little more health-dependent. If Gordon reports to camp in good health, and they feel good about players like Johnson, Stevenson, Muhammad, and Terell Smith, maybe they stick with what they have. That said, you can never have enough depth at cornerback, especially once preseason games start.
- Linebacker
On paper, there are more rosterable names than open spots, but with their current injury situation to key depth pieces, the team has reportedly signed former UFL’er Tony Fields II. Assuming they can get back to decent health heading into training camp, additional bodies might not be needed.
- Long Snapper
The Bears rolled the dice in April when they let Daly walk to Tampa Bay and chose to roll with two former undrafted free agents who have never snapped in an NFL regular-season game. Maybe the gamble works out, and I’ll be the first to say that I have no idea how to evaluate long snappers. Even so, don’t be surprised if the team decides to swap out one of their inexperienced players with a veteran that at least has some regular-season experience.
Part two later this afternoon, so share with us your thoughts on these first five takes?
