The Chicago Bears were back for the ninth practice of training camp on Saturday, which once again featured some injury news.
After an off day on Friday, the Bears were back on the practice field for a non-padded session that was once again dominated by injuries. Wide receiver Luther Burden III, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and safety Cam Lewis all suffered injuries. But there was also plenty of good to come out of practice, including quarterback Caleb Williams and his connection with tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Rome Odunze, as well as some key rookie standouts and developments at key position battles.
Here's what we learned from the ninth practice of training camp:
Luther Burden, Tyrique Stevenson, Cam Lewis suffer injuries
The Bears continue to be plagued by the injury bug, which took out three
players during Saturday's practice. Wide receiver Luther Burden III, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and safety Cam Lewis were all injured on Day 9. Burden and Stevenson were injured during a one-on-one red zone rep, per Dan Wiederer. While Stevenson was able to stick it out for the duration of practice, although he was limping, Burden limped away from the practice field with a trainer. Meanwhile, Lewis was hurt on the second to last play of the first end-of-game situation, according to Courtney Cronin. Lewis was in "a lot of pain," per Patrick Finley, and eventually took the cart back from a far practice field to the facility. Defensive end Montez Sweat and left tackle Braxton Jones were not present at practice after suffering injuries during Thursday's padded workout.
Caleb Williams hits Rome Odunze for play of the day
Practice ended on a strong note with former first-round picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze accounting for the play of the day during the end-of-game drill. According to Greg Braggs, Williams "did his Superman thing" when he evaded pressure from Austin Booker and bought time before launching the ball off his back foot from the 30-yard line to Odunze, who hauled in an impressive catch for the "game winner." Adam Hoge noted that the "catch was probably even better than the throw" and Dan Wiederer called the play "jaw-dropping." The Bears are hoping for plenty of that connection during the regular season.
Colston Loveland continues to dominate
Another day, another practice where second-year pro Colston Loveland continues to showcase his potential as a top tight end in the NFL. According to Mark Carman, Loveland "made multiple incredible catches high-pointing the ball in coverage in both corners of the end zone." Loveland dominated practice, per Courtney Cronin. "High pointed a ball on the first play, two plays later catches a ball while diving in the corner of the end zone and punted the ball in celebration." According to Greg Braggs, Loveland "mossed" Dillon Thieneman for a touchdown, where he was "all hands." Braggs noted that Williams and Loveland are a "scary duo."
Jordan van den Berg rotated with first-team defense
One of the biggest rookie standouts so far in training camp has been sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, who continues to garner praise and earn more opportunities. According to Adam Jahns, van den Berg rotated in with the first-team defense during a low red-zone drill on Saturday, which isn't the first time the rookie has seen time with the starters. Courtney Cronin noted that van den Berg is "pure brute strength" and that it's been fun watching him go against the offensive line, specifically in one-on-one drills. Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. singled out one play where van den Berg had a "solid bull rush" going against fellow rookie Logan Jones. Bears veterans had plenty of praise for van den Berg. Neville Gallimore said: "He's not a guy that you need to get going. He plays with a high motor." Grady Jarrett said: "He’s got the right mindset. We’re excited to have him."
Dillon Thieneman records his first INT of camp
The Bears' top rookie safety Dillon Thieneman had a standout day during Saturday's practice, and he was one of several rookies making strong impressions. Thieneman recorded his first interception of training camp, picking off quarterback Caleb Williams on a "Hail Mary-like heave" to end the first end-of-game situation, according to Adam Jahns. Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. said that Thieneman also had "a nice fill in the run game stuffing Kyle Monangai in the hole." It wasn't a perfect day for Thieneman, who had trouble against tight end Colston Loveland, who mossed him for a red-zone touchdown, per Greg Braggs. Then again, Loveland has given even the most established of starters issues this summer. Bear Report noted that "Thieneman doesn't get enough credit for how well he's practiced during camp so far. He's all over the place making plays."
Position battle updates at left tackle, nickel, safety
There have been injuries across the board at left tackle, nickel and safety, and that's impacted the individual battles and depth positioning. With Braxton Jones not at practice, it was Jedrick Wills Jr. working primarily with the first-team offense, per Josh Buckhalter, while Kiran Amegadjie rotated in. Meanwhile, at nickel cornerback, Jaylon Jones wasn't present, so it was rookie Malik Muhammad getting the work in the slot. According to Dan Wiederer, Muhammad to a "standout practice" where he was "very active" and had "plenty of juice." Courtney Cronin added that Muhammad one a pass breakup on the first play of 11-on-11 action between both starting units. After Cam Lewis went down with an injury, it was undrafted rookie Skyler Thomas running with the first-team defense opposite Dillon Thieneman at safety, per Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 6 takeaways from Day 9 practice of Chicago Bears training camp
