Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson demands a high price for success, setting the stage for grueling training camp battles as Chicago prepares for the 2026 season.
With mandatory minicamp officially over, the Chicago Bears are officially on summer break.
Well, some members will take time away from Halas Hall. Coach Ben Johnson, on the other hand, will use the next six weeks to get ahead for the upcoming season. That includes deep dives into the running game, connecting with running backs coach Eric Studesville and learning more about his time in Miami and the unique run concepts the Dolphins used.
The Bears used springtime to learn and focus on communication, according to Johnson. But it's training camp that will determine who earns a spot on the 53-man roster and the roles the players will have on Johnson's team.
That includes the competition at left tackle and the cornerback spot opposite of Jaylon Johnson.
"Those are a couple positions that we'll certainly have our eye on," Johnson said. "And there'll be several others that there's spots up for grabs. Special teams is a big part of what we do as well. I can't wait for that to start to get ramped up. Because I think that brings out the best of everybody as well. We'll have a plan in place in terms of do we need a rotation or do we need to just let it fly? And if we're seeing some guys rise up and start making plays with the twos and threes, we'll probably take a look and see what it looks like with the ones as well over the course of training camp. Those are good decisions to make down the down the line here. I feel really good about where we're at right now.”
Johnson mentioned several other spots being up for grabs. The third linebacker spot, depth at wide receiver and on the offensive line should all feature noteworthy battles that will have to be monitored throughout the summer.
Halfway through camp, Johnson said the team will have a solid evaluation of the roster. It will help having padded practices, which should separate some players from others.
"Usually the cream rises to the top once it turns into that, and guys will naturally rise," Johnson said. "Some guys will fall. It won't take too long. Last year's a good example. We had a left tackle battle that kind of went the length and plus some. So, hopefully that's not the case. You don't like that. You like to have a little clarity earlier on so that you can go into week one feeling pretty settled on every spot, but we'll do whatever it takes and as long as these competitions take to have some clarity, we'll do that.”
Before training camp begins in mid-to-late July, the players will get some time to heal their bodies and get their minds right for what should be a physical and mental battle at Halas Hall.
That's what defensive end Montez Sweat is expecting in his second summer in Johnson's camp.
“I’m expecting the worst," Sweat said. "I’ll be prepared. Hopefully it’ll be a little easier since I’ve been through it already, but live days, hard hitting, long drives, preseason games, I’m ready.”
Johnson is intentional with everything he does. Training camp should be tough, and that's exactly what his players expect going into the 2026 season.
"You have to pay a price, you have to make deposits if you want to have success in this league," Johnson said. "I've been in it 15 years now, and I don't think there's any way you can cut corners and expect to win on Sunday. Training camp is a big part of that. Our guys understand that. They know what they're walking into. I think our type of guys embrace it and want it. I'm really looking forward to it.”
