Aug 19, 2026 2:49 PM
Updated Aug 26, 2026 7:12 PM

The Chicago Bears finished their 15th training camp practice on Tuesday at Halas Hall. Here is everything you need to know from the intense practice, including a new starter at left tackle.

Physical.

That's the best way to describe Chicago Bears training camp practice No. 15. There were scrums, a helmet ripped off, a rookie de-cleated and plenty of hard hits. 

Let's get into everything that happened at Halas Hall for Tuesday's fully padded practice. 

Let's Get Physical

The Bears' 2026 draft class got a reminder of what NFL football is all about and how physically taxing it can be on the body. 

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Malik Muhammad saw something that no cornerback in the league ever wants to encounter -- a pulling Darnell Wright lead blocking for his running back. Muhammad is listed at 6-foot, 182 pounds (and even that might be pushing it), while Wright is a massive 6-foot-5, 325 pounds. 

When Wright lowered his shoulder into Muhammad, the rookie was launched in the air and fell hard to the ground. Muhammad got up, though, and had to readjust his shoulder pads. 

During one of the team move the ball periods, Jordan van den Berg got his shot with the starting defense. The rookie from Georgia Tech showed great timing on the snap, but seconds later, he ended up on the ground. That's what happens when you don't have a clear rush plan going up against Joe Thuney and Garrett Bradbury. 

Towards the end of practice, the Bears worked on special teams one-on-one blocking drill. One player ran from roughly five yards out and had to beat the stationary blocker. Wide receiver Jahdae Walker went up against Muhammad, who was blocking. Walker bull dozed the rookie, flexing his muscles and yelling after easily winning the rep.

(After this happened, I wrote down in my notes that Muhammad may need to add some weight, especially if he is going to play inside at nickel.)

First-round pick Dillon Thieneman was the blocker and he was completely overpowered in his rep. After Thieneman got off the ground, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower patted the rookie on his helmet. 

Can't forget about rookie tight end Sam Roush (6-foot-5, 267), who attempted to block defensive lineman Jeremiah Martin (6-foot-3, 265). It wasn't close at all. Roush set his feet and immediately lost his ground, falling to the grass as Martin flexed towards his defensive teammates. 

Bears vs Bears

Four weeks is a long time to consistently hit and compete against the same people. That's where the Bears found themselves during Tuesday's practice. As expected, frustrations were let out. 

Second-round draft pick Logan Jones went up against undrafted free agent Jayden Loving in 1 on 1s. Loving beat Jones in the first rep they went against each other, showing some nice hands to fight off the block. The two went again immediately. This time, Loving used a powerful bull rush and Jones couldn't anchor. After losing back-to-back reps, Jones shoved Loving, and the Bears' defensive lineman went right back at Jones. The two immediately got into a scrum and the other linemen went got involved to break up the two. 

This isn't the first time I've noticed Jones lose ground on a bull rush during training camp. I also understand that 1 on 1s are not an accurate indication of a game is like, where Jones would have two guards next to him. His play strength is something I'll be monitoring going forward. 

In a red zone period, the Bears first-team offense went up against the starting defense. Head coach Ben Johnson called a run play, and tight end Cole Kmet blocked on the rep. He went up against defensive end Austin Booker. As the play was winding down, Kmet and Booker didn't stop. The offense and defense got into a scrum and sometime during all of that, Kmet's helmet was ripped off. The Bears' tight end walked away, slightly red in the face and went to stand next to his teammates. Offensive tackle Theo Benedet was one of the first to ask Kmet what happened. 

Other Observations

  • Now feels like a great time to mention Bears starting quarterback Caleb Williams. During the team periods and 7-on-7, Williams had an up and down day. There were some overthrows. He missed wide receiver Scotty Miller, who was wide open down the field. in 7 on 7s. Miller beat Jaylon Johnson and Cam Lewis in coverage, but overthrew the outstretched hands from Miller. Williams also failed to connect with Kalif Raymond in 11 on 11s. Raymond got behind the defense and Williams missed his target. His best pass of the day was a throw to Raymond on a wheel route down the right sideline. There was a small window to throw into and Williams placed the ball perfectly for an explosive gain to the veteran receiver. The Bears' quarterback also connected with Colston Loveland in the back right part of the end zone. Williams surveyed the field, scanning from left to right, and connected with Loveland for a touchdown.
  • Williams also had an accurate pass to Rome Odunze down the middle of the field in the team period. The ball hit Odunze right in his chest and would've been a touchdown, but the Bears' receiver couldn't make the catch. On the next play, Williams connected with Walker for a touchdown in the left portion of the end zone. Walker showed great concentration on the reception against the second-team defense. 
  • Lewis knocked out a pass intended for Loveland in the middle of the end zone. Thieneman was also in coverage on the play. Williams threw an accurate pass, but Lewis lowered his shoulder to prevent the Bears' tight end from making the reception. 
  • D'Andre Swift had a nice run while the Bears had three tight ends on the field (Loveland, Kmet and Roush). Swift followed his blocks and cut back to his right. Running backs coach Eric Studesville yelled out, "There you go Swifty!"
  • Theo Benedet got a majority of the reps at left tackle. 
  • Kiran Amegadjie left Tuesday's practice early with what appeared to be a leg/knee injury. He was visibly upset after the rep, slamming his helmet to the ground and walked off the field under his own power with trainer Andre Tucker. 
  • Wide receiver JP Richardson had a good practice. He caught the final touchdown of the day. After Jones snapped a low ball to Case Keenum, the veteran quarterback found Richardson over the middle of the field and outran the defense for the score. Richardson a few plays earlier, displayed some physical blocking on a jet handoff. 
  • Defensive back Deantre Prince intercepted Keenum, who attempted to hit Maurice Alexander on a short pass in the middle of the field. Looked like Keenum and Alexander were not on the same page, as the pass bounced off the receiver's outstretched hand and landed in Prince's arms.
  • Ben Johnson yelled at the officials after a delay of game penalty against the first-team offense. The Bears' head coach wasn't happy with the timing of the flag, yelling "Too late!" 

Here is the special teams kickoff coverage starting lineup. This is important to see where certain players stand on the depth chart and who may have an upper hand at making the 53-man roster. 

  • Dillon Thieneman
  • Josh Blackwell
  • Jahdae Walker 
  • Jack Sanborn 
  • Daniel Hardy
  • D'Marco Jackson
  • Salvon Ahmed
  • Sam Roush
  • Roschon Johnson 
  • Cam Lewis
  • Cairo Santos
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