The Chicago Bears wrapped up training camp practice No. 17 at Halas Hall. Here are some of the top takeaways from Tuesday's fully padded practice.
LAKES FOREST, Ill -- Before the Chicago Bears prepared for a low red-zone period in Tuesday's fully padded training camp practice, Jaylon Johnson brought the entire team together to set the tone for the rest of practice.
Veteran defensive back Cam Lewis said the message Johnson relayed to the team was that practice "wasn't good enough." Lewis agreed with his teammate.
"It wasn't to our standard," Lewis said. "You want to win the division back to back years, you're the hunted now. What we did in the first half of the practice wasn't to our standard, so brought it up. Told the guys that and we moved on."
Tight end Cole Kmet thought it ended up being one of the team's better practices of camp after Johnson addressed the team.
Johnson and Kmet are in Year 7 with the Bears after both being drafted in the second round in 2020. Lewis also highlighted that it's important for a football to "be player driven. You don't want the coaches to keep yelling down your neck." Johnson took initiative and challenged his teammates for the remainder of the practice.
Shortly after the low red-zone period started, right tackle Darnell Wright, who initially played the first few reps with the first-team offense, was replaced by Theo Benedet. Off to the side, Bears trainer Andre Tucker was evaluating Wright's right arm, having him flex and move it around. Wright, with his helmet still on, walked back to Halas Hall with Tucker. Benedet remained at right tackle for the rest of practice.
The Bears are off on Wednesday and head coach Ben Johnson will speak Thursday morning before the joint practice with the Tennessee Titans. There should be an update with Wright at that point if national insiders don't break any news before then.
Additional Notes
Dillon Thieneman had his best training camp practice of the summer. The Bears' first-round draft pick played fast and displayed tight coverage, especially in the 7-on-7 period. Thieneman closed on an out route from Colston Loveland, forcing an incomplete pass towards the left sideline.
He showed his straight-line speed, covering a deep vertical pass from Caleb Williams downfield. In the Bears' 7-on-7 period, Williams completed 1 of 6 passes, and the rookie safety played a huge part in that result.
D'Andre Swift continues to have a productive training camp. The veteran running back looks fast, and in one of the 9-on-7 periods, he got to the left edge and outran Thieneman down the sideline. Swift did drop an accurate pass off a wheel route during the 7-on-7 period. As a runner, though, he continues to excel in Johnson's offense.
- Braxton Jones played all the snaps with the first-team offense.
- Ozzy Trapilo participated in individual drills. Nothing in the team setting.
- Jedrick Wills Jr. played as the left tackle with the backups.
- The Bears practiced a "long-drive period" towards the end of practice. Kmet didn't sugar coat it and said, "Yeah, it sucks." The Bears' first-team offense went 13 plays straight, and Kmet mentioned those types of drives test how the players execute when they're tired. The first-team offense ended with a D'Marco Jackson sack on Williams.
- Benedet played at right tackle with the second-team offense before moving up with the starters after Wright got hurt.
- While the second-team offense took the field during one of the team periods, Wills started at left tackle and Mason Murphy lined up at right tackle. Kiran Amegadjie hardly saw the field in the team setting.
- Roschon Johnson had some nice runs throughout the day, showing his speed to get to the left edge and some physicality between the tackles.
- Bears tight end Hayden Large didn't finish Tuesday's practice. He left early after a special teams period.


