Bears safety Dillon Thieneman is trading rookie hesitation for playmaking instincts, using his elite speed and play recognition to showcase his full skill set.
Colston Loveland is a tough cover for any defense.
The Chicago Bears' tight end runs routes like a polished receiver, making him a mismatch for linebackers. At 6-foot-6, 241 pounds, he's bigger than defensive backs.
Someone who has faced the second-year player consistently is rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. Loveland has won the majority of those matchups. In Tuesday's fully padded training camp practice at Halas Hall, there was a slight shift.
Quarterback Caleb Williams attempted to hit Loveland on an out route during 7-on-7s. That type of play has been nearly automatic for the two, but Thieneman diagnosed the timing of the route, broke on the ball and forced an incomplete pass.
Thieneman is starting to understand his keys in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defense and his teammates are starting to notice.
"I think at first, definitely playing a little bit of hesitancy in terms of maybe not knowing where he needs to be, when he needs to be there or play recognition, and I think that has sped up over and over again," Bears tight end Cole Kmet said. "Each and every day he's been out there. You know I've seen it even today, he made a few good plays on Colston I thought where good coverage plays where I thought earlier in camp we were kind of getting the best of him. He's kind of come back and done a really good job in that regard. I think he has been more physical in the run game, kind of feeling his presence there, so it was just a matter of time. ... It's been cool to see him grow each and every week. I know he is going to help us out big time this year."
In that same 7-on-7 period, Thieneman also ran downfield to cover wide receiver Kaden Davis. The rookie safety didn't give Williams anywhere to throw the ball, forcing another incomplete pass.
Thieneman had his best practice of the summer on Tuesday, but he also showed encouraging snaps in the Bears' second preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. With his knowledge of the defense growing, Thieneman can tap into his 4.35 40-speed to make plays in the backend of Allen's defense.
After the Bengals game, Thieneman said, "I think I’m at a very good spot. Where we are right now with the playbook, I feel very confident."
With Coby Bryant sidelined by a knee injury, a revolving door at safety has forced Thieneman to adapt to multiple secondary partners over the course of training camp. That still hasn't stopped the rookie from developing.
Cam Lewis is one of the safeties Thieneman has played opposite of with the first-team defense.
"Smart kid for sure," Lewis said. "Plays fast, really instinctive. I feel really comfortable around him. We're still learning day in and day out. You know, getting on the same page what we see, how we want to see it, how we want to disguise and stuff like that, but he's been improving every day, so I'm lucky to be working with a good rookie like that.
With all the injuries at safety, Thieneman has brought consistency to the position. He's also starting to make plays, a sign for the 22-year-old as he approaches the start of the 2026 regular season.
