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Good morning, Bears fans!
I was lucky enough to get tickets to Thursday’s practice and then lucky enough to have it turn into what the Halas Hall press corps said was the longest and most spirited session so far.
And that’s not even including my daughters and about 40 other kids yelling Kyle Monangai’s last name for a good five minutes straight …
Headlines
Braxton Jones and Montez Sweat leave practice early: The tough practice showed in its early exits. The Bears are reportedly optimistic that Jones escaped a serious injury while Sweat’s status doesn’t seem to be known. The secondary also took some hits it didn’t need with Jaylon Jones leaving early and practice squad players Gervarius Owens and Dallis Flowers sustaining more serious leg injuries. (Sun-Times)
Jonathan Taylor signs extension with Colts: A two-year, $44 million deal that takes him through 2028. The slim chance dreams of Ben Johnson getting a weapon like Taylor at his disposal are pretty much dead. (ESPN)
Oldest living Bear dies: John Damore was 92 and lived in Westmont. He was an offensive lineman who played for the team in 1957 and 1959. No official word on who now takes the title, but it would seem to be Johnny Morris. He turns 91 next month. (NBC Chicago)
Notes From A Visit To Bears Camp
I woke up early on Thursday morning, checked Facebook like the oldhead I am and was hit with an eight-year-old memory from Bears training camp.
It was a picture of Mitchell Trubisky taking a snap on a Bourbonnais practice field. The caption? “In Mitch We Trust.”
My late summer pilgrimages to Bears training camp have always been about hope. Some years have inspired more than others but the general through line has been an irrational hope a middling team will somehow harness everything together for the next few months to produce a playoff spot.
But this year’s trip didn’t produce the same feeling as my sister and I hopped into the car with my daughters and nephew for the annual visit. Even the wait in the mall parking lot for the shuttle buses seemed to have a different feeling in the air. More confidence. More excitement.
Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have put us in a position where we don’t have to squint to see a passable NFL offense. Last year’s NFC North title in the first year of their partnership was proof of concept that this era can be much, much more.
What becomes of this 2026 team is still subject to the random and often unfair natural laws of the NFL, of course. But it’s a nice feeling knowing we’ve likely entered an era where unfounded hope and magical thinking don’t accompany every trip through the gates at Halas Hall.
A few notes from what I saw and experienced on Thursday:
As a relative commoner escorting three kids more excited about autograph hunting and obstacle course running, I didn’t expect to be of any real reporting service on Thursday. But my picture of Kyler Gordon signing autographs after a post-practice Juggs machine session caused a bit of a stir on Twitter since it was the first time No. 6 had been spotted on the practice fields so far this camp.
Gordon was in good spirits after spending the first half of the session feeding balls to Malik Muhammad, Dontae Manning and Qadir Ismail. He then switched to the other side of the machine and spent 5-10 minutes catching balls from two different depths.
(Kevin Kaduk/Bears By 7)
I didn’t get to see Colston Loveland running routes during last year’s camp, but his drills were one of the first I saw this year. That excitement and confidence I was talking about earlier? It comes from things like seeing a potential first-team All-Pro tight end do his thing. I have no idea how anyone plans to cover him. He looks like a Transformer out there …
… especially compared to new receiver Kalif Raymond, who’s only 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds but still carries a big presence out there. I’m eager to see how much of an upgrade he’ll prove to be over Olamide Zaccheaus. He later gave my nephew his sweaty Gatorade towel and my sister enjoyed carrying it back to the shuttle bus and then the car. (A mother’s love …)
Sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg got a run with the first team defense then continued his tradition of taking a post-practice lap around the rope lines to thank all the fans for coming.
It’s crazy that the Bears are already eight practice sessions into this, yet are still eight days away from their first of preseason games (Cleveland at Soldier Field) and still have two joint practice sessions with Tennessee and Cincinnati to go. After seeing the damage from Thursday’s sessions, coupled with the Coby Bryant injury, risk management really needs to take a prominent role in Johnson’s planning for these next five weeks.
Two things I wish I would’ve brought: Binoculars and a refillable water bottle. Though training camp can be an up-close experience, you can still find yourself a good ways away from the action depending on which field they’re currently practicing on. I would’ve liked to track Ben Johnson during practice but it was impossible to pick him out on the far field given all the similarly dressed personnel on the field.
As far as the water bottle, it should go without saying but staying hydrated is key. I left mine in the car because I didn’t feel like carrying it and then it was sneaky hot and I felt like crap the rest of the day. Waking up early to look at old Mitch Trubisky pics didn’t help, but neither did one $5 bottle of water from the concession stand.Finally: I’ve said this before, but the Bears really do crush the training camp experience. While giving access to a large number of fans is an issue at Halas Hall (and will remain so), they have the process down to a friendly science. The shuttles from the mall move quick (and are nice and clean), each employee thanks you for being there with a smile and the experiences for the kids are first rate. It’s become one of my daughters’ favorite summer activities. Mine too.
Quotable
“We tell him the truth in meetings.”
Worth Your Time
Parker Hurley on how the Bears could get more from Dayo Odeyingbo this year. (Da Windy City)
Which Bears players and legends will be appearing in the Bears holiday movie on Hallmark this October? (NBC Chicago)
One of my good friends Charles Robinson just started a league-wide newsletter and is doing camp visits. Check it out! (NFL Blue Book)
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