Bears begin training camp with sights set on building on 2025's success

The Chicago Bears hit the field at training camp for the first time on Tuesday, and head coach Ben Johnson is clearly fired up for his second season at the helm after a successful first year.

"This is our chance to forge our identity," he said. "This is where it all happens. We've got a whole different group of guys than we did a year ago, and this is where it gets fun."

Johnson said, with significant changes to the roster over the past year, every player will have to earn his role on the team, and he's excited to build on last year's success, after the Bears went 11-6 to win the NFC North, and beat the archrival Packers in the wild card round.

"It starts all over again, and we talked about this when last year ended. It's a brand new group of guys.. We're in a race right now to develop the same chemistry that we had a year ago. I thought that was one of the things that was our secret sauce, was guys playing for each other. We had a really close-knit group, and here it is," he said. "We've got to come together as a group, and there'll be some trials and tribulations. Coaching staff, we're going to apply pressure and stress on these guys. I think that's where the best version of yourself comes forward."

One position they won't be starting over at is quarterback, where Johnson is eager to see the steps Caleb Williams can take forward as he enters his second camp in Johnson's system.

"Now we're at the point where he's not thinking about the play call, he's not thinking about the cadence, the motion, and all the jigamarole before the snap. Things are starting to slow down, and so what we need to see here in camp is that anticipation taken up a notch. I think, with that the coverage recognition gets taken up another notch. I think there's other ways we're going to continue to challenge and push him."

Fans will get their first look at the Bears at an open practice on Friday, and they can expect to see practices looking a lot like they did last year.

"The pillars all stay the same. I mean, it's going to be a physical, it's going to be a tough, it's going to be a demanding ordeal. Anything worth doing is going to be challenging. These guys all know that, and I think they embrace it as well," he said.

Both Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles are pumped about the competition on the roster, including the battle for starting left tackle.

There's also an opportunity at cornerback, where Kyler Gordon starts on the physically unable to perform list with a lingering calf issue, one that has Poles and Johnson frustrated with his continued inability to stay on the field.

Johnson had a simple message for the 26-year-old cornerback: "Get healthy."

After signing a contract extension making him the highest-paid nickel cornerback in the NFL in April 2025, Gordon missed 14 games last season after multiple stints on the injured list. He also missed three games in 2022 and four games in 2023.

"All hands on deck to get him back. Coach alluded to it before in terms of availability or the lack thereof. Obviously, he's frustrated, we're frustrated. We just want him back. He helps our football team, but we have to more forward with the guys that we have," Poles said. "He's got to get right. I think the important thing that we've all talked about is when he gets back, we need him to stay back."

Gordon is starting training camp on the physically unable to perform list, and Poles said he doesn't know how soon Gordon will be back at practice. However, even when Gordon is ready to get back on the field, Poles made it clear there's no guarantee he'll have a starting role as the team's nickel cornerback.

"A little bit of a repetitive situation that we've got to get fixed, and then when he gets back, he's going to have to earn that trust back, and that dependability, because we've got to put all the guys in a good position to be successful, and the up and down movement with guys around us is really tough. So he'll have to earn that back when he gets back," Poles said.

Linebacker TJ Edwards is also out to start camp, but Poles said his calf injury isn't anything major.  

Meantime, Poles said the Bears have a window open to try to get a contract extension done with right tackle Darnell Wright, but he said it takes two sides, and they won't take those talks into the regular season.