In professional sports, players come and go. In the NFL, rosters change week to week and are usually nuked (look completely different) after 3–5 years. Of course, if you have a quarterback, they tend to stick around. But even great players eventually run their course in a city.

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Enter DJ Moore and his time in Chicago. The Bears moved on from DJ this past offseason. GM Ryan Poles did right by him and sent him to a good team with a great quarterback in Josh Allen. However, something felt unfinished. Moore had been here during the Justin Fields days. He had to deal with Shane Waldron. Matt Eberflus. Year 1 under Ben Johnson wasn’t easy either. He just never got to experience winning. That is until the 2025 season.

A season that was the best and most fun I’ve had covering the Bears and simply being a fan. I’m not sure it will be topped unless they go on to finally win another Super Bowl. But back to the subject of this post: DJ Moore.

He deserves more love for his time here. So many great memories. That TD catch in OT to beat the Packers was absolute cinema. It’s now a core memory for me and so many other Bears fans.

He was also tough as hell. He kept his sense of humor even during that 13-game losing streak in 2023. He backed up Fields when things got rocky. Showed Caleb Williams some tough love in the beginning but always had his back. And in 2025, he delivered time after time. I just want to put it on the record one more time that I appreciate that. Tough catch after tough catch. Big hit after big hit. The dude always found a way to be on the field.

As we start Bears training camp, it just feels like a story was left unwritten. Like a great TV show that you love, but it didn’t get renewed. And I guess that’s sometimes for the better. That playoff loss to the Rams stung, as it turned out to be the final chapter of his time in Chicago.

But that’s the NFL. You never know what next season will bring. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson will be fine. This Bears offense is more loaded than any I’ve seen in my lifetime (29 years).

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As camp begins, lots of new and returning faces will walk around Halas Hall. So shoutout one last time to a guy who helped put Chicago back on the map. A player who embraced the rivalry between Chicago and Green Bay. Despite some bad body language at times, one thing was never in question:

“F the Packers always.”

The Bears held their first training camp practice of 2026 on Wednesday. No, the offense wasn’t rewriting record books or anything like that, but it looked organized. Honestly, it looked much better than those first few weeks of camp a year ago.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Day 1.

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Caleb Williams is playing faster

Caleb Williams met with the media after practice and one thing was clear: there’s a lot more on his plate this season.

He said the offense is much more detailed this year, with more kills, alerts, and pre-snap responsibilities. He’s recognizing defenses faster and is excited about the challenge.

When asked about cutting down on sacks, Caleb basically laid out the blueprint.

Get the ball out. Trust the protection. Take the checkdown. Use your hot answers. Make defenders miss when you have to. And throw it away when that’s the right decision.

He also talked about improving his completion percentage. Caleb believes it starts with confidence. Confidence in knowing the offense, trusting where to go with the football, trusting his receivers, and trusting the coaching. His goal is simple: complete 70% of his passes by consistently making the easy throws.

Ben Johnson is still coaching him hard

If you were wondering whether Ben Johnson has eased up on Caleb entering Year 2... he hasn’t.

Caleb said Ben still coaches him hard, and he welcomes it. If Ben gets on him or yells at him, it’s because they both share the same goal.

Bringing a championship back to Chicago.

Year 2 confidence

Caleb said he feels much more confident entering his second season because he now understands what winning and losing actually look like in the NFL.

He wants to continue leading by example and mentioned something interesting. Teammates are starting to sound like coaches because everyone has a much better understanding of the system.

That’s usually a good sign.

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Plenty of praise for his weapons

Caleb had a lot to say about the Bears’ young pass catchers.

He believes Colston Loveland has everything it takes to become the best tight end in football. He praised his versatility, route running, and willingness to block. Their chemistry has grown through honest conversations, and Caleb shared a cool story from after the Cincinnati game when Loveland told him, “Just give me a chance.”

He also couldn’t say enough about Luther Burden III, praising his route running and ability to separate while saying he has a ton of confidence in him.

As for Rome Odunze, Caleb said Rome looks completely healthy. They’ve spent plenty of time talking through routes, and Caleb keeps reminding him the football is coming his way.

“They drafted him high for a reason.”

He said when the ball goes to Rome, he expects either a catch or an incompletion... not a mistake.

Building chemistry

There was one miscommunication during practice with Garrett Bradbury, but Caleb said communication has otherwise been excellent as the offense continues building chemistry.

He also made it clear that whatever happened last season doesn’t matter anymore.

The focus now is improving every day, building trust, and spending more time together on and off the field.

Don’t count out rookie C Logan Jones..

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A lighter Caleb

Caleb also revealed he lost around 10 to 15 pounds this offseason by changing his diet and meal schedule.

The goal was simple: move better and play more fluidly.

Practice observations

A few things stood out from today’s practice.

• Luther Burden III saw a ton of targets both inside and outside while flashing his quick route running.

• Rome Odunze looked healthy and explosive during individual drills, although he didn’t record a catch during team periods.

• Caleb Williams and the quarterbacks consistently got the ball out on time. Overall, it was a solid first day.

• Jaylon Jones spent most of practice working as the starting nickel corner.

• Braxton Jones and Garrett Bradbury worked with the first-team offense.

• The defense actually had more pre-snap penalties than the offense from what I saw.

• The Bears won’t practice in full pads until Monday because of the NFL’s acclimation period.

Dennis Allen set the tone

Dennis Allen was as fired up as I’ve seen him during his morning press conference.

Honestly, it felt like he was talking directly to his defense.

He didn’t pull any punches about the unit needing to improve.

Then, as has become tradition, every defensive player opened training camp by doing 40 up-downs.

Safe to say the message was received.

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The Bears returned to Halas Hall on Monday, and we heard from Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles. Here’s a quick recap of everything we learned and the biggest takeaways. Before we jump in, I will be doing recaps every single day for Bears training camp, so if you’re enjoying this, go ahead and hit that subscribe button.

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Ben Johnson

One of the biggest takeaways from today was Ben Johnson. He used the media to send a message. He was asked about Kyler Gordon and if he had a message for him, and he said two words: get healthy.

Ben was also in mid-season form as he was asked about training camp, and he said, “This is where it’s fun. I’m excited for the competition.”

He truly is all business. I think that’s probably my favorite part about Ben Johnson. He doesn’t change for anyone. He will call out any player, whether a starter, star, or even someone on the Madden cover.

Speaking of the Madden cover, Ben did talk about Caleb Williams. He said things are starting to slow down for him, but he wants to see more anticipation. He went on to praise him and said he’s got it all: elite arm talent, playmaking ability, escapability. Really cool to see the growth between these two, and I’m excited for year two.

Then he was asked if the goal for Caleb Williams’ completion percentage was still 70%. He laughed and said it always will be.

Luther Burden

Luther Burden can’t stop calling his QBs, and that’s scary for the rest of the league.

Now, I guess it’s time for me to add a little bit more context. Bears GM Ryan Poles was very excited about talking about Luther Burden in year two.

“If there’s a guy I’m really excited about, it’s Luther Burden. You can feel the fire inside him. He just loves football.”

Poles also dropped a really fun nugget that will kind of make that first line make sense. He said Luther Burden has been texting all these quarterbacks, trying to find someone to throw to him every day.

Earlier in the summer, Ben Johnson had a quote that essentially said, “I’m buying Luther Burden stock.” I’m not saying it’s too late, but it’s getting damn close.

Luther Burden is gonna be a superstar, and I can just feel it.

Darnell Wright extension...

This might be the most disappointing part of Day 0 of training camp.

One thing I expected was Darnell Wright to probably get an extension before the regular season, but Bears GM Ryan Poles was asked about a potential extension for Wright, and he said, “There’s a window to get a deal done. At some point, we have to go play football, so we’ll figure it out.”

“Darnell is a guy we want here for the long term.”

And, to be honest, that doesn’t sound like good news at all. The market for offensive tackles continues to rise, and I know Chicago can kind of be frugal with the money, but this is a situation where you just have to pay.

Darnell Wright was Second-Team All-Pro, and if there’s one thing on Poles’ agenda, he’s got to get this deal done.

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Kyler Gordon

Obviously, I touched on the message that Ben Johnson said in regards to Kyler Gordon, which was simply, “Get healthy,” and to me, this is just not a fun situation.

Kyler Gordon is a great player, but he’s just never available. Obviously, they already signed him through 2028, so the extension’s been done. There’s no real easy way out.

I think both Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson know this, but I am glad they both kind of called him out. It’s not his fault, sure, but at the end of the day, the Bears need him.

The only downside is there’s no timetable for him to return, and that doesn’t make me feel great about the severity of this injury.

However, Ben Johnson sent a message today, and it kind of reminds me of the Joker from The Dark Knight. It’s not about the money. It’s about sending a message.

Other Injuries

Dayo is back, as there wasn’t any mention of him not being 100%.

Keyshaun Elliott has a back issue.

Elijah Hicks had some discomfort in his shin.

Noah Sewell is rehabbing from surgery.

Ozzy Trapilo is doing a “great job” working his butt off in recovery.

Shemar Turner is working to get back as well.

I’ll leave you with this..

There’s still a lot to be excited about. The Bears are officially back. Football is in the air.

Although there are a few messy situations, at the end of the day, I think the Bears are more than healthy and have a very talented and young roster that should be able to compete and make some more noise in 2026.

And, to be honest, that’s all you can ask for when it comes to your football team.

Again, if you enjoyed this, be sure to stick around and subscribe. It’s free all training camp.

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Let’s talk about Bucs Pro Bowl DT Vita Vea requesting a trade on Monday evening. Immediately, I started thinking about how the Bears could make this work. Would Ryan Poles even be interested? How old is Vea again? I found out he’s 31.5 years old. Kinda old for a defensive tackle, but Vea isn’t your typical DT. He’s a beast.

So that brings us back to: Is Ryan Poles willing to give Tampa a call? I think he is. So let’s see how Chicago can make this happen. But before that, let’s look at why Vea wants a trade in the first place.

IT’S ALWAYS THE MONEY.

Vea wants a new contract. He believes he’s the best DT in the game, and he’s in the last year of his previous contract with Tampa. Currently, he’s making less money than other DTs, as the market has changed since he signed that last deal. So, like most great players, especially ones later in their career, he wants to make as much money as possible.

Vea being 31.5 would make any GM cautious. However, Vea is still very healthy. He played 17 games last year, 16 in 2024, and 15 in 2023. For a big fella, that’s really impressive. So the question really isn’t, “Is it worth the risk of his age?” It’s more, “Do you want to pay him $25+ million, potentially at 31.5 years old?”

Again, he’s a different animal. I still think there’s a couple of productive years left. However, if you’re signing him to a three- or four-year extension, which I believe he probably wants, he’ll be around 35 years old, and that’s just a risky move.

WHAT’S THE PRICE TAG?

According to ESPN, a trade package for Vita Vea would start at a second and fifth round pick, according to a league executive.

When I first saw this, I thought it was actually pretty cheap. A second-round pick obviously is nothing to blink at, but I think Chicago has the ability to perhaps give one up, especially because of the timeline they’re on with Caleb Williams and this roster. Especially if you’re able to push it back to 2028 as far as a second-rounder, parting with that would make it even better.

One thing I would not want to do is give up Austin Booker or anything like that. To be honest, I wouldn’t wanna give up any starters. To grab Vea for a second-round pick and perhaps a Day 3 pick is something I would pull the trigger on.

However, the next question is: How would the Bears make this work financially?

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BEARS GOTTA GET CREATIVE.

Honestly, it would be difficult. They currently have around $8 million in cap space, so there would have to be a lot of restructuring. But that’s why these franchises have cap wizards who can manipulate money. We’ve seen the Rams and other teams do it. I believe Chicago could definitely make it work.

The question is, do they value Vea the same way perhaps I do and other fans do? I think the answer is somewhere in the middle.

So, if I had to predict what Ryan Poles does next, I think he would probably get with his team and see if the financial numbers can even make sense before he gives Tampa a call.

But again, I think it’s possible and would definitely give Chicago more juice on the defensive line. And to me, I think you need as much ammo as possible when you play in the NFC North.

To refer to the timeline once again, the Bears are in win-now mode. They have a quarterback on a rookie deal, so I would go for it and be aggressive but, of course, still calculated. And I think the Bears can do that here.

Joe Thuney cracked the NFL Top 100. Obviously.

However, when news dropped Monday morning that he was ranked No. 49, it was a bit, well, underwhelming. Immediate thoughts were: Bears tax is real. But then I realized, after a bit of research, that this was the first time Thuney made the NFL Top 100 list.

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Thuney is a 4x Super Bowl champ. A 3x First-Team All-Pro. And this is his first mention on the Top 100 list in his career. Ever. Which is voted on by the players.

That is a red flag when it comes to the credibility of how this list is put together. Just so odd to me. Another note: the first recipient of the NFL’s Protector of the Year Award couldn’t be a bit higher up? If you asked me before his ranking was revealed, I would have said top 30 and not thought much more about it. Bears tax is a real thing, though. And I do think it plays a role, just not sure how much it does here in the Top 100. But there is no doubt that Joe Thuney is one of the best players in the NFL, and it’s still so sick that he’s here in Chicago.

I’ll end with this: Perhaps the trenches just don’t get as much love as they should.

Stay with me for a few paragraphs. Caleb Williams is the NFL version of Doctor Doom. Now, some will say that title belongs to a guy like Patrick Mahomes. To that I say, you are not wrong. But for the sake of this piece, we believe (like the MCU) there are many variants. And with Caleb Williams he is perhaps the most powerful Doctor Doom variant the NFL has ever seen.

WHY THIS COMPARISON?

I was doom scrolling (couldn’t help myself, ha) late Saturday night and all the news from San Diego Comic Con was dropping on Twitter and it was electric. New Black Panther casting, Ryan Gosling is gonna be Ghost Rider. It’s sick.

Around like 1 a.m. I was going through the MCU and trying to link them to a current Bears player. I wanted to start with Caleb Williams and hopefully I’ll publish more comparison pieces down the road. Now I consider myself fluent in Marvel but I didn’t know all that much regarding Doctor Doom besides surface level facts. So I started doing some late night research to see if it was even possible to tie Williams to Doom. It was easier than I expected.

WHAT IF I DON’T KNOW WHO DOCTOR DOOM IS?

For those that aren’t familiar with the MCU, comics, and Doctor Doom’s game. I got you.

PERSONALITY

Doctor Doom is a very confident individual. He seems himself as above all. He is also very intelligent. Comparable to Dr. Strange or Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). From what I learned he is typically always a few steps ahead of everyone. That includes the best of the best. AKA the Avengers. Similar to Caleb Williams right? Not so much the arrogance part but you almost have to believe highly of yourself to get to this level. To turnaround a franchise like Chicago, you have to have a mindset that is simply different. As far as being a few steps ahead, like Doom, Caleb’s game is just that. In 2025 he was the best at sack avoidance. He had a supernatural ability to feel the pressure even when his head was turned the opposite direction. Looking back at the Rams playoff game, you know where I am going right? It’s the throw that felt like we were all watching Madden. He ran backwards 20 yards, and then somehow found the perfect spot to chuck the ball 50+ yards for a game tying TD.

From the comics, many of Doom’s losses are due to his ego. Now, Caleb Williams isn’t arrogant. Far from it but his game can almost be interpreted that way at points. His interception in that same Rams game that DJ Moore was the intended target is a good example of Williams ego. Caleb will go for the kill shot because.. well he believes his arm is better than any DB, Safety, or DC. He believes (and said it himself) he can make any throw. That no throw is necessarily a bad one. Now I never said this would be perfect comparison but Doom has similar tendencies, just on a cosmic scale.

Lastly, Doom is a villain. But he’s a very popular and loved villain. Caleb coming out of USC, he was kind of a villain. Now, the criticism he received was very unfair. But fast forward to right now, he’s the golden boy. He’s graced the Madden cover. He is one of the faces of the league. But similar to all superstars, there comes a point where the public gets bored. I don’t think we have seen Williams NFL villain arc but I know if he reaches the peak of his powers in the next few years under Ben Johnson, we’ll get it. His greatness could get old and winning too much is a bit annoying to fans. Examples like the Patriots, Chiefs, Warriors etc. The Bears and Williams have a long way to go before we get to those conversations but I could see it (hopefully) playing out that way.

POWERS

We already touched on how smart Doctor Doom is. Caleb possesses a similar trait on the football field. But to elaborate on Doom’s powers that relate to Williams, we will go to the dark arts. Doom has a very high level grasp of the mystic arts. He can hang with the best in the comics. The guy in Chicago is similar when throwing the football. Only few in the league can make throws and extend plays like he can. Some say it’s only rivaled by the Mahomes/Josh Allen types. Another power so to speak that Doom possesses is his armor, which is comparable to Iron Man. Doom is extremely durable and to make it even better his incredible willpower. Williams (knocks on wood) doesn't get hurt. He is battle tested. And just never comes out of the game. Ask Matt Eberflus, who saw first hand how tough Williams is. Caleb also embodies Dooms spirit of never giving up. Very cliche thing to say but Williams truly never believes a win is out of reach. Down 21-3? In a playoff game? Doesn’t matter. Williams doesn’t blink.

FINAL FORM

Spoiler warning. If you’re an MCU fan, we have Avengers Doomsday coming in December. After that, we get Avengers: Secret Wars. Now, it could look different than the comics but this is where we see Doctor Dooms final form. Essentially Doom becomes a God.

Meet God Emperor Doom

Normal Doom is a an Avengers level threat. But this form of Doom is him at his absolute peak. Like prime Tom Brady. Stopping him is very difficult at this point. It’s like kicking to Devin Hester, you know what’s coming but doesn't matter. From my late night research, God Emperor Doom is one of the most powerful versions in the MCU. We are talking bigger than Thanos. One of his tools at his disposal is he can reshape reality and controls life and death. Just an absolute monster. Well, this is where Caleb Williams comes in. Before you laugh, again this is all for fun anyhow but Williams shares the same type of potential. 2025 Caleb Williams was unstoppable at times. Most teams couldn’t stop him with the game on the line. However he still made mistakes. That’s the scary part with him and also Doom. We haven’t seen either at their absolute peak. To be fair, we haven’t seen Doom outside a post credits scene from the Fantasic Four. But for the sake of this article, just know Doom is a problem like Williams has also shown to be in the best way possible. But with Ben Johnson helping accelerate Williams growth, we can only hope he reaches his final form. One that can make us reevaluate what we know is possible on a football field. A player who can put the team on his back and simply say “I’m better than you and there’s nothing you can do to stop me”.

Williams has already shown flashes. He’s transformed the city of Chicago into a real threat in the NFC. But there is still levels to his game that we are yet to witness.

We haven’t met the Caleb Williams of the future. But that day is coming.

Kyler Gordon. He’s one of my favorite players on this Bears roster. But how much longer will he be around in Chicago, if he can’t stay healthy?

Is it time to panic?

No.

Is it frustrating?

Absolutely.

The Bears signed Kyler Gordon to a three-year, $40 million extension back in April 2025, making him one of the highest-paid slot corners in football and tying him to Chicago through the 2028 season. You don’t hand out that kind of contract unless you believe a player is a cornerstone of your defense.

And when Gordon is healthy, he absolutely is.

That’s never been the question.

The problem is getting him on the field.

He missed voluntary OTAs and minicamp this spring while dealing with another soft-tissue injury. Now he’s opening training camp on the PUP list. Add that to the hamstring, calf, and groin injuries he’s battled throughout his career, and it’s fair to say this has become a trend instead of a one-off.

That’s the frustrating part.

Not because Kyler Gordon isn’t talented.

Because he is.

Not because he isn’t tough.

I don’t question that for a second.

It’s just that, at some point, availability becomes part of the conversation.

And honestly, I feel for him because this isn’t something he’s choosing. Soft-tissue injuries can become a vicious cycle, and unfortunately that’s been the story of his career so far.

This is a massive season for Gordon.

I’m rooting for him, and I know most Bears fans are too.

There’s nothing the Bears are going to do right now. They’re obviously not moving on from him, and anyone suggesting he won’t make the 53-man roster is overreacting. That’s not reality.

But this season feels pivotal.

If he can stay healthy, he’ll remind everyone why the Bears gave him that extension in the first place.

If the injuries continue, though, those questions aren’t going away.

As for right now, I’m not hitting the panic button.

The Bears are going to be cautious, and I understand why.

But I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t a little concerned.

Because today, we honestly don’t know if Kyler Gordon will be ready for Week 1.

Hopefully, this ends up being nothing more than a slow start to camp.

The Bears need 6 on the field.

And after everything he’s battled through, I’d love nothing more than to see him put together the healthiest season of his career.

If Caleb Williams were eligible for this list, he’d be No. 1.

Obviously.

He’s entering Year 3, his second season with Ben Johnson, and training camp will be our first real look at how much this offense has evolved. Every throw, every rep, every interaction is going to be worth watching.

But putting Caleb at the top would be like making a list of the best Chicago foods and putting deep-dish pizza at No. 1. It’s true, but it’s also the least interesting answer possible.

So, for the sake of making this list a little more fun, Caleb is officially disqualified.

Here are the 10 Bears I’ll be watching the closest once training camp gets underway.

10. Dillon Thieneman | S

I still can’t believe the Bears landed Dillon Thieneman.

He was one of my favorite defensive prospects in this draft, and now he’s walking into Chicago with an opportunity to earn a starting job from Day 1.

Nothing is going to be handed to him, and that’s exactly why I’m excited to watch him.

Training camp is where rookie safeties either start trusting their instincts or start thinking too much. I want to see how quickly Thieneman adjusts to the speed of the NFL because if he’s anything close to the player he was in college, Bears fans are going to fall in love with him pretty quickly.

9. Rome Odunze | WR1 (Maybe?)

It feels like people have forgotten just how good Rome Odunze looked before his foot injury.

He came out firing last season, found the end zone early, and was building chemistry with Caleb Williams before the injury slowed things down.

Now he enters Year 3 with something to prove.

Not because he disappointed anyone.

Because people outside (and inside) of Chicago have started sleeping on him.

I still think Rome has another level to reach, and I can’t wait to watch him and Caleb continue building that connection throughout camp.

8. Austin Booker | ED

Austin Booker might have more to gain during training camp than almost anyone on this roster.

We’ve seen flashes.

Now it’s about consistency.

The Bears have invested heavily in their defensive line, but there’s still room for someone to earn a much bigger role. Booker has that opportunity.

If he puts together a strong camp, don’t be surprised if he becomes one of the biggest stories coming out of Halas Hall.

7. Coby Bryant | S

Replacing Kevin Byard isn’t exactly an easy job.

Fortunately, Coby Bryant isn’t trying to be Kevin Byard.

He’s bringing championship experience after winning a Super Bowl in Seattle, and I’m excited to see how he settles into Dennis Allen’s defense.

I’m especially interested in watching him alongside Dillon Thieneman. Veteran leadership paired with young talent could make this one of the more exciting safety duos the Bears have had in a while.

6. Darnell Wright | All- Pro RT

Training camp offensive line drills are football’s version of heavyweight boxing.

Nobody embodies that better than Darnell Wright.

Once the pads come on, someone usually ends up getting moved against their will, and it’s often because Wright decided today was going to be a long day for whoever lined up across from him.

Coming off an All-Pro season, an extension feels inevitable. Like very soon (more on that another time).

He’s also somehow one of the funniest players on the roster while simultaneously being one of the most intimidating.

5. Kyle Monangai | RB

There are players you appreciate.

Then there are players who make you laugh because of how violently they run the football.

Monangai falls squarely into that second category.

Every carry feels like somebody’s about to make a business decision they immediately regret.

He’s quickly become one of my favorite players on this roster, and Bears fans are going to love watching him throughout camp in year 2.

4. Zavion Thomas | WR

Ben Johnson wanted him.

Honestly, that’s enough for me.

Thomas brings legitimate speed, and training camp will be our first opportunity to see how creative this coaching staff plans to get with him.

He’s the type of player who can completely change the energy of a practice with one explosive play.

I’m expecting more than a few of those over the next month.

3. Kyler Gordon | CB

I really only have one request.

Please be healthy.

Kyler Gordon is one of the best nickel corners in football when he’s on the field.

After dealing with the hamstring injury, I just want to see him make it through training camp healthy and available.

We haven’t heard much about the injury recently, which is encouraging, and hopefully that’s because he’s ready to hit the ground running.

If Gordon is fully healthy, Chicago’s defense becomes significantly more dangerous.

2. Luther Burden III | WR1 (Probably)

There’s almost nothing left to say about Luther Burden that hasn’t already been said.

The talent is ridiculous.

I love Rome Odunze, and I think he’s going to have a really good year.

But I genuinely believe Burden has the highest ceiling of any receiver on this roster.

I don’t think we’ve even come close to seeing what he’s capable of yet.

Training camp should give us our first real glimpse of how Ben Johnson plans to unleash him, and I have a feeling he’ll produce at least one highlight that dominates Bears Twitter for days.

1. Colston Loveland | TE

This is the player I’m most excited to watch.

We saw flashes last season.

Now I want to see what happens when he’s more comfortable, more confident, and fully settled into the offense.

Loveland has everything you’re looking for in a modern tight end. He’s explosive after the catch, creates mismatches all over the field, and already has great chemistry with Caleb Williams.

I honestly think we’re only scratching the surface of what he can become.

If he takes the leap I think he’s capable of taking, he could finish the season as one of the Bears’ most dangerous offensive weapons.

And if that’s the case, this offense is going to be a whole lot of fun to watch.

Honorable Mentions

A few players barely missed the list.

Jaylon Johnson

CB1. He’s healthy. Will be fun to watch.

Montez Sweat

I’m still higher on Montez Sweat than a lot of Bears fans seem to be. Last season wasn’t up to his standards, and I’m excited to see if he looks like the dominant pass rusher we know he can be.

Devin Bush

Bush is a veteran, so we have a pretty good idea of what he brings. That said, I’m still interested to see how quickly he settles into Dennis Allen’s defense and how he fits alongside T.J. Edwards. His speed and experience could make him one of the Bears’ better free-agent additions.

Dayo “Motivated” Odeyingbo

I’m really interested to see where Dayo is physically.

He’s working his way back from injury, and training camp should give us our first real indication of how close he is to being the player the Bears signed in free agency. If he’s healthy, he could be a major boost to Chicago’s pass rush.

Logan Jones

Center is one of the most important positions on the field, which automatically makes Logan Jones fascinating to watch since Drew Dalman retired.

It’s a tall task for any rookie to earn a starting job, but if he strings together a strong training camp, he could force the coaching staff into having some difficult conversations.

Cole Kmet

Cole Kmet is one of the longest-tenured Bears on the roster now, which honestly feels weird to say. He’s coming off the most winning season of his career, but it’ll be fascinating to see how Ben Johnson uses Kmet this with Loveland’s rise.

Is the writing on the wall for Kmet? Maybe. Maybe not.

Either way, he’s one of the leaders in that locker room, one of the better tight ends in the NFC, and he’s always one of the more enjoyable players to watch during training camp. Good player. Even better dude.

Let’s Enjoy The Ride

Training camp is always one of my favorite parts of the NFL calendar.

It’s where hype starts becoming reality. It’s where rookies stop being draft picks and start becoming football players. It’s where position battles are won, expectations are challenged, and every fan convinces themselves they’ve found the next breakout star.

A few names on this list will probably look different a month from now.

That’s what makes training camp so much fun.