Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and receiver Kalif Raymond showed their cohesiveness in Thursday's padded practice, teaming up to produce an impact play that required perfect timing.
Williams rainbowed a deep pass across the field to Raymond, who caught the ball in stride and hung onto it with safeties Dillon Thieneman and Xavier Woods draped on his back.
"The good thing is we just did it in 'routes on air,'" Raymond said. "[Williams] was like, 'we just hit that, let's dial it up and let it go.' He let it go and it was a very good throw. All I had to do was run under it."
One of the defensive players could be heard exclaiming 'no way' after the play.
"It was 'no way' because, oh my goodness, that throw was crazy," Raymond said. "It was cool to see it translate from the beginning of practice … It was cool that we connected."
Great addition
Veteran linebacker T.J. Edwards has enjoyed playing next to speedy linebacker Devin Bush, who signed with the Bears in March after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Steelers (2019-22), Seahawks (2023) and Browns (2024-25).
Edwards said that Bush is "constantly around the ball" and is "a guy who just really understands the game and has a good feel for what we're trying to do schematically, which always him to play fast."
"You just see his instincts and his ability to get to the ball," Edwards said, "it really is great for our room because that's what we're supposed to do—just hit the ball every play. He's been awesome to have and a guy that just loves football and brings a lot of character to the room. It's been great."
Growth and maturity
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor echoed Ben Johnson's earlier comments when the Bears coach lauded Williams for being more locked in and more of a vocal leader in their second year together.
"I think the biggest thing is the maturation," Taylor said. "He's just grown up. I mean, he's going into his third season in the NFL, second season in this playbook with this staff. He's seen what it takes to succeed week-to-week, day-to-day. We haven't played a game in six, seven, eight months, but it takes a lot to get ready for practice and to be able to have a successful practice as the leader of an offense.
"He's been able to experience that for a year. He understands the standard that we expect from him and the preparation for practice and practicing, what that means and how important that is. He's somebody that's taken it very serious. He's always been very competitive. So, when the situation changes within a practice and there's something on the line, you kind of see the competitive juices start to flow from him a little bit. But I think just the professionalism of what it takes to be a great quarterback in this league, he's understanding that and he's working to achieve that every single day."
Stepping up
With running back Kyle Monangai sidelined due to a knee injury he sustained Aug. 16 in practice, Roschon Johnson has made the most of expanded playing time. The fourth-year pro excelled in joint practices in Cincinnati and Tennessee and in the preseason games that followed, rushing for 42 yards on 12 carries against the Bengals and 29 yards and one touchdown on six attempts versus the Titans. He also had a 3-yard run on fourth-and-1 in Tennessee that sustained a drive that resulted in a touchdown and delivered a key block on Tyson Bagent's 97-yard TD pass to Zavion Thomas.
"Roschon is a guy that really had a great finish to camp here, somebody that earned a lot of trust through the last couple weeks," Taylor said. "As Kyle goes down and Roschon's numbers increase and he got more opportunities, he proved to us that he's trustworthy. He can be in those situations if it comes down to it where we need him to carry a heavier load than we expected while being involved in special teams. That's something he's done well."
Monday fun day
Taylor will spend Labor Day studying Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in preparation for the regular season opener a week from Sunday in Carolina. The Bears offensive coordinator starts every week during the regular season "learning who the [opposing] defensive coordinator is, what his DNA is."
"We're trying to build his call sheet," Taylor said, "so you're studying the tape and you're trying to dive into, 'where are his yard breaks, what are his third down sections, what are his red zone sections, where does he pressure, when does he pressure, what do they like to do, what are their adjustments … what his response to certain looks is going to be.'
"Having been in the league for 14 years, I feel I've got a feel for who some of these are and what family they come from, so you're leaning on your history of, 'we played this guy when he was an assistant, I played him five years ago when he was calling [plays] at another place, how many times has Ben played him.'
"The fun part is diving into all the past games that we've experienced against these people but also the last 7-8 games of the year; here's what they became, here's what we anticipate coming out, how much of preseason you put stock into. The chess match of trying to figure out who you're playing first is probably the most exciting part of Mondays."
