After their first two padded practices of training camp Monday and Tuesday, the Bears worked out in shells Wednesday at Halas Hall. Here's what transpired:
Quarterback Caleb Williams spoke to the media after practice, detailing how he's pleased but not satisfied with the strides he's made in gaining a firmer grasp of the new offense.
"Whether it's now or 10 years from now, there's always going to be progress to be had," Williams said. "There's always going to be a spot that I can be better at. I think right now I'm doing well with the process, whether that's before the snap or that's after the snap, whether it's footwork, all these different things."
Williams is focused on ensuring that all 11 members of the offense are on the same page when they're in the huddle and as they approach the line of scrimmage. The second-year quarterback and his teammates are working to get "to the point where we're not thinking and it's [subconscious] and we're just rolling."
Williams is confident that the play calls, checks, adjustments, shifts and motions will all become second nature for the offense.
"I'm pretty smooth with it as of right now," he said. "Obviously, you want to be 100% when you're out there with the calls and hearing it. There are so many words that we have in our playbook, and we put so many words together that sometimes they kind of sound the same. So when you hear a play or start to hear a play, it's like, 'OK, I know what the play is and I know exactly what we have.'
"It comes down to just a little bit more studying. It comes down to a little bit more practicing, a lot more reps over time. I think that's where it is right now. We're going to keep progressing. I'm going to keep progressing and getting after it."
Building a bond
Williams is creating cohesiveness with rookie tight end Colston Loveland on and off the field. The Bears quarterback revealed that he spent Sunday's day off in downtown Chicago dining with the first-round pick and a few other teammates.
"We're hanging out, building that bond, building that trust," Williams said. "On the field, he's smart, he knows what he's doing. He's a young cat, so there are going to be a few mistakes, maybe hand placement. But when the ball goes up, I've got all faith in him."
Loveland reinforced that confidence during a recent practice when he soared high over the middle to catch a pass from Williams.
"The ball kind of slipped out of my hand, [which was] a little sweaty," Williams said. "He went up and grabbed it and came down with it. It was a big catch. Things like that provide trust, faith, belief that whenever the ball goes up in the air, it's his. Other than that, it's just building a connection, routes and things like that, kind of figuring out how he moves so when we get out there on the field [in games], we're out there rolling."
Headed in right direction
Veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is pleased with the progress the defense has made from offseason workouts through seven training camp practices.
"We've still got a long way to go, but I like the direction that we're headed," he said. "Guys are locked in. I think the best thing that I've seen from our group is that I've seen a lot of improvement from where we were in the springtime. And that's what we really want to see: guys getting confidence throughout, whether it be the offseason program, OTAs, minicamp and now into training camp.
"We haven't had to really take a step back. We're giving them a lot of stuff. There's a ton for them to digest and those guys are doing a really good job of understanding what we're asking them to do."
One of the defense's key areas of improvement in training camp has been its press coverage, which is a staple of the scheme. On Tuesday, coach Ben Johnson praised the strides made in that area, remarking that there are "significantly smaller windows than there were in the springtime."
"I've seen improvements in that regard," Allen said. "The coverage aspect has been a lot more clean, a lot stickier than it was in the spring. That's good to see, and that's a big part of what we do."
On Wednesday, nickel back Kyler Gordon dove to break up a pass near the sideline. It was almost a carbon copy of the play that safety Jaquan Brisker produced a day earlier. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Nahshon Wright both have broken up multiple passes since the start of camp as well.
Allen believes that the tighter coverage is a result of the players learning exactly what to do from a coaching staff stocked with excellent teachers.
"Our guys did a great job over the offseason of really understanding what we're asking them to do and how we're asking them to play," Allen said. "It's also a compliment to … every single one of these assistant coaches. I'm talking about from the front to the linebackers to the back end. Those guys are doing an excellent job of teaching, and that's one of the things Ben said when he hired his staff. The first thing he was looking for was really good teachers, and I think those guys do a great job."
Cornering the market
Allen described the second starting cornerback position alongside the injured Jaylon Johnson as "completely up for grabs."
"You saw it out there today," Allen said. "You saw some different guys going out there with the ones. And I think that's how you develop the very best defense that you can, is create as much competition as you can and let the tape make the decision. That's really what it's about."
Allen lauded two cornerbacks who are new to the Bears this season; fourth-year pro Nahshon Wright, who has been working with the No. 1 defense in place of Johnson, and five-year veteran Nick McCloud.
"I've seen a lot of improvement from a lot of different guys," Allen said. "Nahshon Wright's improved. A guy that's stood out to me in the last few days has been Nick McCloud. In the spring, I wasn't sure exactly what he was going to be. But he's come back in great shape. He understands the defense. He's doing all of the things that Al [Harris] is coaching him to do, which is allowing him to be successful."
Wright signed with the Bears April 8 after spending his first three NFL seasons with the Cowboys (2021-23) and Vikings (2024), appearing in 33 games with three starts and recording 37 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups.
McCloud joined the Bears March 24 after playing in 48 games with 16 starts over four seasons with the Bengals (2021), Giants (2022-24) and 49ers (2024), registering 96 tackles and 10 pass breakups.
Understanding the game
Add Allen to the long list of individuals who are impressed with Johnson's ability to establish game plans and call plays.
"I just think that this guy's an intelligent person who understands the game," Allen said. "He understands defense and the challenges we face on our side of the ball. He understands how he can attack those things.
"And so, it has been great for both sides of the ball. Both sides are seeing a lot of different things, a lot of things that are challenging. We're having to make a ton of adjustments on our side of the ball. Every day is a learning experience for us. I just think his overall knowledge of the game is what makes him challenging as a play caller."
