The Bears conducted their eighth training camp practice and third in pads Thursday at Halas Hall. Here's what transpired:
The Bears practiced for nearly two-and-a-half hours, their longest session of camp.
"Really excited about today," coach Ben Johnson told reporters before the workout. "Should be our longest practice yet. Told the team last night, this is where we'll get a great chance to eval just who's here to survive through training camp and who's really wanting to thrive and become king of the mountain. We'll see who's out there to compete. It'll be long. It'll be hard."
One player who thrived was Caleb Williams, who demonstrated pinpoint accuracy and excellent touch. In one 11-on-11 drill, the second-year quarterback lofted long completions just over defenders to receivers Luther Burden III and Olamide Zaccheaus and then rifled a slant pass to receiver DJ Moore.
In another drill, Williams enticed the defense to jump offside, and then realizing he had a free play, heaved a long pass down the right sideline that was hauled in by receiver Rome Odunze. Moments later, Williams connected with receiver Miles Boykin over the middle.
Standing out
Burden also excelled, making several impressive catches on passes from Williams and Tyson Bagent, including a tumbling grab while backpedaling near the right sideline. The rookie second-round pick showed no ill effects from the hamstring injury that had sidelined him most of the offseason and early in training camp.
"I feel like today was a great day, a great day to play football, a great day to get better, compete, all that type of stuff," Burden said after participating in his third practice. "It just felt good to be back out there with the guys, creating that bond with coaches, teammates, everybody."
Before practice, Johnson said that Burden's play speed in Wednesday's workout "jumped off the tape to us all."
Burden has been trying to make up for the time he missed by doing extra work before practice and "diving really hard into my playbook."
"I get here early," he said. "I do walkthroughs with the QBs. They're just trying to help me catch up to speed because I haven't been out there. Everybody in the building is looking out for me trying to get me up to date and make sure I'm here ready to perform."
Two-minute drills
The Bears concluded practice with their first- and second-team offenses trying to rally from a 24-21 deficit with 1:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The No. 1 defense protected the lead as cornerback Tyrique Stevenson intercepted Williams' desperation fourth-down heave deep down the field after the quarterback had been flushed out of the pocket.
The second offense scored a go-ahead touchdown on Bagent's 17-yard pass to tight end Joel Wilson. Bagent sustained the drive with a pair of fourth-and-10 completions of 10 yards to Burden and 37 yards to receiver Maurice Alexander.
Injury update
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson remains sidelined with a leg injury he sustained while working out before training camp. Ben Johnson was asked about a timetable for the two-time Pro Bowler's return.
"I think there's a scenario where he'll be ready for Week 1," said the Bears coach. "That's really the target date. I know he's working hard and diligently to get there for that. With those types of injuries that he's got, you just never know. It's still early in that process, but I know he's attacking that rehab really well."
One of a kind
Johnson views veteran tight end Cole Kmet as a versatile weapon who can line up all over the field.
"He's a little bit of a unicorn," Johnson said. "You can put him all over the place. Inline to outside the numbers, slot, I think you can move him around quite a bit.
"I think the beauty of having him outside the numbers is if you get him matched up on a safety or a linebacker, then that's going to be a favor for us. That's going to be a good thing. He's going to be able to win those matchups on a consistent basis. He's such a large target that if you put it somewhere close to him, he'll find a way to come down with it."
Bringing energy
Johnson is thrilled with the work being done by his assistant coaches.
"I have a high level of confidence in the entire coaching staff," Johnson said. "I told them last night they're doing just a phenomenal job across the board. They're bringing energy to every practice, they're coaching up the little things, their guys are ready to play and compete every day we go out there."
No assistant has been more impressive than veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
"The defense has had the upper hand on the offense for the most part in camp, and he's a guy who's not going to show any mercy," Johnson said. "He's keeping his foot on the pedal and wants to keep installing and bringing the noise. So I appreciate that. His mentality is rubbing off on our players, certainly on the defensive side. Even this morning, I go into his office, and he gives me some tips here and there about being a head coach. So that's invaluable."
Johnson was asked what advice he received from Allen, who spent six seasons as an NFL head coach with the Raiders (2012-14) and Saints (2022-24).
"He said, 'When you're in that seat, I've got to come into work every morning and say there are going to be four or five things that come across my desk that I'm not anticipating,'" Johnson said. "If you think that it's going to be smooth sailing, you're going to be disappointed. But if you come in with that expectation, you're going to be just fine."
Familiar face
Former Bears kicker Robbie Gould, who is the head football coach at St. Viator High School in suburban Arlington Heights, brought his squad to watch practice Thursday. St. Viator is the alma mater of Kmet as well as Jarrett Payton, the son of legendary Bears Hall of Famer Walter Payton.
