The Chicago Bears kicked off their training camp with a lighter-than-usual practice, but there were still notable updates and standouts from the first day of sessions.
The Bears conducted a shorter, lighter workout that didn't even last 90 minutes, which is key to ramping up before pads come on next week. This allowed players to get a feel for the new systems and coaches without the added intensity of full-contact drills.
The position battles at nickel cornerback, left tackle, center, and punt returner were a major focus of the first day of practice. Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell, rookie Malik Muhammad, and veteran newcomer Cam Lewis rotated at nickel throughout the morning, with Jones working with the starters for most of the workout.
At left tackle, Braxton Jones got the starting nod, but he'll have to hold off Theo Benedet, former first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr., and Kiran Amegadjie for the job. Jones was working with the first-team offense to kick off training camp, according to Michal Dwojak.
Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland stood out in practice, with the latter two receiving praise from tight end Clay Harbor. Harbor was impressed with Chicago's top three weapons, saying that they "had a lot of hype surrounding them heading into Year 2 under Ben Johnson."
Garrett Bradbury worked with the first-team offense, as expected, with rookie Logan Jones working with the second team. The expectation is that Bradbury will start at center for Chicago in 2026, but Ben Johnson has made it clear that Jones will have an opportunity to compete for the job.
The defense, meanwhile, had an "up-and-down" day, according to safety Coby Bryant. Bryant joked that the up-downs drill, which every defensive player did, was "pretty easy," but explained that it's a mindset thing and that they'll have to deal with harder stuff soon.
Zavion Thomas flashed in punt returner competition, catching some long punts and making it look easy, according to Mark Carman. Thomas is competing with Kalif Raymond for the job, and the two will likely continue to battle throughout the preseason.
The Bears return to the practice field on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. CT for their second of four consecutive practices to open camp. It's another closed practice before fans arrive on Friday morning.
Source: Yahoo Sports