While Thomas' debut was certainly one to remember, he also experienced the typical up-and-down nature an NFL game after fumbleing a jet sweep handoff from Bagent on the Bears' second drive. Speaking to reporters after the game, Bagent claimed responsibility for the mishap, but once Thomas arrived at the podium shortly after the quarterback was done speaking, the rookie took accountability.
"That was 1000% on me," Thomas said. "I've gotta be better, and I will be better … I've just gotta secure the ball."
As Thomas looks ahead to the Bears' Week 1 matchup in Charlotte against the Panthers two weeks from Sunday, he credits his fellow receivers forhelping him get through his first NFL training camp and setting him up to be successful in his rookie year.
"Having guys in the receiver room, the guys that we have here, they make a lot of things easy for me. Having people that I can look up to, like 'Lif (Kalif Raymond), just following in his footsteps, he's kind of coached me through the whole thing. So, he's made it a little easier for me."
Having that support from a veteran like Raymond and other receivers such as Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III has allowed Thomas to keep a level head and learn by example.
While Johnson emphasized the importance of Thomas maintaining that humble mentality as he enters the regular season, his teammates don't anticipate the rookie losing his hunger or using his confidence in any way other than being a positive for the Bears.
"He knows what's ahead for him," Bagent said. "This is no easy ride being in the NFL, no matter what position you are, no matter how fast you are. I think he has a good understanding there's a lot of work to be done, but it's also good to have success early on. Because he is fast, you've got a fast guy with confidence, \[and\] I don't think that's a bad thing at all. But I think he's well aware of the workload that's ahead of him."